by Colleen Cook
We are BIG Daniel Tiger fans at our house. My husband and I often refer to Daniel Tiger as the third parent in our house, and I am sure any parent of a preschooler knows what I'm talking about. And, if you're familiar, you've also found yourself singing the earworm jingles in the shower and simultaneously realized that you are no longer cool at all. (No? Just me?)
If you're not familiar, Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood is the 21st century animated spin-off of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood. Many of the familiar characters from Fred Rogers' Land of Make Believe are featured as the adults in this series, with the next generation of preschool-aged neighbors teaching positive behavioral lessons through story and song. It's produced by Angela Santomero, the genius behind great educational children's television shows like "Blue's Clues," "Super Why," and "Creative Galaxy."
Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live is on our stage on April 7th at 7 PM - Read more here!
To me, what makes Daniel Tiger so great is that it reinforces emotional intelligence and positive behavior in a memorable way. When you're in the depths of new parenting, it can be really challenging to know how to change a negative behavior in your child effectively. Daniel's parents always respond calmly and rationally, even when real-life parents sometimes lose their cool. There have been many moments when I've taken a cue from Daniel and it's paid off. Here are a few stories:
- Happiness counters fear.
In August 2015 we had a series of thunderstorms. We live in an old, drafty house and when the weather is moderate, we often place a box fan in my daughter's bedroom window. One afternoon while she was taking a nap, a large gust of wind and clap of thunder during a storm caused the fan to fall out of the window and awoke my daughter in a panic. The very next night we had another thunderstorm and another clap of thunder awoke her into hysterics. This caused several nights of terror as my traumatized toddler was wildly afraid that another thunderstorm would come (and, the reality was, it would!).So, we took a cue from Daniel Tiger and watched and re-watched this episode when Daniel and O the Owl were afraid of thunder, and my daughter started "closing her eyes and thinking of something happy," just the way Daniel did, and her fears subsided.
- How our roles evolve as we grow.
Our daughter Eloise became a big sister to baby Coralie in December 2015. For most kids, adding a sibling to the family is complex and full of emotions ranging from delight to jealousy. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood produced a series of episodes about the addition of "Baby Margaret" to the Tiger family that are incredible for helping a child adjust to a new baby. By giving us the tools to show our 2 1/2 year old that, while she was no longer the baby in the house, she was a valuable helper in our family, our transition to a family of four was as smooth as possible as our daughter took on her role as a "big helper" with pride. - Give your child all the information up front.
This lesson was maybe a bit more for me than it was for my daughter. In this episode, Daniel's mom sings "When we do something new, let's talk about what we'll do." I've adopted this methodology into my parenting and it has been a life-saver. My natural inclination is to limit the information and just deal with things as they happen, rather than add worry and fear to the day. But, talking about about things with my children has been incredibly helpful in allowing them to fully understand and avoid surprises.
I'm so thrilled that we get to bring Daniel Tiger and his neighbors to our stage once again this April. Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood Live is an excellent interpretation of the animated show, featuring many familiar songs along with newly composed pieces, all of the beloved characters, and a story that reinforces the lessons you want your child to learn. I can't wait to bring my daughters.