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Dear Mister Rogers, Does It Ever Rain in Your Neighborhood?: Letters to Mister Rogers
Inspiring letters from the beloved host of PBS’s Mister Rogers' Neighborhood , the subject of the acclaimed documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor? and a forthcoming biopic starring Tom Hanks
Every question that a child or parent asks is important, and no one understood that better than Fred Rogers, the iconic television neighbor who visited our homes for decades. In this moving collection of letters to him and his replies, he encourages parents and teachers to cherish the questions and comments that come from children and crafts caring, thoughtful responses to them. With deep sensitivity and sincerity, he addresses real-life issues in chapters arranged by his life, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , feelings and fears, family relationships, and even grief. Drawing on a lifetime of studying and considering healthy child development, this unique gathering of correspondence offers a timeless guide to childhood as well as parenting.
Dear Mister Rogers is an inspiration to parents and educators and a delight for all those interested in the unique way children see and wonder about the world.
Every question that a child or parent asks is important, and no one understood that better than Fred Rogers, the iconic television neighbor who visited our homes for decades. In this moving collection of letters to him and his replies, he encourages parents and teachers to cherish the questions and comments that come from children and crafts caring, thoughtful responses to them. With deep sensitivity and sincerity, he addresses real-life issues in chapters arranged by his life, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood , feelings and fears, family relationships, and even grief. Drawing on a lifetime of studying and considering healthy child development, this unique gathering of correspondence offers a timeless guide to childhood as well as parenting.
Dear Mister Rogers is an inspiration to parents and educators and a delight for all those interested in the unique way children see and wonder about the world.
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
52 people are currently reading
1137 people want to read
About the author
Fred Rogers
121 books752 followersFred McFeely Rogers was an American educator, minister, songwriter, and television host. Rogers was the host of the television show Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, in production from 1968 to 2001. Rogers was also an ordained Presbyterian minister.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
February 28, 2019
Wanting to squeeze another book in during February, this one was priceless. People of all ages write to Mister Rogers and he pens his advice back to children and their parents with tender loving care. With all the violence and hatred in the world today, reading these letters by Mister Rogers are priceless and timeless. It’s been over ten years and the world still needs “another Mister Rogers.” He was special just the way he was and irreplaceable.
5 stars
5 stars
August 9, 2011
This book was recommended by a gent from the UK who was told about Mr. Rogers by an American friend. He promptly fell in love with the show. He mentioned this book and said that if you could read it without crying you were a stronger person than he. I am not stronger. This book has solidified my belief that Mr. Rogers was certainly the most important person ever to be on kid's TV, and that WWMRD should be my motto. Apparently Fred Rogers answered every letter every kid wrote him. Here's an excerpt from a letter he wrote in response to a little boy who asked why there were no hands on the clock in Make-Believe Land:
We decided that we would pretend there was no time in Make-Believe, like the timelessness of love.
I think that says it all.
We decided that we would pretend there was no time in Make-Believe, like the timelessness of love.
I think that says it all.
June 3, 2017
3.5 My kids loved Mister Rogers, but we were not "super" fans, and so this book fell a little flat. It seemed a tad preachy, and he spent a lot of time answering questions with his song lyrics rather than a simple, to-the-point answer. It also felt too long, even at under 200 pages. We did love his sweet compassion on air, but this was not the best of him. Recommended for die-hard fans of the man in the sweater.
March 15, 2019
For us native Pittsburghers, Mr. Rogers holds a special place in our hearts. We're proud to share him with the world. He was an incredible human being. This book is a must read, especially if you're a parent. Mr. Rogers had the utmost respect for his little audiences, and it explains why he continues to be loved by millions of people all over the world.
I usually do research while reading a book, and I stumbled upon an interview he did with Joan Rivers back in the 1980s. I got a bit misty-eyed when he sang his most popular song, "I like you just the way you are" .
