Grief and loss are a part of life, but are often ignored by our children’s cartoons. Bluey, however, is a show that addresses topics other kids’ shows do not – there’s even an episode about death in the Bluey series.
In this article, you’ll find out which episode of Bluey addresses death and dying and why it may be important to let your child watch. (And why you should watch it for yourself!)
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Is there a Bluey episode titled “Grief and Loss”?
The internet can be a wild place with lots of rumors and misinformation.
In 2020, a Youtuber/blogger made the claim that there is an episode of Bluey called “Grief and Loss”.
The claim states that Bingo dies and the blue heeler family use the rest of the 7-minute episode to grieve the loss and learn how to cope with the death.
This episode does not exist, fortunately. There is no episode of Bluey in which Bingo dies – there are only poorly spliced videos on Youtube, that attempt to back up the “Grief and Loss” episode rumor.
This doesn’t mean that the topic of death is not discussed in Bluey.
In what episode does Bluey talk about death?
The episode of Bluey that addresses death is called “Copycat”. It can be found in Season 1, Episode 39.
The episode starts out with Bluey copying her dad, Bandit, which he feels a bit annoyed about.
Shortly after the start of the episode, the two blue heelers come across an injured bird (a budgie), which puts a pause on the game of copycat.
They take the baby bird to the veterinarian, but unfortunately, it is unable to be saved.
Bluey feels sad and cries and Bandit comfort her.
Bluey then invites her little sister, Bingo, to a game of make-believe, where Bingo plays an injured budgie.
Bluey attempts to recreate the events of the day, but Bingo is not exactly cooperative with the process.
Bluey becomes frustrated that the game didn’t go how she planned it and her dad comforts her again.
At the end of the episode, Bandit notices that Bluey stopped copying him.
What is the overarching purpose of the Bluey grief and loss episode?
Much like every other Bluey episode, there are a few overlapping themes in this one.
The first theme of the episode you might notice is that Bluey stops copying Bandit’s words when they come across the injured bird.
She doesn’t stop copying his actions, though. She attempts to recreate Bandit’s role in the event with the dying bird, including caring for it and taking it to the vet.
There’s a takeaway for parents in every Bluey episode, and this one is that our children watch us carefully – how we act is how they act. Bandit shows caring and empathy for the budgie and Bluey does the same in her game with Bingo.
Another theme of this episode, a lesson for Bluey and a takeaway for young viewers, is that sometimes things don’t go their way.
In this episode, this takes the form of the grief and loss Bluey feels after the death of the budgie, and then we see it again when Bingo won’t cooperate with her game.
Experts agree that it’s important to be open about talking about death with children.
They also agree that this should be done in an age-appropriate way and that parents and caregivers should expect age-appropriate responses from children during these conversations and events.
The Bluey episode where the bird dies is not only a wonderful example of how adults should handle grief and loss with our children, but it gives a great overview of what we might expect as far as reactions from our children.
- Bluey has difficulty understanding the finality of the baby bird’s death.
- Bluey uses imaginative play as a way to make sense of the situation.
- Bluey immitates the way her parent handles the situation.
These are all normal way in which children handle loss.
Where can I watch the Bluey grief and loss episode?
So, now that you know how wonderfully this show handles the topic of loss, you may be wondering where you can watch it.
There are a couple different places you can watch the episode of Bluey where the baby bird dies.
How did you feel about this episode of Bluey?
If you are hesitant to let your child watch the Bluey episode where the bird dies, what are your concerns?
We know this is a sensitive topic for people and we’d love to hear your thoughts.