KLM’s Bluey Teaches Me a Lesson

For this post, brought to you in collaboration with KLM, I asked the kids to take a look at a new KLM in-flight movie for kids, Bluey.  I just wanted to get a young person’s take on the movie but ended up getting a lecture from Matthew on being a boring Dad and how I should be giving them more freedom to adventure for themselves… So, over to Matthew. 

Meet Bluey

Bluey is a new video from the Dutch airline KLM, and is going to be available to entertain younger passengers on KLM flights as part of their in-flight entertainment, to help make flights more fun for families travelling with children.

Bluey is a small plane, a Pixar-like creation who we first meet flying alongside his Jumbo Jet Dad, who he seems to find a little boring. Sound familiar? As they fly along together his Dad seems set on educating him, giving tips on how not to get lost while flying long distances, pointing out ‘interesting’ landmarks like Dutch windmills and the Burj Khalifa while Bluey darts around looking for something that actually is interesting. Sound familiar? You can watch the video here.

Adventurous Bluey

Like many kids, Bluey wants to have his own adventures and it’s not long before he leaves his Dad droning on while he heads off in search of his own fun. Bluey flies off on an adventure of his own, heading to Holland (of course, well this is KLM), to visit the Zundert flower parade where he helps a rather windy friend Wendy (or is it Windy) to win first prize in the Zundert flower parade.

Interestingly Holland was actually the setting for one of my first solo adventures as a kid. As a young  boy I got dragged along on all my Mum and Dad’s cycle trips, first in a trailer, then on the back of a tandem. (I was supposed to pedal on the tandem but found I could sometimes chill and read when Mum wasn’t looking)

My first time flying solo

But that all changed when we went to Holland, my first trip going solo, riding my own bike. Like Bluey I finally felt free, able to pedal away from my parents. I took to the skies and flew off along the road ahead, racing ahead of my parents, finally able to escape their droning on about inconsequential things. Admittedly, like with Bluey and the caramel factory, there were some sticky moments too, like when I crashed into a dog, a wall and a bollard. Well, it was my first time. But, despite all that it was worth it. I loved the sense of freedom and independence. Kids, even little ones, need some parental freedom to explore and even make our own mistakes. And perhaps a hand to help pick us up when we fall, at least to start with.

Small plane, big message

Bluey’s journey is perhaps more heroic than mine, winning the flower festival for his nervous friend, but what’s interesting is I don’t think his Dad even noticed he had gone. He just kept droning on until Bluey returned, giving Bluey a real sense of freedom.

I was only 8 on that tour in Holland but still remember the feeling of freedom. I’m a lot older now and think parents should be not just “not noticing” their kids going off on adventures but instead be actively sending them off for them. It’s good for the growth of their adventurous nature, increases their independence and encourages them to explore the world, something we will all have to do at some point. It allows us to have independent thoughts and ideas, free from the constrictions of our parents views and gives us a higher level of awareness and responsibility, as we can’t just rely on someone else to think things through and sort things out for us. That’s what Bluey said to me. It’s quite a big message from a small plane. Don’t stick like a limpet to your parents. Go have your own adventures, make your own stories to tell. Go fly and expand your own world.

And if you’re a parent, stop droning on, give your kids a break, and let them spread their wings.

More about Bluey

KLM will be showing Bluey the movie onboard all intercontinental flights from June onwards. More episodes are expected in the future. There are also Bluey products available in-flight with different offers depending on whether you are travelling European or intercontintental. There’s things like a Bluey play set, pencils, key cords, luggage labels, stickers and card games. On some flights you may even be able to get a Bluey activity book and meal box kids. If your kids become true Bluey fans, you can buy things like a Bluey backpack on wheels or Bluey lunchbox set from the KLM online shop.

More about KLM

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is one of the oldest airlines in the world and has its main hub at Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. In the UK the company flies from 16 different airports to Amsterdam where it has connecting flights of its own and through network partners to European and International destinations around the world. You can find out more about travelling with kids on KLM here.

Disclosure Note: This post was brought to you in a collaboration with KLM to help spread the word about Bluey. The views and criticisms of our parenting style are all entirely those of our own kids.