{"id":33027,"date":"2025-04-28T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T04:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/?p=33027"},"modified":"2025-04-28T11:07:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-28T15:07:10","slug":"daniel-tiger-for-kids-and-for-grown-ups-too","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/2025\/04\/daniel-tiger-for-kids-and-for-grown-ups-too\/","title":{"rendered":"Daniel Tiger for Kids\u2014and for Grown-Ups Too"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a children’s librarian and a parent, I often find myself reflecting on the tools we use to teach emotional regulation, resilience, and empathy. One unexpected but powerful tool for both my daughter and me has been Daniel Tiger\u2019s Neighborhood<\/em>. This gentle animated series, inspired by the legacy of Mister Rogers, has offered not just lessons for children but wisdom that has positively impacted my own mental health as an adult.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Phrases from Daniel Tiger<\/em> songs often echo in my mind at crucial moments. “Do your best. Your best is the best for you.” This song now shapes how I encourage my daughter\u2014and myself\u2014as we tackle everything from new art projects to the daunting task of training for an ultramarathon. It’s a mantra that acknowledges effort without demanding perfection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When emotions run high, Daniel\u2019s wisdom again steps in: “It’s okay to feel sad sometimes. Little by little, you’ll feel better again.” These words have been key in teaching my toddler emotional regulation, and surprisingly, they often come to my rescue, too, when I encounter adult-sized frustrations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And then there’s the classic: “It’s you I like, not the clothes you wear, not the way you do your hair. It’s you I like.” This simple affirmation addresses insecurities that even adults struggle with, providing an accessible way to discuss self-worth and unconditional acceptance with children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, Daniel gently coaches us through frustration: “When you feel frustrated, take a deep breath and ask for help.” This strategy has become a part of our family\u2019s daily vocabulary, a small but mighty tool that encourages independence while normalizing asking for assistance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These songs and phrases aren\u2019t just catchy\u2014they’re developmentally powerful. As librarians and educators, we know that children absorb social-emotional lessons best through repetition, modeling, and play. Daniel Tiger\u2019s accessible language and consistent messaging provide a framework we can echo in our programs, storytimes, and conversations with families. It’s a reminder that sometimes the simplest messages, sung softly and sincerely, have the greatest impact\u2014on children and adults alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cover of<\/em> I’m Feeling Happy by Natalie Shaw. Courtesy of Simon Spotlight.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

For those interested in exploring these strategy songs further, PBS Parents has compiled a helpful list of nine songs from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood<\/em> designed to help children (and adults) manage and ease big feelings. You can find this resource here: Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood Songs to Manage Feelings<\/a>. They also offer a series of well-made, simple books about different feelings that are perfect for read-alouds or for adding to board book collections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you used Daniel Tiger<\/em> in your library programs, storytimes, or family engagement activities?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured image is the Cover of<\/em> I’m Feeling Happy by Natalie Shaw. Courtesy of Simon Spotlight.<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a children’s librarian and a parent, I often find myself reflecting on the tools we use to teach emotional regulation, resilience, and empathy. One unexpected but powerful tool for both my daughter and me has been Daniel Tiger\u2019s Neighborhood. This gentle animated series, inspired by the legacy of Mister Rogers, has offered not just lessons for children but wisdom that has positively impacted my own mental health as an adult.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":360,"featured_media":33028,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":"","_members_access_role":[],"_members_access_error":""},"categories":[2448,16],"tags":[2625,2982,2981,2131,2623],"class_list":["post-33027","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blogger-kirsten-caldwell","category-professional-reading","tag-daniel-tiger","tag-emotional-regulation","tag-emotions","tag-mental-health","tag-pbs"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33027","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/360"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33027"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33027\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33028"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33027"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33027"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.alsc.ala.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33027"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}