Parents Paper
FREE
THE
JUNE / 2021
PUBLISHED BY THE KIDS IN PERTH TEAM / EST 1994
Perth’s BEST sweet treats
Page 03
Romantic Date Night
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Q&A with Blueyʼs dad - Bandit
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Q: Kids absolutely love Bluey why do you think it's so popular? A: I think it's popular because it looks good. It's got its own style and the drawings are really cool. So I reckon that's got a lot to do with it. And, as a parent, I find it funny. I think it's very well written. Q: Describe your connection with your character Bandit A: I grew up in Brisbane; the show is set in Brisbane. I've got two daughters; Bandit’s got two daughters. It's pretty relatable to my real life. So much so that my partner Lucy would often accuse me of leaking story ideas to the Bluey creators. She was convinced that I was feeding them plot lines. But it's just a universal thing that happens to parents. Parents and parenthood, there’s common themes through it all and the Bluey creators and writers have managed to really distil those core little things that happen. When we're doing the episodes, I'm laughing. I'm laughing because that's completely me. That's exactly my life.
Q: Do you have a favourite Bluey episode? A: There’s one called ‘grandpa’ and it's when the mum Chilli brings the kids over the see her dad and the granddad’s supposed to be taking it easy, but he runs around and plays sillybuggers with the kids and hides from Mum and stuff. But, it's just the last scene is really sweet when the granddad’s sitting with Chilli and the granddad said, “I remember when you were that age Chilli and it doesn't seem that long ago”. And then it fades into instead of him with his hand around Chilli it’s him with his hand around the little kid version of Chili and it’s very sweet. It's a nice meditation on parenthood and generations and time.
Scan the QR code to read the full interview with David where he shares how he came to be the voice of Bandit, his music background, and what breed his canine spirit animal would be.
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Teaching kids (and the rellies) about consent
By Cassie Hart ‐ Editor, Kids in Perth he man behind the voice of Bandit Heeler, David McCormack, will be here in Perth on June 26 & 27 as part of Supanova 2021. We caught up with him for a quick chat to find out what it’s like working on one of Australia’s favourite kids’ TV shows.
Competition TIME
By Cassie Hart, Editor - Kids in Perth
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icture this: You’ve arrived at a family gathering with your children and Aunty Beryl immediately comes in for a big hug and a kiss. You happily embrace her in return, but your kids pull away and hide behind your legs. You don’t want your Aunty to feel offended, so you pressure your children to give her a cuddle which the kids do begrudgingly with uncomfortable expressions on their faces. While some of you reading this would be thinking “no way, I’d never force my kids to hug someone if they don’t want to”, others would be thinking “yep, that sounds familiar!” It’s a common scenario and of course relatives want to express their love towards the children with a hug and kiss. But experts say forcing our kids to hug relatives when they don’t want to isn’t teaching the right lesson about personal boundaries. “It’s so important not to disregard your child’s feelings. They are allowed to feel any feeling of their choice,” says Candise Adams from Safe Counselling Australia. “That is their own personal perception of the situation. We need to remember that we
see a situation with an adult brain and a world of knowledge. They see the world with feelings of safe or unsafe.” While it is probable that the kids’ reaction in the situation outlined above was a result of shyness, it’s important we listen to them and respect their right to say ‘no’. But what if Aunty Beryl thinks that it’s rude? “It really is difficult. There are cultural differences and older generations believe hugs and kisses during a greeting is a sign of respect. [Try] explaining that you are helping your child listen to their own body and that respect doesn’t just come from hugs and kisses. But saying hello or waving or shaking their hand allows both people to feel safe,” suggests Adams. By laying this groundwork, you are showing your child that their feelings are important and that you, as a parent, hear them. You are also teaching them a lesson in personal boundaries and consent.
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