I couldn't help thinking of all the hate that is happening not only in my country, but around the world. Wouldn't it be so much better if "we just liked each other just the way we are."
I usually do research while reading a book, and I stumbled upon an interview he did with Joan Rivers back in the 1980s. I got a bit misty-eyed when he sang his most popular song, "I like you just the way you are" .
I couldn't help thinking of all the hate that is happening not only in my country, but around the world. Wouldn't it be so much better if "we just liked each other just the way we are."
April 3, 2016
"Nobody has all the answers. We're all growing in this world together."
Mister Rogers was a delight and a blessing, and this book is so warm and welcoming that it feels like coming home. There's a particular gentleness to Mister Roger's responses to children (& adults) that makes me cry every time because it's so beautiful and pure. This is one of those books I want to buy, just to have it close to me when times are tough.
Mister Rogers was a delight and a blessing, and this book is so warm and welcoming that it feels like coming home. There's a particular gentleness to Mister Roger's responses to children (& adults) that makes me cry every time because it's so beautiful and pure. This is one of those books I want to buy, just to have it close to me when times are tough.
November 16, 2019
Great book. Wish I could have read it earlier in life and written a letter to Mr. Rogers. The book comes with an addressed envelope to send to him. Missed that opportunity. Many great lessons in the book on how to talk to your kids about different topics. God bless you Fred Rogers!
March 23, 2016
I stumbled upon Mister Rogers again as an adult due to re-discovering this video, currently my favorite video on the Internet: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PI_9G... -- even with the awards show pomp, it's undoubtedly a moving testament to the wonder that is Mister Rogers. Shortly thereafter I discovered that some episodes are on PBS's online streaming service, and a a grab-bag of "greatest hits" reside on Netflix. The flood of recall and recognition astounded me, but not as much as how important Mister Rogers was for me as a kid. A friend in high school who interned there was able to cite studies about how cognitive development among children who watched Mister Rogers surpassed those who watched the often too-frenetic Sesame Street. It was not due to any ethos or value system my parents had that I watched Mister Rogers and hardly remember Sesame Street, but I can't help but think that Mister Rogers had a pace to it that still fits my style. There are messages in the show that resonate to the absolute core as to move me to tears to this day. To think of how frustrating the self-doubt can feel as an artist, and to hear Mr. Rogers keep it real: http://best-of-tumblr.tumblr.com/post... -- or how hard it is for a PTSD-addled depressive to remember to love himself.
Immediately I purchased this book and devoured it in a few hours' time, which I can espouse the advantages of but sadly makes this read a bit repetitive. There is plenty of text here that deserves to be considered some sort of sentence in a loving-kindness meditation ("This is important talk" or "Thank you for sharing your feelings") and there's no harm in repetition in order to let it sink in, but you get the sense that the process became mechanized for Mr. Rogers and his assistants over such a long period of time. So it goes.
What was also compelling to me is the relation of Mr. Rogers's philosophy on television and its concordance with Jerry Mander's "Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television." Mister Rogers is very sensitive to how children's realities can be tempered or de-stabilized because they do not conceptually understand how a TV image appears: they talk back to the TV, they ask how Mister Rogers gets out of the TV, they wonder where he goes when the screen turns off, &c. He was scared about how a bombardment of quick-succession television images could disorient or upset a television viewer to the point where he "de-mystified" certain components by showing the studio or showing the trolley lever when he sat down to call it to Make-Believe. In fact, the "Neighborhood" was borne out of a protest for how TV represented people and could damage children's relationship with the world. To this day, Rogers is right: he has secured a television oasis that is somewhat antithetical to its core principles, and it is not only remembered fondly but re-discovered by new generations. It's such a crucial TV show and a personal necessity.
