"You're Doing Great" - Mr. Rob and Family Visit Camp Bluey

Have you ever had a random person stop you to compliment your parenting?
 
I can tell you from recent experience that it's a legendary feeling. And it was recently the cherry on top of an epic day of NYC fun.
 
Having gotten the kids up early, my sister and I loaded up my girls and her son into the car and headed down to SOHO (my all-time favorite summer NYC haunt thanks to my days at NYU).
 
And after scoring a sweeeet parking spot right on Broadway, we were back in my old stomping grounds to kick off our day with the Museum of Ice Cream.

Inside this toddler-approved pink palace of sweetness, we ate pink vanilla cones, sprinkle ice cream bagels, pineapple sorbet, and chocolate raspberry chunks that Louisa (pictured above) is still talking about.
 
And if you thought 10:30 AM was too early for a dance party, think again; we were full on baby-raving to some of our favorite songs.
 
They even played the Goofy Movie Soundtrack -- a jaw dropping surprise to me and the kids who LOVE that movie (which imho is pure millennial dad nostalgia gold).
 
Did we break ALL the rules by eating massive amounts of ice cream before lunch.... yes we did.
 
Yet throwing the rules to the wind for the day seemed to be exactly what the doctor ordered.

We joyfully screamed our way down a 3 story slide, we haphazardly jumped into giant pits of sprinkles, and we laughed our sugar-filled hearts out while taking one ridiculous selfie after the next.
 
And yet, this was just the warm up for the real adventure that was still to come.
 
So we said Cya Later to the Museum of Ice Cream and headed to the place where attachment-parenting dreams come true...
 
CAMP BLUEY - an indoor museum dedicated to our favorite TV show, Bluey!

If you don't know, Bluey is a cartoon about a family of Australian dogs.
 
And in my humble kids-media-opinion, it's maybe the greatest cartoon of all time.
 
There just isn’t ANYTHING else (besides maybe a Pixar Short) that does so much emotional work in seven minutes.
 
And if you've seen Bluey and thought "I don't get the big deal," try watching it for real (as opposed to just using it as background fun for the kids). Especially with an episode like "Sleepy Time" or "Flatpack." The tears are inevitable.
 
Because Bluey, despite being colorful, silly, and fun, is deeper than it looks. There's always a bigger meaning just below the surface.
 
And just like real parenting, it's easy to miss the emotional beats if you're not present and in the moment. They will literally fly by if you don't stop to take them in.
 
So armed with our serious love for Bluey, and with the awareness that this was going to be a core memory of sorts, it was time to enter the home of our dreams, the Heeler House.

With Bluey and Bingo ears on, we danced to theme song, laughed hysterically at Unicorse, played in Bluey's yard, got office inspo from Bandit, rocked out some Keepy Uppy, dressed like the Grannies, and even pretended to make Pavlova and Duck Cake (the hardest of all cakes).
 
And even though it all seemed like fun and games, just like any Bluey episode, a tear jerking parenting moment was lurking right around the corner.
 
It happened after the guides called us all into the family play room (kiwi carpet and all) for an epic round of Dance Mode.
 
Now, we listen to Dance Mode (and all the Bluey songs) ALL THE TIME at home. So to hear it bumping full volume right here in Bluey's House was next level for me and the girls. I think my sister was even shocked at my obvious excitement.
 
The kids were jumping and cheering, I was white-man-club-dancing with a diaper bag, and the three of us spun and laughed and had a ball.
 
But looking around, I could see that most of the dads were standing flat footed and bored. And while that made me hesitate for a split-second, I decided to shake it off.
 
To them, I probably looked like a proper dork...a grown man having more fun than most of the kids in the room...
 
But in that moment, I decided that I couldn't care less.
 
If there was ever a place to embrace the imaginary, it was here.
 
And if there was ever a time to show my kids that I could be the Bandit to their Bluey and Bingo, it was now.
 
And with that thought, I let go of worrying about how I looked, and I got completely sucked into the magic of it all.
 
The Kiwi carpet and the cartoon painted walls.
 
The smiles on my daughters faces.
 
The still-fresh ice cream sugar high.
 
Our favorite dance party songs.
 
All of it came together and hit me at the same time...
 
...and the result was that amazing and impossible-to-achieve feeling...
 
...that maybe, just maybe, I finally got something right.
 
Because honestly, it is so hard to feel success as a parent. There are always more to do, more judgemental voices, and more heartbreaking changes right around the corner.
 
But in this moment, I felt like I got it right. I got them dressed. In the car. To the city. To the exhibits. And WE HAD FUN!!!!
 
So much fun in fact, that someone noticed.
 
Just as I was feeling all that, a mum walked up to me and surprised me by saying something almost straight out of Bluey...
 
I don't know why she approached me. Maybe she wanted in on the fun. Or maybe she could see the emotional rollercoaster of this year written all over my face.
 
But as the room emptied, she pulled me aside to simply say..
 
"Great job dad."
 
And I legit almost burst into tears.
 
Because sadly, we don't hear that enough.
 
None of us parents do.
 
And all of us are going through something. My year has been hard. And heavy. And sad.
 
And so to have a total stranger stop me and compliment me, dad, for havig fun as a family... well it meant the whole world to me.

Because us parents see one another.
 
We're all tired. We're all stressed. We're all happy and sad at the same time... all the time.
 
And we're all wondering "how are we supposed to do this parenting thing in this crazy modern world?"
 
And at some level, only other parents truly get that.
 
Yea, the grandparents get it. And the great grandparents remember it too. But the world is different now, and there's a powerful feeling of community and understanding that only parents in the trenches can really give one another.  
 
And of course...there's a Bluey episode for this too.
 
In an often clipped scene (pictured above), Chili (Bluey's Mom) is dealing with a ton of mom guilt because Bluey isn't walking as fast as some other kids.
 
And in Chili's lowest moment, when she feels like she can't get anything right, the "perfect mom" from next door comes over to tell Chili something that we all need to hear more often...
 
And it's not an epic piece of advice... or a judgemental opinion like we expect. 
 
She simply says that "there's something you need to know..." 
 
"...you're doing great."
 
Because chances are, you are.
 
If you're showing up for your kids with love and an open heart,
 
"You're doing great."
 
If you're barely sleeping but still keeping it together,
 
"You're doing great."
 
If you're making summer fun and showing your kids how to drink from the hose like it's 1999...
 
"You're doing great." 
 
And if you see another parent unabashedly giving their all to their kids, stop and remind them...
 
"You're doing great."
 
And  seriously, if you made it this far into an emotional blog post from a random music teacher online,
 
"You're doing great."
 
Because in our modern world full of self awareness, Instagram perfection and never-ending notifications, there are just so many opportunities for us parents to feel insufficient.
 
From mom guilt, to provider pressure, to dad doubt, it feels heavy and unending. Like we can never do enough. Like we can never get it right.
 
But we are doing enough. And we can get it right.
 
By simply choosing to be present with our kids, we're doing 99% of the job right there.
 
And I'd be willing to be that you, like me, are getting it right way more often than we know.
 
So wherever you find yourself this summer, be like Bluey's family.
 
Be present. Be mindful. Have fun.
 
And above all, dance mode like no other parents are watching.

- Mr. Rob

P.S. If you haven’t checked out Bluey yet, do it — it's on Disney Plus and you can start from the beginning or hop into Sleepytime and Baby Race episodes for some heavy hitters.
 
P.P.S. And as always, if you’re looking for more ways to bring music, imagination and fun into your home, you know where to find us!