Lessons Teens Can Learn From The World's A Little Blurry Documentary

My daughter Natalie is obsessed with Billie Eilish. She was excited to watch the documentary The World's A Little Blurry by RJ Cutler on Apple TV. We decided to watch as a family, but of course by then Natalie had already watched a number of times. 

The documentary has a lot of wonderful lessons for teens. And anyone, really. But if parents are worried about their kids liking Billie, well, they shouldn't be. There are some wonderful lessons teens can learn from watching the documentary. 

1. You have to work hard to get what you want. Billie and her brother Finneas worked for days and days on their songs. They write and produce them even on days when they might not feel like it. 

2. Sometimes you have to let go of bad relationships even if it hurts to do it. But your mental health is more important. In the documentary Billie has a boyfriend named Q who is not always kind. I do hope if my teens ever date someone like this, that they'll figure out it's not worth it. Sometimes it takes a while to realize that. 

3. Take work seriously and maybe you'll meet your idol. Billie loves Justin Bieber. She met him for the first time at Coachella. Natalie is aching to meet Billie. She says she'd try hard not to freak out if she ever met Billie.  (When Billie meets Justin, she stares for a bit and then hugs him. It's sweet.)

4. Billie Eilish's dad has a fantastic mustache. Okay, so not really a lesson, but still. He does. Billie has wonderful parents, Patrick and Maggie. They help keep their kids grounded. I think that's important to have so you don't spiral. You can tell Billie has a great support system. 

5.  It's okay not to be okay. Billie talks openly about how she was unhappy many times as a teen. Her mother Maggie shares how people ask why Billie always writes depressing songs. Well. Because teens don't always have to be happy and bubbly. Billie sings her truth. 

6. Work. Keep at it. And good things will come. I said it already, but it's true. Billie and her brother Finneas work hard and they've been rewarded nicely for it. No, it's not always easy. I imagine there were times when they wanted to give up. But they kept going. And because of that they have like 11 Grammys between them. 

7. No matter what, family is there. I let my kids know that I am always around. I might not always like what they have to tell me, but I'd rather they be honest and let me know what's happening so I can help. I know life can be rough. And when it is, I'm here. 

I'm glad I watched with Natalie. And I'm glad that Natalie admires someone like Billie. Some people like to say that she's satanic or something like that, but no, she's real. 

And maybe one day? Natalie's dream will come true and she'll meet Billie. You never know.