Any parent with young kids knows Daniel Tiger is the ultimate authority on every lesson you need in life. The PBS successor to Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood features a young tiger (unsurprisingly named Daniel) and his family. He confronts life’s difficult challenges with emotional maturity, self-awareness, and singing.
So. Much. Singing.
But, unlike most children’s TV, you won’t end up hating it. In fact, you’ll end up loving it because the songs are so catchy and soothing that you can draw on Daniel Tiger’s extensive catalog of compositions to guide your child through basically any daily struggle.
Throughout the stay home orders Daniel Tiger has been a go-to in our household, which has kept that marketable little feline at the top of my mind. (Okay, I’ll admit that I frequently catch myself singing Daniel Tiger lessons even when the kids aren’t even around.) Now, I may be really losing it but I caught a recent episode out of the corner of my eye while working at my computer and it felt weirdly analogous to the anxiety I’ve felt over the last six months.
In Daniel Tiger’s episode about going on vacation he eases children’s fears by urging them to “Find what’s different and what’s the same.” And while the COVID shut down certainly hasn’t been a vacation, its complete upheaval of everything we’re used to has a lot of parallels to the way a child worries about the new experiences and feelings of going on a trip. By focusing on what’s the same, Daniel Tiger is able to stay grounded enough to be open to, and even appreciate, the new experiences available to him.
When we look at the current state of work, it’s pretty obvious what’s different. But what’s the same?
So. Much. Singing.
But, unlike most children’s TV, you won’t end up hating it. In fact, you’ll end up loving it because the songs are so catchy and soothing that you can draw on Daniel Tiger’s extensive catalog of compositions to guide your child through basically any daily struggle.
Throughout the stay home orders Daniel Tiger has been a go-to in our household, which has kept that marketable little feline at the top of my mind. (Okay, I’ll admit that I frequently catch myself singing Daniel Tiger lessons even when the kids aren’t even around.) Now, I may be really losing it but I caught a recent episode out of the corner of my eye while working at my computer and it felt weirdly analogous to the anxiety I’ve felt over the last six months.
In Daniel Tiger’s episode about going on vacation he eases children’s fears by urging them to “Find what’s different and what’s the same.” And while the COVID shut down certainly hasn’t been a vacation, its complete upheaval of everything we’re used to has a lot of parallels to the way a child worries about the new experiences and feelings of going on a trip. By focusing on what’s the same, Daniel Tiger is able to stay grounded enough to be open to, and even appreciate, the new experiences available to him.
When we look at the current state of work, it’s pretty obvious what’s different. But what’s the same?
RSS Feed