The letters here are organized such that they increasingly possess gravity: what begins as curiosities about television end in questions about divorce, miscarriage, and the death of younger siblings. Yes, the book will make you cry. It's a great primer on what it means to listen actively and compassionately, and how a compassionate response manifests: it is attentive to the feelings of the person rather than dishing out advice or negating them. Mister Rogers helped me to know that adults are really children disoriented by the trauma of adolescence, and that this is not a bad thing. We sometimes need that treatment still. That's why he still connects with adults so deeply. As a Pittsburgh-born man, he's the part of the city I'm most proud of. Thank you, Mr. Rogers, for everything.
Immediately I purchased this book and devoured it in a few hours' time, which I can espouse the advantages of but sadly makes this read a bit repetitive. There is plenty of text here that deserves to be considered some sort of sentence in a loving-kindness meditation ("This is important talk" or "Thank you for sharing your feelings") and there's no harm in repetition in order to let it sink in, but you get the sense that the process became mechanized for Mr. Rogers and his assistants over such a long period of time. So it goes.
What was also compelling to me is the relation of Mr. Rogers's philosophy on television and its concordance with Jerry Mander's "Four Arguments for the Elimination of Television." Mister Rogers is very sensitive to how children's realities can be tempered or de-stabilized because they do not conceptually understand how a TV image appears: they talk back to the TV, they ask how Mister Rogers gets out of the TV, they wonder where he goes when the screen turns off, &c. He was scared about how a bombardment of quick-succession television images could disorient or upset a television viewer to the point where he "de-mystified" certain components by showing the studio or showing the trolley lever when he sat down to call it to Make-Believe. In fact, the "Neighborhood" was borne out of a protest for how TV represented people and could damage children's relationship with the world. To this day, Rogers is right: he has secured a television oasis that is somewhat antithetical to its core principles, and it is not only remembered fondly but re-discovered by new generations. It's such a crucial TV show and a personal necessity.
The letters here are organized such that they increasingly possess gravity: what begins as curiosities about television end in questions about divorce, miscarriage, and the death of younger siblings. Yes, the book will make you cry. It's a great primer on what it means to listen actively and compassionately, and how a compassionate response manifests: it is attentive to the feelings of the person rather than dishing out advice or negating them. Mister Rogers helped me to know that adults are really children disoriented by the trauma of adolescence, and that this is not a bad thing. We sometimes need that treatment still. That's why he still connects with adults so deeply. As a Pittsburgh-born man, he's the part of the city I'm most proud of. Thank you, Mr. Rogers, for everything.
March 2, 2016
I'm glad this little book made its way to me. It's going in my collection of favorite parenting books to reread. It's not a parenting book per se, but I learned a lot in seeing how Mister Rogers responded to the wide variety of letters he received over the years and reading some of his commentary on those responses. Although he shied away from giving direct advice to parents (reasoning that parents' knowledge of their individual children mattered more than his general knowledge of child development), he clearly understood a lot about how children think and often deduced why a child was asking a particular question in ways I would not have thought of.
I appreciated how consistently honest he was with children who asked questions about things that happened on his show, typically written with the assistance/prompting of their parents, who were probably expecting him to make up some answer to continue the make-believe. But he very seriously explained to children that he did not live in his television house; he zipped his sweaters up halfway to allow his microphone to be clipped onto his tie; it did not rain in his neighborhood because his television house was inside a studio. At other times, his answers might seem like a cop-out at times because he turns the questions back on the kids, asking them to pretend and play out what the answer might be, or responds to parents by suggesting other ways they could find solutions to their parenting dilemmas. But I genuinely appreciated his honesty and openness, and especially his sense that he didn't need to have all the answers or make things up.
This is definitely worth picking up, whether you're a parent or not. Many of Mister Rogers' life lessons apply no matter how old you are.
