Mums rave about a handy trick seen on Bluey to stop children from interrupting their conversations

Parents have discovered a handy trick for preventing their kids from interrupting conversations and get their attention in a ‘respectful way’ thanks to a scene from kids’ TV show Bluey. 

In one episode, Bluey’s dad Bandit teaches the pup to put her hand on his arm when she wants his attention during a conversation with another adult. 

Bandit said he will then put his hand on Bluey’s to acknowledge she wants to talk to him and give her his attention when he’s ready.

Mum Riley June, from the US, shared the trick online and was accused by some of ‘stealing’ it from the Aussie children’s show.

However she said the method is an age-old technique her mum used with her as a child 20 years ago. 

Riley shared the helpful snippet from the Bluey episode in a video posted to her popular social media channels. 

‘How about this? If I’m talking to a grown up and you want me, you just come up and put your hand on my arm, so now I know you want to talk to me,’ Bandit explains to Bluey.

‘Then I’ll do this to show you that I know you’re there and that you want to talk to me,’ he said as he placed his paw on top of Bluey’s.

Riley said the trick has been used in Montessori homes and classrooms for decades and her mum taught it to her when she was a young child.

Instead of interrupting her dad’s chat, Bluey is taught to place her hand on her dad’s arm to get his attention. He will put his hand on hers to acknowledge her and tend to her when he’s free

The mum is a guide in Montessori education which is an alternative parenting method that focuses on ‘self-directed activity, hands-on learning and collaborative play’ according to Montessori North West. 

Riley said growing up she would put her hand on her mother’s shoulder to indicate she wanted her attention and she now uses the same technique with her own daughter.

‘I actually have my daughter put her hand in my leg because it’s more at her level,’ she explained.  

‘This is a great way to set a boundary with your child about not interrupting but also allow them to get your attention in a respectful way!’ 

She added it can go both ways with parents using the method to get their child’s attention if they are playing or concentrated. 

The mum added the technique isn’t exclusive to Montessori teaching but is a useful and polite tip for teaching children manners. 

Riley’s clip racked up 6.6million views across Facebook and Instagram and had many parents keen to implement the rule at home with their own kids. 

‘So much better than interrupting saying ‘excuse me’,’ one mum said. 

‘We started using that with our kids after seeing it on Bluey. One of the best shows ever made, not just for kids but for parents too,’ a second wrote. 

‘We started doing this with our six-year-old a year ago and she has started doing it to her teachers. It’s been a game changer,’ a third added.