This is a #sponsored post written by me on behalf of ‘When You Wonder Book Launch’. All opinions are 100% mine.
One of my earliest memories of watching TV as a kid was watching Mr. Rogers. I had never had a male teacher before until I saw Mr. Rogers.
He was more than just the neighbor as he portrayed on his show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, he was also a teacher, confidant, and a trusted adult who planted the seeds of what I realized now as patience, compassion, cooperation, and self-love in me and millions of children across the world.
Below are some of my reflections and takeaways from Gregg Behr & Ryan Rydzewski’s latest book WHEN YOU WONDER, YOU’RE LEARNING: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids.
- Mister Rogers was extremely innovative for his times. He brought in pediatricians, child-development experts, and psychologists to help create a neighborhood filled with care, compassion, creativity, and curiosity. He knew that creating happy and healthy adults starts in childhood.
- Unlike other shows during his time, his show’s aim was to teach and reach children no matter where they were and who they were. His show not only transcended beyond the television screen, but it was also revolutionary and impacted children’s lives directly every day.
- Creativity comes naturally to children and should be cultivated and nurtured throughout their lives. As our world continues to become more interconnected, creativity is one of the most cherished assets that companies and organizations desire for their employees to possess. Mister Rogers knew this and built his show supporting and nurturing children’s creative nature from the beginning.
- Communication is KEY and feelings are VALID. Mister Rogers wanted his young viewers to talk and listen because he knew that this is the foundation on which love is built. Instead of suggesting his viewers not to cry when they were upset, he taught them to express their feelings and learn to comfort others.
- The Neighborhood was always all about the celebration of HUMANITY and all of its diversity. Mr. Rogers knew the importance of having positive representation on his show and what it would mean for children of marginalized communities to see themselves represented. One example was when he invited Francois Clemmons- an opera singer, actor, and gay Black man to cool off his feet in the community pool together. At a time when civil rights were taking center stage, Mister Rogers proudly and loudly took a stand to further emphasize his love for all the people.
Reading this book has truly affirmed my positive views of Mister Rogers. However, it gave me such deep insights into WHO he really was as a person and how groundbreaking his work truly was.
I can’t wait for it to be released and love to hear your thoughts! You can purchase it from the link here: http://bit.ly/WYWpowells .as well as other major retailers (Amazon, Target, etc.)
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