I appreciated how consistently honest he was with children who asked questions about things that happened on his show, typically written with the assistance/prompting of their parents, who were probably expecting him to make up some answer to continue the make-believe. But he very seriously explained to children that he did not live in his television house; he zipped his sweaters up halfway to allow his microphone to be clipped onto his tie; it did not rain in his neighborhood because his television house was inside a studio. At other times, his answers might seem like a cop-out at times because he turns the questions back on the kids, asking them to pretend and play out what the answer might be, or responds to parents by suggesting other ways they could find solutions to their parenting dilemmas. But I genuinely appreciated his honesty and openness, and especially his sense that he didn't need to have all the answers or make things up.
This is definitely worth picking up, whether you're a parent or not. Many of Mister Rogers' life lessons apply no matter how old you are.
July 28, 2007
Gawd. I bawled every other page of this little book, but I am a big-time sap. Mr. Rogers RULES. He knows exactly what to say to children AND adults (in one notable letter, a mom tried to get Mr. Rogers to explain death to her questioning kiddo, and he turns it right back on her, but in a kind way with some thoughtful suggestions), and he answered ALL his fan mail personally. Mr. Rogers makes children feel that they are cared for and their opinions valued. He makes me feel that it's possible for everyone to learn how to express themselves in an honest and sensitive way, and to listen well and respect, acknowledge and discuss others' emotional experiences. I sound like such a fruit but Mr. Roger's humanism is so amazing and honorable.
December 15, 2025
Mr Rodger s is perfect for all generations
May 17, 2011
This was a sweet book, about the things kids worry about and the ways Mr. Rogers talks about those things. Mr. Rogers doesn't give advice, though, so most of his responses are very similar, about how good it is to talk about your feelings and to be able to rely on the people who love you to help you think about hard things. It's actually a really good, clear message, especially for working with kids--that we all have feelings, and that there are ways to manage them both acutely (physical exertion, playing loud music) and in the long term (talking about them, understanding them, thinking through them). But all the letters were very much the same, and there wasn't a lot to say about any of them. It only took an hour to read, and it was worth the hour.
March 20, 2020
Letters to Mr Rogers from children and adults alike all wanting to talk to the beloved host of Mr Rogers Neighborhoods, ask questions, and talk about their problems and observations of the world around them, these are letters to a man who understood and raised so many of us, children and adults alike during our childhoods and young adulthoods, they are entertaining, humourous, sad, happy and everything in between and it is an enjoyable book to read
January 1, 2018
Besides being a heart-warming reminder of the gentle kindness of Mister Rogers, this book offers a great lesson in how to talk with young children about difficult topics. Mister Rogers reassurances to his young neighbors about topics ranging from death to seeing scary things on TV, often reassured me, as well. There are also many light-hearted letters that made me smile.
July 24, 2018
This collection of letters is (understandably) a little repetitive, but sweet nonetheless.
January 7, 2021
Dear Neighbors,
What I believe is most worth knowing is that every human being has value. This is the basis of all healthy relationships; and it's through relationships that we grow and learn best.
Reading this book at the start of 2021, after one of the most volatile years on record, this particular passage struck me. How much of our ills (as a country/world/people/species) can truly be boiled down to such a simple premise? Imagine if everyone believed that everyone else had value, by virtue of being human. I'd like to think that respect would be the most basic feeling, instead of distrust or hatred.
*shrug* I suppose one can dream.
This is a sweet collection of letters that Mr. Rogers received over the years, as well as his responses. The letters came from children, parents, young adults, and even older folks. Some were funny (such as the child who believed Mr. Rogers didn't poop because his television house didn't have a bathroom!), and some are poignant - the letters expressing fear and sadness about a variety of subjects, from friends moving away to siblings unexpectedly dying. Mr. Rogers was always very careful to respond in general terms, as he explains at the beginning of the book; he didn't want anyone to see him as their therapist, merely as a caring friend. Though it can be a little condescending these days to read his constant responses about how important feelings are and how important it is to express them to family members, by the end of this collection, I was starting to believe it was true 😊 He makes several points about how expressing feelings are healthy not only because it keeps us from bottling them up, but because it can also be a way to test/set boundaries. As a former psychology major, I can see a lot of the child development coming out in his responses. As a voracious romance reader who hates the Big Misunderstanding trope, I fervently believe that communication is important!
