When Colin was a baby, I did my best to shield him from all things screen time.  Throughout his first year, this wasn’t too difficult, as there was minimal indication that he had any interest, and I didn’t think there was any benefit to him watching television or using an iPhone app.

As Colin got older, we were facing some pretty intense separation anxiety, and I was at my wit’s end figuring out ways to teach a barely verbal toddler that mommy and daddy will always come back. Asking friends for suggestions, someone referred me to a specific episode of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. At first, I was skeptical – TV as a solution?  But then I sat down and watched. And then, after my pre-screening, I sat down and watched with Colin.

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This show is so well-thought out from the perspective of a toddler or preschooler.  Each episode is split into two short mini-episodes that both illustrate the same concept.  In the “Grown Ups Come Back” episode, Daniel has a babysitter in the first half, and then his friend Miss Elaina is comforted at school when she loses her locket (given to her by her parents, so she knows they will always come back).  The obvious theme of grown-ups coming back is consistently repeated through words and in a catchy song, and there are also videos of human children going through the same issues between the cartoon segments.

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I think it is so important when exposing children to television that you are being an active media consumer with them rather than popping them in front of the screen to watch passively. We watch Daniel Tiger together, oftentimes around lunch time to wind down from the excitement of the morning before settling in for nap time. I record the show on our DVR so I can select the episodes with topics that are relevant to Colin’s day-to-day life, and then we will watch the same one several times over the course of a week.  Plus, I love how the show sometimes teaches kids and parents at the same time. Here are a few of our favorites:

“When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four.” – It is so hard for children to process emotions that they don’t yet have a name for.  Showing examples of getting upset and calming down has been so helpful, and we use this little song when Colin is upset. I come over and hug him tight and sing it to him, and then we count. I have found that counting helps to distract him from his frustration and really calms him down.

“Clean up, pick up, put away” – Colin loves this little song, and when we sing it, he knows that it is time to help mommy clean up his toys.

“Use your words” – Colin has been whining or grunting when is frustrated or upset, and as he has gotten older and more verbal, I will pull out this little tune when I can tell that he is grunting for something that I know he can ask for.  Sometimes I can just say, “grrrr” like a tiger, and he will begin to understand that I want him to tell me what he needs instead of whining

“Keep trying, you’ll get better” – Colin tends to get frustrated and give up when things don’t seem easy right away (maybe this is why he was such a late walker…). I will sing this little ditty while we play with puzzles or when he doesn’t catch a ball, and he immediately smiles.

“Close your eyes and think of something happy” – Colin has recently learned to verbalize when he is scared (which is absolutely sweet and adorable, and it is amazing to see someone so open to showing vulnerability. Kids are amazing!). We just watched this episode this week, about getting shots and thunder, and how you can cope.  I know that the strategy is probably a bit over Colin’s head, but he has learned that Daniel Tiger is scared sometimes, and that is okay.

I could keep going for at least five more lessons that Daniel Tiger has helped me teach Colin. Again, I want to reiterate that dumping your child in front of the television at 20 months and expecting him to learn these lessons himself is not a realistic expectation, and it isn’t what I would suggest.  Rather, watching together, talking about the show as it airs and echoing the lessons afterward are ways that I infuse these lessons into our lives.

Recent discovery has lead me to the PBS parents’ website, which has written summaries and explanations of the goals and take-aways from each episode, as well as suggested activities to help teach the lessons away from the TV. I am so happy to hear that this show has been renewed by PBS for 25 more episodes, so we will be able to learn and grow with DT for years to come.

Do you use television as a teaching tool?  For other Daniel Tiger fans, which episodes do you use the lessons from in day-to-day life?