Being a Bandit

How a kid's show is teaching me the ways of parenting.

If you’ve watched the kid show phenomena BLUEY, you know you wished you could be like the titular character’s parents: Bandit & Chilly. I’m a dad, so I’ve been taking notes from Bandit. And here’s a bit of what I found.

The Power of “Yes, And”

There’s a rule in improv called “Yes, And”. Generally this rule means you take whatever your partner gives you and you carry it forward. You don’t block what they are trying to do, but you funnel their energy to further the story along.

In the same way an audience can feel the stagnation when an improve performer isn’t doing “yes, and”, our kids feel it too. I notice the longer I’m watching the kids, the more I’m going “No… No… Hey! No.” And that is NOT the Bandit way.

What I love about Bandit is that he rolls with whatever play his girls bring up. He “Yes, And”s whatever they do and adds value to it. This not only keeps the play flowing, but he’s able to teach them life lessons, provide safe boundaries, and reassure them that he’s LISTENING. The listening is the key here. Kids can feel when you aren’t listening, and the quickest way to show them you aren’t is by cutting off whatever they are doing.

This isn’t to say that anything goes, or that we say yes to dangerous play, but everything is within reason and moderation. When we become participants in the play like Bandit, we get a say in how it goes rather than becoming an obstacle to a good time.

Embrace Your Inner-Kid Imagination

I’m always astonished with how quickly Bandit jumps into the action, pretending that an invisible friend (oi, Tina!) is pulling one over on him, or becoming a servant robot to teach his kids a lesson in humility and stewarding the things they own, or becoming ‘a mountain’ for his adventurous kids can spelunk (not too mention a hilarious game called Octopus). This all represents a profound sense of imagination, creating experiences that his kids won’t soon forget, and making their home a safe place to be their fully creative selves.

Be Realistic

I’m an adult with a full time workload, housework to do, and a lot of side creative projects going. And – let’s be honest – we’re all juggling a lot and the energy may not always be there. What I love about Bandit, is that you get to see that at times. Sometimes he’s just letting his kids jump on him, and he also will let the girls just do their own thing. We don’t have to occupy our kids’ space ALL the time.

Bandit is teaching me a lot, but the most important thing he is teaching me is this: When I’m around, be around.