I miss Mr. Rogers, and I wish he was still a force in our world. We need someone like him, with unconditional love, to be a force again.
What I believe is most worth knowing is that every human being has value. This is the basis of all healthy relationships; and it's through relationships that we grow and learn best.
Reading this book at the start of 2021, after one of the most volatile years on record, this particular passage struck me. How much of our ills (as a country/world/people/species) can truly be boiled down to such a simple premise? Imagine if everyone believed that everyone else had value, by virtue of being human. I'd like to think that respect would be the most basic feeling, instead of distrust or hatred.
*shrug* I suppose one can dream.
This is a sweet collection of letters that Mr. Rogers received over the years, as well as his responses. The letters came from children, parents, young adults, and even older folks. Some were funny (such as the child who believed Mr. Rogers didn't poop because his television house didn't have a bathroom!), and some are poignant - the letters expressing fear and sadness about a variety of subjects, from friends moving away to siblings unexpectedly dying. Mr. Rogers was always very careful to respond in general terms, as he explains at the beginning of the book; he didn't want anyone to see him as their therapist, merely as a caring friend. Though it can be a little condescending these days to read his constant responses about how important feelings are and how important it is to express them to family members, by the end of this collection, I was starting to believe it was true 😊 He makes several points about how expressing feelings are healthy not only because it keeps us from bottling them up, but because it can also be a way to test/set boundaries. As a former psychology major, I can see a lot of the child development coming out in his responses. As a voracious romance reader who hates the Big Misunderstanding trope, I fervently believe that communication is important!
I miss Mr. Rogers, and I wish he was still a force in our world. We need someone like him, with unconditional love, to be a force again.
April 12, 2019
Dear Mister Rogers, Does It Ever Rain in Your Neighborhood? is a really nice child psychology overview book. Or maybe a quick peek behind the scenes of the show. But, my point is, it was very general.
There were a lot of letter excerpts more than deep dives, and it made everything really jumpy and hard to get invested. I wish there were more full letters and full responses. Or longer explanations walking you through the process, rather than just a randomly placed transition line here and there.
I also found that Mr. Roger's voice doesn't come across well in writing - I could hear it in his voice and that was lovely, but it wasn't as comforting as watching the show and hearing him talk to me. It did remind me just how grateful I am that this man existed and that he shared himself with the world. And so much of that wisdom, largely in terms of how to help children, really does come across, if that's something you're looking for.
2.5/5 stars.
There were a lot of letter excerpts more than deep dives, and it made everything really jumpy and hard to get invested. I wish there were more full letters and full responses. Or longer explanations walking you through the process, rather than just a randomly placed transition line here and there.
I also found that Mr. Roger's voice doesn't come across well in writing - I could hear it in his voice and that was lovely, but it wasn't as comforting as watching the show and hearing him talk to me. It did remind me just how grateful I am that this man existed and that he shared himself with the world. And so much of that wisdom, largely in terms of how to help children, really does come across, if that's something you're looking for.
2.5/5 stars.
February 19, 2022
These letters and responses were so sweet to read. Everyone trusts Mr. Rogers, and for good reason. What a humble and loving man.
I showed Grant an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood so he would know who he was. Afterward he said, "That's what's wrong with the world now mom. We don't have a Mr. Rogers for kids today." That says it all I think.
I showed Grant an episode of Mr. Roger's Neighborhood so he would know who he was. Afterward he said, "That's what's wrong with the world now mom. We don't have a Mr. Rogers for kids today." That says it all I think.
August 31, 2024
What a wonderful collection of correspondences by Fred Rogers with children and families, I really enjoyed the tender, quiet wisdom to be discovered within these pages. A balm for the soul in so many ways. Loved it!
September 5, 2022
Such a fun read!
