There are some kid’s TV shows that are really made for us parents. That show for me is Bluey, and Chilli Heeler is total mom goals. If you have not experienced the joys of the Heeler family firsthand, then you are missing out. And I have no choice but to assume you either don’t have children between the ages of 2 and 7 or you live on a remote island without internet. So, just in case you didn’t know, this kid’s show is about the Heeler family, a delightful family of dogs, from Australia.
It is a kid’s TV show, but most parents know the truth, it is actually for us. Honestly, I could write a book on the amazingness of this show. Also, all the episodes are about seven minutes long, which I love. But I want to focus on the real MVP, Chilli Heeler. Chilli is the definition of a cool mom or at least the only kind of cool mom I want to be. From her constant wittiness to her parenting gems, and the way she can break it down on the dance floor – that is life. For all of these reasons and so many more, I am breaking down my favorite Chilli Heeler parenting moments.
Here are five times Chilli nailed the parenting game:
1. “Run your own Race, Bluey”
“Baby Race” is season 2, episode 50. This happens to be one of the most quoted Bluey lines in our house. This episode focuses on Chili teaching Bluey not to compare herself to others and to focus on how she is doing. She tells Bluey the story of being a new mom and how she felt she was doing as a mom to the other moms in the group, all based on their kid’s development. At the end of this episode, a more seasoned mom tells Chilli, “You’re doing great.” This episode never ceases to bring tears to my eyes and is very relatable to moms. She uses this story to bring home the idea that we shouldn’t be comparing our skills or level to others.
This reminder is essential in our house for both our competitive children and us as parents. You are never too old to learn to run your own race.
Side Note: The part of this episode where Bluey starts to bum shuffle is an absolute favorite with my kids. They laugh hysterically every time. That alone makes this episode worth it.
2. “Boring Things are Still Important”
This life lesson from Chilli comes from the episode “The Pool” from season 1, episode 22. This one really hits home for me, where they call mom a fuss-pot (GASP!) for being the one who needs to remind everyone to do everything. They also discuss how much more fun Dad is (OUCH!). The girls and Bandit go to a family member’s pool, but they forget all the important things, like sunscreen, shoes, hats, and swimmies.
Now is the bit that I’m sure every boring/responsible primary parent feels vindication from. They end up not having a good time because they have cranky kiddos. Then Mum shows up with all the necessary items, and she gets to be the total hero. She has this fantastic heroic “I told ya so” moment. She gets to save the day and then says, “So, boring things are important sometimes, then?” Moms everywhere fist pump into the air like Bender from the closing scene of The Breakfast Club. However, I would have ditched fun Dad with the whiny kids and gone to the spa, further proving Chilli is superior to all.
3. The Show Must go on
In “The Show” in season 2, episode 19, Chilli teaches Bingo how to handle the tough moments. In this episode, the kids delightfully reenact how their parents met. Chilli has to go through a checklist for picking yourself up. The advice is as follows: Have a little cry, pick me up, dust myself off, and keep going! The show must go on!
We have a little picture on the wall in our living room of this checklist. We go through this checklist anytime we have an incident. I also love that it includes the step of having a little cry, which is a must.
4. Bingo makes an omelet
In “Omelette” in season 3, episode 4, it becomes crystal clear, without a doubt, that Chilli is a patient saint of a mother. They are making Bandit breakfast in bed for his birthday, and she sees Bingo wanting to help. At first, she tells her she can’t really help and does it herself. When she sees how sad Bingo is, she tells her they need to make a new one. A cute montage of cooking disasters ensues, ending with an omelet filled with shells.
This display of patience. It is a quality that I find myself trying the hardest to hone in on with parenting. I love cooking with my children, but the reality is that cooking with them and involving them looks very different than cooking by myself. I love the representation of giving your child the independence to do something so they can learn. Maybe they don’t do it perfectly, and that is okay. A lot of parenting is learning to let go of that ideal image of what you think things would look like.
5. Everytime Chilli Dances.
This is my favorite part of Chilli. Gal knows how to cut a rug. She is quite literally dancing through life and is gifted at it. It may sound silly, but watching this kid’s TV show with my kids is the best. I love watching Chilli get to be silly and happy. I can only hope that when my kids look back and remember me they remember me being happy, silly, and dancey with them. Chilli Heeler is total mom goals for sure.
Honestly, it was hard to nail down just five things. Chilli Heeler is a great representation of what it looks like being a mom and still being a human dealing with human things (ironically, they are dogs). She leans into self-care, plays imagination with her kids, goes out, plays a sport, and manages to teach us all something in the process. She and her lovable family sneak right into your heart before you know it. This kid’s TV show touches so many parents because it makes us feel seen. They show the good, the bad, and the ugly, but they make it charming, hilarious, and just so relatable.
