By Elizabeth Herman | Posted: January 17, 2020
What is the best alternative to violent video games? Parents who care about quality media for children should know about an amazing man, host of the old children’s television show, “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood.”
When I was growing up, there was a new episode every day. Nowadays, I’m delighted to hear that children still feel that watching Mr. Rogers is relaxing for them. Even I find it soothing to catch up with him myself on occasion!
As a parent and new grandparent, I’m grateful to see a revival in appreciation for Fred Rogers’ approach to life and communication. This renewed public understanding has been partially brought on by a recent film “A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” about a friendship between Rogers and a news reporter who interviewed him for an article in Esquire magazine called “Can You Say Hero?”, as well as by a 2018 documentary called “Won’t You Be My Neighbor?”
6 lessons that apply to all ages
In an interview, Fred Rogers said, “I’m very concerned that our society is much more interested in information than wonder, in noise rather than silence. We get so wrapped up in numbers in our society and the most important thing is that we’re able to be one to one, you and I, with each other at the moment. If we can be present to the moment, and the person we happen to be with at the moment, that’s important.” A spiritually wise insight, this philosophy can help focus and sharpen the mind, making individuals of any age group more effective and aware.
He offered us so many lessons during his life that it would take a long time to fully sum up his contribution to understanding what young and old need to be healthy and happy. But here are six examples that he summarized extremely well during some of his public engagements meant to promote his ideas. All of these may not be directly stated, but inherently reveal themselves via the context of the fictional neighborhood that he presented to kids in his show:
A child is too often rushed by advertising and consumer culture to grow up and buy things.
Children need to be appreciated just the way they are.
Allowing children to have the rare gift of silence makes a big difference in their lives.
Mental health can thrive from being able to talk about and manage feelings.
It’s important to be present in the moment to the person that we happen to be with.
The space between a speaker’s mouth and a listener’s ears or eyes is sacred “holy ground.”
In his statement before members of Congress on federal support for US public television, Rogers enthusiastically made the case for educational television by succinctly and eloquently describing what he did on his program: “I give an expression of care every day to each child, to help him realize that he is unique. I end the program by saying, ‘You’ve made this day a special day, just by being you. There’s no person in the whole wide world like you, and I like you just the way you are.’ And I feel that if we in public television can only make it clear that feelings are mentionable and manageable, we will have done a great service for mental health.” This plea was successful in 1969, and the legacy of it lives on.
Mr. Rogers’ vegetarianism
Mr. Rogers talked about animals, love of nature, and his vegetarian orientation to food. He presented films of interesting workplaces and happenings in the world, such as graham cracker factories, book manufacturers, and families of cardinals feeding their babies. The pace of his speech was slow enough for children to take in, refreshingly directed to their language level.
He visited a fictional bakery in the neighborhood, with a baker who hosted art exhibits of handmade bird sculptures and sold health food products. The mail man, Mr. McFeely, would often stop by and share interesting educational content. Rogers, whose middle name was McFeely, once said that he wouldn’t eat anything with a mother, showing an exceptional level of empathy for the strong emotional bond between parents and children.
Michael Long’s article from 2019 reveals about Rogers that, “In the 1983 interview, he explained that when boys and girls ‘discover the connection between meat and animals, many children get very concerned about it.’ With this in mind, he made sure his program didn’t include any images of people eating anything other than a vegetarian meal. Human carnivores are even missing in footage from Rogers’ visit to a family restaurant during a weeklong series about food. Broadcast during Thanksgiving week in 1984, the five episodes feature Mister Rogers and his guests enjoying tofu, vegetables, fruits and nuts.”
The recent neighborhood revival
Parents looking for media that cares about children can find exactly that in Fred Rogers’ show. With the revival of his ideas in the past few years, you can find videos online, a full length documentary, and a feature film that just came out in November.
Describing surprise at her kids’ recent insistence on binging a marathon of Mr. Rogers, Mary Pflum Peterson lovingly shares her observation of the wisdom of today’s technology swamped children, saying, “They want what’s real, and they’re drawn to what’s kind. Even 21st-century kids recognize the beauty of Fred Rogers… My oldest two boys were intrigued by Trolley (was he remote control-operated?) and the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, which they described as ‘trippy.’ My youngest two kids started pulling up old episodes on their iPad and my laptop, creating a playlist and ranking their favorites.”
If young people of today can still enjoy the meditative and calming presence of Fred Rogers, they can certainly be open to social-emotional education in schools, and learn to become safe, non-violent, and avoid self-destructive habits. By paying attention to Rogers’ program, Art of Living’s Intuition Process course, and similar attempts to reach young children, parents can set the stage for innocent, healthy, and happy development for years to come.
Elizabeth Herman writes, offers writing support to clients, teaches, and volunteers for a better world. She has a PhD in Rhetoric, Composition and Literature. Find her on Facebook or Twitter.