August 22, 2024
Perhaps more like 3.5 stars but I’m more than willing to give Mister Rogers the benefit of the doubt! Sweet letters from children of all ages (and sometimes their parents), asking all sorts of questions, from light-hearted to serious. The replies once again reminded me of what a truly kind and gentle human being Fred Rogers was (even if they became a little repetitive after awhile).
July 1, 2025
This was such a heartwarming read. It really made me think about putting myself in the shoes of my kiddos and seeing how they experience the world. Really quick and a great read for parents or any kid at heart!
May 27, 2018
I recently read Dear Mister Rogers, Does It Ever Rain in Your Neighborhood?: Letters to Mister Rogers as the current Letter Writers Alliance Book Club selection. I was fascinated with Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood as a child. His caring, kind communication style is evident throughout the book, and I finished the book impressed with the honesty and respect he addressed his letter writers.
August 27, 2023
Can’t give Mister Rogers anything less than 5 stars. :)
November 13, 2017
I grew up watching Mister Rogers' Neighborhood so it was fun to read a little behind the scenes and learn some of his reasons for doing various things. But the biggest thing I got out of it was his honestly and empathy when responding to the children. That really made me think about how I respond to my 4 year old.
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August 5, 2023DNF. The letter writing/response format of the book was too repetitive for me.
January 13, 2012
This book is full of kindness, patience and understanding. It's amazing to see the wide range of questions and comments he dealt with.
Some of the more insightful parts for me are where he revealed a few of the unintended consequences of their work: like a mother who wrote to mention that his show caused her daughter to develop a fear of being blown away by the wind. Or a response he got after telling a girl he'd think of her the next time he wore his blue sweater, only to find out that she had a black and white TV.
Throughout the book, it's easy to see that he really did care deeply about what he did. It's also interesting to read his words to adults and realize that although he spoke simply, he had a great mind and understood big-people problems, too.
I must admit that at least part of me was reading this book to see the advice he had for parents in a situation similar to mine. Repeatedly, as adults asked questions about parenting (either directly or through their children), he assured them that they are the ones who know their situation best. He wanted them to trust their own intuition and get through things with faith and love.
Truly, an excellent book.
Update:
Not long ago, my son chose this book at random and asked me to read it to him for bedtime reading. At first I was a bit skeptical, but I am actually really glad we did it. Reading through the book with my son gave us a great excuse to talk about some of the more challenging aspects of life. We talked about death, terminal illnesses, divorce, fear, anger and much more. It was very worthwhile.
Some of the more insightful parts for me are where he revealed a few of the unintended consequences of their work: like a mother who wrote to mention that his show caused her daughter to develop a fear of being blown away by the wind. Or a response he got after telling a girl he'd think of her the next time he wore his blue sweater, only to find out that she had a black and white TV.
Throughout the book, it's easy to see that he really did care deeply about what he did. It's also interesting to read his words to adults and realize that although he spoke simply, he had a great mind and understood big-people problems, too.
I must admit that at least part of me was reading this book to see the advice he had for parents in a situation similar to mine. Repeatedly, as adults asked questions about parenting (either directly or through their children), he assured them that they are the ones who know their situation best. He wanted them to trust their own intuition and get through things with faith and love.
Truly, an excellent book.
Update:
Not long ago, my son chose this book at random and asked me to read it to him for bedtime reading. At first I was a bit skeptical, but I am actually really glad we did it. Reading through the book with my son gave us a great excuse to talk about some of the more challenging aspects of life. We talked about death, terminal illnesses, divorce, fear, anger and much more. It was very worthwhile.
August 5, 2014
I loved the book, but managed to knock out the whole thing in about two hours. Mister Rogers lays out the planning and work that was put into assembling this book and it's entirely possible that what's in here was literally as much as could have possibly been done. I guess you'd call this a good "airplane book" in that case.
