Whenever people have asked me what Fred Rogers would say about how to help children through the pandemic, I’ve turned the question around and asked what they might take from his messages. In a sense, I think that’s what Fred hoped, that each of us would take from his work what’s most meaningful for our own lives. That’s why, whenever I’ve...
Read MoreDuring these not-so-normal pandemic times, many of us have found that routines help us feel more comfortable. They give us some predictable structure in our lives. Daily routines are even more important for children. Fred understood that, and he intentionally structured each program with predictable routines -- opening with his song and changing into his sweater and sneakers, using the Trolley...
Read MoreI’ve always thought of March as a month of hope. Spring is on its way. It’s been a whole year since the pandemic changed our lives, and we’re just now beginning to see hopeful signs of returning to some kind of new normal. For us at the Fred Rogers’ Center, this has always been a time to celebrate because we’re coming...
Read MoreHere we are, more than a month into the new year, and we're still waiting… still waiting for the pandemic to end and a “new normal” to begin. The waiting sure seems endless, doesn't it. As hard as it is for us, imagine what waiting is like for children. So often they have to wait for their turn, wait for our...
Read MoreThis month’s newsletter is a tribute to our very special “neighbor,” Joanne Rogers, who died Thursday, January 14. As the Fred Rogers Center wrote - We are heartbroken to share the news of the passing of Joanne Rogers, the widow of Fred Rogers. She was a joyful and tender-hearted spirit, whose laughter and kindness will be deeply missed. Instrumental in the development...
Read MoreWith the approaching holidays, I’ve been thinking about some of the gifts that Fred has given us over the years. His messages were about things that were important to young children, but they were also important to Fred personally -- appreciating others, connecting with family and friends, and enjoying music. And I remembered a Neighborhood program when those messages came together....
Read MoreThis newsletter is going out on Friday the 13th, a date that somehow became known as an “unlucky” day. But in our Neighborhood, every Friday the 13th was a “lucky” day…a “happy” day…because it was the day we celebrated the birthday of the puppet King Friday XIII! Fred always focused on the positives, and it was important to him to counter the negative...
Read MoreThere’s one word that keeps coming up when people talk about Fred these days – KINDNESS. Maybe because we’re all hungry for more of it in today’s world -- and hopeful for it in tomorrow’s world. We want children to grow up to be kind -- to be considerate, respectful, neighborly. Those behaviors are connected to the social skills that we,...
Read MoreI wonder if you’ve seen the quote that’s going around these days, “Fred Rogers was the greatest teacher of all time…and he did it all virtually.” Well, it is a beautiful tribute to Fred, but I’d like to add a bit more caution and context to it. What Fred was doing for a half-hour television program is very different from what...
Read MoreIn difficult times, we always heard from early childhood professionals and parents who appreciated the way Fred helped them talk with young children about their feelings and concerns. So when I heard about the August 17 premiere of a special episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, produced by Fred Rogers Productions in response to COVID-19, I wanted to give you a sneak peek...
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