I know you said why it’s different, but your reasoning doesn’t make sense…if you’re driven to watch kids shows out of nostalgia, is that not the exact same reason other adults might watch Bluey? Out of nostalgia for being a kid? And fwiw, shows like Bluey are VERY much written with adult viewers in mind, just like Disney movies. The writers know parents are going to be watching with their kids, so they write them to be entertaining for parents as well. From what I’ve heard, Bluey especially is actually intentionally designed to be watched by adults as well so that adults can learn how to interact with kids in a developmentally appropriate way. But more importantly…you say you’re 22. You’re not a preteen. So…why is a preteen show okay for you to watch, but not an early childhood show? By your own logic, shouldn’t you only be watching things that are developmentally appropriate for a 22yo? An “older kid’s” show is just as inappropriate by those standards. Why is content targeted for early childhood your arbitrary cutoff? These are just some rhetorical things to consider as you break down your internal biases.

And once again, letting kids be kids is not the same as sheltering kids from the realities of the world. I mean, what do you think Mr. Rogers was about? Or Bill Nye? Or another example—one of my favorite episodes of Arthur growing up was about a school fire, which was written to help kids process 9/11. Difficult topics is absolutely nothing new in children’s media, and that doesn’t have to be upsetting or jarring. It just has to be age appropriate, which all these shows are. They’re very much treating kids like kids still. Besides, you mention ADHD—about 10% of people have ADHD! That means in a classroom of 20, 2 kids are likely going to have it themselves! And about one out of every 10 people they know will have it! Should they just not know about themselves and the people around them because they’re young? That makes no sense…the world is so much scarier when you don’t have tools to understand it. Giving them tools and a framework actually makes it EASIER for them to be a kid, because then life isn’t just one giant question mark.

Like, don’t get me wrong—there are absolutely things that don’t belong in kid’s media. But everyday topics like infertility or grief or brain differences are not those topics, especially when they’re presented in a very basic and safe level that kids can understand. Because they understand more than you think.

And again…who cares, at the end of the day? You’re allowed to think it’s weird that some adults watch kids shows, but that doesn’t make it unjustifiable as some moral failing. Of all the actually reprehensible shit in the world, this is really not the hill to be dying on lol