We live in a world where we’ve come to expect instant gratification. We expect immediate answers to our emails. We expect next-day deliveries for our online orders. We expect our microwaved food to be ready in seconds. No wonder we get upset when we have to wait.
As hard as it is for us, imagine what waiting is like for children. So often they have to wait for their turn, wait for our attention, wait for a birthday or holiday, or wait for a friend who’s coming to play. They don’t have a concept of time. They live in the “now.”
Fred’s lifetime studies in child development gave him a very real understanding of how children experience things, and he shared that with us in his songs, his words and through his Neighborhood of Make-Believe stories, like he did in this nighttime visit between Daniel Tiger and Handyman Negri.
Talking to Children about Difficult Things in the News
During times of tragedy and difficulty in the news, it can be difficult to know whether and how to talk to children about what is happening in their world. In this resource we offer ideas and support for guiding children through news about difficult current events.
Educators in all sorts of settings may work with adoptive, foster, and kinship families, and the children within them. The lessons within this resource are to support those educators, as they in turn support these children and families.
Your financial support of the Institute helps us expand our initiatives and resources so that educators and children's helpers can continue to learn and grow from Fred Rogers' legacy. Thank you!