It's a wonderful read, because you're expecting one thing and it delivers so much more. You expect cute letters with very childlike questions, and you get that (he fields a LOT of questions about how he manages to get inside television sets). But he also answers letters from parents dealing with disabled children and children suffering from cancer. And by far, the most moving letter of the bunch: An eight-year-old coping with the sudden death of a two-year-old sibling, just days after losing her temper and yelling "Don't ever come back!"
And the sensitivity and thoughtfulness of the answers only serves to reinforce your impression of Fred Rogers, the person. His insights and his knack for saying exactly the right thing (and the humble way that he assures one viewer that his ability to say the right thing only came from a lot of trial and error) will leave you with a smile on your face.
It's a wonderful read, because you're expecting one thing and it delivers so much more. You expect cute letters with very childlike questions, and you get that (he fields a LOT of questions about how he manages to get inside television sets). But he also answers letters from parents dealing with disabled children and children suffering from cancer. And by far, the most moving letter of the bunch: An eight-year-old coping with the sudden death of a two-year-old sibling, just days after losing her temper and yelling "Don't ever come back!"
And the sensitivity and thoughtfulness of the answers only serves to reinforce your impression of Fred Rogers, the person. His insights and his knack for saying exactly the right thing (and the humble way that he assures one viewer that his ability to say the right thing only came from a lot of trial and error) will leave you with a smile on your face.
July 17, 2014
Fred Rogers was a wonderful person that I will always remember fondly as an important part of my childhood. It's well documented that he made an effort to write back to every child that wrote to him and this book collects some of the most insightful questions and responses gleaned from that time. Some are laugh out loud funny and some are enough to make you feel near tears, but Mister Rogers' patient tone resonates through all of his replies as well as his effort to not judge or treat any question as too silly. I personally wish his program was still on the air so that my niece and nephew could get to know him as their television neighbor as I was fortunate enough to at their age. This book is great for educators, parents, counselors, or anyone nostalgic for the kind man in the cardigan and sneakers.
July 29, 2016
This book gives an inside look of the world of the viewers in front of the television screen. As a creator, you rarely get to see how your audience not only see's what you create, but the world around them. In this book, Mister Rogers sheds light on the letters he received from eager, curious and excited children and fans throughout the years.
I think the most important takeaway from this book for me was seeing just how Mister Rogers responded each time. Every response was met with an intro of gratitude, for the sender being so courageous to share their feelings and so open to learning how to understand them.
There were many things I learned here and will go on to apply to my own work speaking to pre-teens, teens and young adults on YouTube. Every person wants to know that they are capable of being loved for exactly who they are, and Mister Rogers does that each and every single time.
I think the most important takeaway from this book for me was seeing just how Mister Rogers responded each time. Every response was met with an intro of gratitude, for the sender being so courageous to share their feelings and so open to learning how to understand them.
There were many things I learned here and will go on to apply to my own work speaking to pre-teens, teens and young adults on YouTube. Every person wants to know that they are capable of being loved for exactly who they are, and Mister Rogers does that each and every single time.
January 13, 2013
What a sweet book! Fred Rogers was such a caring, kind force in the universe! Although I know that many grown-ups shook their heads over what they considered his "sappy" show, children seemed to know that he was exactly what they needed!
I think every parent, grandparent, or anyone who interacts with small children should read this book (and probably any by Fred Rogers) to gain valuable insight into appropriately responding to the needs of the little ones in their care. Validating children and their feelings is by no means equivalent to the permissive and pervasive "parenting" attitude that lets so many children rule the roost. Children don't need you to be their buddy or their servant...they need you to channel Mister Rogers.
I think every parent, grandparent, or anyone who interacts with small children should read this book (and probably any by Fred Rogers) to gain valuable insight into appropriately responding to the needs of the little ones in their care. Validating children and their feelings is by no means equivalent to the permissive and pervasive "parenting" attitude that lets so many children rule the roost. Children don't need you to be their buddy or their servant...they need you to channel Mister Rogers.
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