I Miss Fred Rogers

I have missed Fred Rogers since my youngest child moved up to grade school and I returned to full-time teaching. But my children and I shared a total of 15 years of life in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood. Now that my grandchildren are growing up, I am plotting how to ensure their inheritance of this unequaled programming.

It won't be easy. PBS has pushed Mr. Rogers off to the side. I don't know if, in fact, one can find his show regularly on any PBS station. I think not. And this is a great, great loss for our children. Fred Rogers understood how to connect with everyone who was watching his shows, adults as well as children. I looked forward to a new episode with as much pleasure as my children did. And the operas! Oh my goodness, how delightful they were and how truly musical and clever. Do any of you remember them? "Bubbleland"? "Spoon Mountain"? "All in the Laundry"? There were at least three more that I recall. I wish that his estate would consider making DVDs of the operas available. (Believe it or not, I have asked them!! This isn't on their list yet.)

Fred Rogers came to mind last week when I was visiting my grand twins. My grandson has recently and quite suddenly become afraid of the bathtub and taking baths. He's too young to fear going down the drain, but his desperate weeping brought one of Mr. Rogers' songs into my head. Who remembers "You Can Never Go Down the Drain"? Over the years, I used songs from the show to illustrate points in some of my high school classes. "What do you do with the mad that you feel when you feel so mad you could bite?" "Some are fancy on the inside, some are fancy on the outside." "Let's think of something to do while we're waiting,while we're waiting for something new to do." I don't imagine these would be familiar with my students if I were still in the class room.

Why do I think Fred Rogers provided children with unequaled television programming?

First, he carried his themes through the course of an entire week and developed them at a pace children could grasp.

Second, he talked about issues and events that all children think about and experience (as adults do, too), and talked to children almost as an equal or at the very least a good, kind friend.

Third, he clearly distinguished between 'real' and 'make-believe'. We could meet his "neighbors" in his neighborhood and then find the same actors portraying characters in the Neighborhood of Make-Believe. I think this technique served his viewers very well.

Fourth, Fred Rogers had the same curiosity and awe about the world and its inhabitants that all of us had as children and some of us still retain. He was always interested in such interesting people and places and things. I will never forget how Crayola crayons are made!

Fifth (and last for now), Fred Rogers brought music and art and dance and every sort of creative activity into every episode. What wonderful and amazing and talented people graced his programs!

These programs gave us time to think, laugh, sing, wonder, and empathize.  I learned so much from Fred Rogers! He was the very best and I am so grateful that my children spent that time with him. I hope to pass some of these treasured programs on to my grandchildren.