How would Mister Rogers podcast?
If Fred Rogers were creating children’s media today, he would most definitely have a podcast.
The intimate, personal connection adult podcast audiences feel with the voices in their earbuds is the same kind of trusted relationship Mister Rogers Neighborhood sought to kindle in young viewers 50 years ago. Since then the production values (and corporate structure) of children’s television have advanced asymptotically, but it seems the simple, direct, compassionate address that Fred Rogers pioneered has been all but lost. Even the direct descendant of his own IP, Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, seems to strike a different tone. What was it about Fred’s understanding of children and the way to communicate with them that was so singular and magical?
An early childhood development and parenting specialist we consult with deftly pointed out that all of Mister Rogers’ songs, stories and kindly monologues address “the need” a child feels rather than “the behavior” they’re exhibiting. Providing a daily reminder that you are loved and enough as you are is fundamentally different than teaching kids what to do.
Look no further than the landscape of podcasts for kids to find refreshingly friendly and caring voices that seek to provide the same comfort and support you might find in the Land of Make-Believe. Kids podcast creators feel a special responsibility to use the medium’s ability to directly address children the right way. To commemorate his birthday, here’s what kids podcasters have to say about Mister Rogers’ work and how it influenced the way they communicate with and create content for your kids today:
When I think of Fred Rogers and his influence on me, what has really stuck with me as I make But Why is the respect and empathy he showed for his young friends. It’s that combination — respect and empathy — that I try to emulate. He didn’t expect children to have the same vocabulary or ability to articulate their experiences as adults but he absolutely believed they deserved to be treated with the same care and concern that anyone would want to be treated with, to have their feelings validated. I try to treat kids that way, to explain things when they need help understanding but never to talk down to them. I grew up as one of those kids Fred Rogers was speaking to. His legacy is in all of us who felt like we belonged and who have tried to embody his spirit and pass it on now that we’re adults.
— Jane Lindholm, But Why: a podcast for curious kids from Vermont Public Radio
Mister Rogers has a been a huge influence on the media we create for children. Sometimes when we’re working on Ear Snacks, our podcast for kids, we’ll even ask ourselves “What would Mister Rogers do?” We often ask ourselves that when we’re interviewing a guest — whether it’s a well-known public figure like Guy Raz, Lisa Loeb or John Baldessari or a four-year-old with a broken arm. We think back to the episodes of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood that we saw when we were kids, the same episodes that we now watch with our own children. That show is so great for young children. There’s so much media available for kids today but those old episodes really still hold up.
— Andrew & Polly, Ear Snacks speaking to Billboard.com
I used to watch Mister Rogers’ Neighbourhood as a kid and I always felt transported to a different world, somewhere safe and comfortable and where adults like Mister Rogers spoke to children like we were intelligent and capable. I really hope that we give the children that listen to Peace Out similar feelings of security, hope, and empowerment.
— Chanel Tsang, Peace Out
I remember myself as a scrupulous little boy in a sweater, trying, and often failing, to live like a good Neighbor. That hopeful persona is still in there, my namesake as a children’s performer, always reminding me that it’s okay to care, and to fail, and to keep on caring.
— Mr. Eric, What If World
Have you ever seen the bit where Mr. Rogers watches the young man break dance? If anyone else would’ve done that, it would’ve felt contrived, but with him it was so completely honest and loving. To a kid like me, Mr. Rogers set the example of what a grown-up should be: playful, respectful, encouraging, excited, kind, and curious. THAT’S how you set a good example.
— Mick Sullivan, The Past & The Curious
As a kid, I feel like Mr. Rogers helped me to me to make sense of the larger world around me, by meeting me exactly where I was at the time — firmly planted in my own imagination. With Wow in the World, we’re working to create our own sort of ‘Land of Make Believe,’ to help make some of the larger, more abstract scientific concepts digestible (and fun) for our kid listeners. To me, ‘Wow’ is the intersection of wonder and reality, and it’s something that curious kids and scientists both have in spades.
— Mindy Thomas, NPR’s Wow in the World and Sirius XM’s Absolutely Mindy Show
He was a man of so many colors (which he displayed quite stylishly with his colorful array of sweaters!) He understood the nuances childhood emotions so well. Nothing exemplified this more than when Mr. Rogers was at the piano singing a song. His music made me feel all the feels and still when I listen back to this day, I am brought back to my inner child. Now when I write stories and songs the first thing I think about is “What do I want people to feel?” Thank you for making me feel so much Mr. Rogers.
— Angela Ferrari,Story Spectacular
Fred Rogers never talked down to kids. He valued them as equals. It’s a philosophy that I adopted with Book Club for Kids. In fact, we take it one step further: kids are usually so much wiser than adults. All we have to is listen to them.
— Kitty Felde, Book Club for Kids
Mr. Rogers showed how infectious curiosity can be. When you watch a Mr. Rogers episode you genuinely feel the mutual admiration between him and the kids in his midst. They would talk together, with a sense of wonder about life. He showed us why it was so important to share the ideas and thoughts of children, for they have the power to inspire us to continue working toward a better future.
— Pamela Rogers, Buttons & Figs
While I was brainstorming more ideas for Cozy Corner Podcast I listened to an interview with Fred Rogers. His warmth and understanding of children nearly brought me to tears. I especially was inspired by his simple observation that kids need to feel safe and loved. I think of that in every story I write. I try to reassure kids that they are safe, and they are loved with every story. After all Mr. Rogers said: “There are many ways to say I love you…”
— Rebecca Weaver, Cozy Corner
