Mister Rogers' Neighborhood

Play games, watch videos and sing songs as you visit with Mister Rogers and learn about the world around you. And parents can not only play along but find

Series Philosophy

Many people witness the "magic" of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, its profound and enduring appeal to young children, and the positive effect it has on them. But often those same people also say they don't understand why the series works so well.

The reason isn't magic at all. The main focus of this television series is on children's emotional development, and its success is based on a combination of several factors, outlined here in brief:

I. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood encourages children to feel good about themselves. Many experts believe that the development of healthy self-esteem is one of the most critical tasks of growing up-and that self-esteem plays a major role in determining what kind of person a child will become.

Mister Rogers consistently supports a child's sense of self-worth through the crucial early years, with their various frustrations and inevitable failures. He helps young children understand the important ways in which they contribute to the life of their families, and he tells them, "You've made this day a special day just by being you. You are the only person like you in this whole world. And people can like you just because you're you."

II. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood helps children learn the skills needed for growing up. The series gives gentle yet firm support to children as they learn the timeless skills involved in growing up: cooperation, persistence, patience, sharing, and the ability to pay attention and to manage frustration. Mister Rogers helps children acknowledge feelings and learn to control impulses. At the same time, the series encourages the development of healthy curiosity and imagination. In effect, Mister Rogers' Neighborhood helps young viewers learn the skills that are the foundation for learning readiness.

III. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is made for children. Some adults feel the series is slow and simple. It is slow-paced, but its simplicity is deceptive. Research clearly shows that's how young children learn best. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is carefully designed to speak effectively to preschool-aged children. Mister Rogers talks in ways children understand, at a pace they can absorb, and with a consistency that creates a calm, safe place for preschoolers to visit. He leaves time for children to reflect and respond, and he takes time to prepare them for what will come next and to explain what has happened before.

The visually-simple sets and puppets, matching the capabilities of young children, allow children to use their own imaginations, and encourage children to create their own playthings and to engage in imaginative play.

It all works: millions of children in three generations have responded with trust and love.

IV. There are solid reasons behind what's included in Mister Rogers' Neighborhood programs. The series is based on widely-accepted principles of child development and child psychology. Fred Rogers, members of his staff, and consultants to the series have both expertise and experience in the field.

Subjects like children's fear of separation from parents, confusion between reality and fantasy, and fear of "being so mad you could bite" may seem simple (and even silly) to adults, but people who work with young children know those topics are primary issues for preschoolers struggling to understand their world and their place in it. Children love and trust Mister Rogers because he addresses those issues and others like them in an open and direct manner.

V. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood encourages appreciation of and respect for others. Mister Rogers strongly endorses every person's individual worth. ("Each one of us is valuable," he says, "and there is nobody in the whole world exactly like you.") He is genuinely interested in visitors to his "Neighborhood" and shows unfailing respect for and courtesy toward everyone with whom he interacts. In effect, he consistently models the appreciation of inherent individual worthiness that is the cornerstone of a successful multicultural society.

VI. Mister Rogers' Neighborhood promotes values that are universally important to children and families. Fads and fashion -- in television and in society -- change constantly, but the values on Mister Rogers' Neighborhood are timeless and universal. The basic developmental tasks of early childhood -- the things preschoolers need to learn and understand to grow into succeeding stages of life -- remain constant regardless of time, place, or societal changes. So do the values that enable families (and whole societies) to nurture their children and help them grow.

These values, shared by Family Communications, professionals, and families across the country, include:
◦Children are precious, and their earliest years are exceedingly important in laying the foundation for who and what they become.
◦Children grow best when raised in responsible and caring ways.
◦The ability to love and be loved is supremely important in every person's life, and that ability is best nurtured in the early years.
◦Discipline and control are essential to healthy living -- and the best discipline and control come from within.
◦It is important to recognize the worth and the unique abilities of each individual child. Children can -- and do -- contribute in many ways to the life of a family.

Parents are the most important people in children's lives; they are the premiere models and the final arbiters of a family's values.

~ Faith