# curious about mr. rogers and GD



## mamaduck (Mar 6, 2002)

It seems like Mr. Roger's advocated GD methods with children, and obviously he behaved with great respect toward children. I am curious if he ever spoke to discipline issues, or made public statements about spanking or other punative measures. I did a search and couldn't really find much. Does anyone know anything?


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## Divina (Sep 13, 2003)

I don't know about spanking, etc. I've used the Mr. Rogers kids' books with my kids for some things--moving, new baby, etc. I always liked him and his attitude. Did he ever write anything directed at parents?


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## sunnmama (Jul 3, 2003)

I have never read anything about Mr. Rogers that specifically addressed spanking, but have read/heard lots of things that mesh well with GD. One thing in particular that I like to quote is: "Feelings that are mentionable are manageable" (or something like that....). I saw a clip of him saying this to some sort of congressional panel, although I don't remember what the panel was for. There are people in my life who think my choice to talk my child through negative emotions is "coddling"....or whatever.....and "new age"....or whatever...... I think this quote (misquote?) from *Mr. Rogers* (man from my Grandparent's generation, and overwhelmingly respected by all generations) defeats those arguments quite nicely.

I did visit misterrogers.org and read for a couple of minutes. Found lots of things directed toward parents, including an essay on dinner-time conflicts that emphasized natural consequences and discouraged the use of punishment.


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## shantimama (Mar 11, 2002)

When my ds was born 7 years ago someone loaned me a parenting book by Mr. Rogers. I forget the title but I remember liking it.


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## mama3peanuts (May 28, 2003)

ok,

i have a bit of a reputation with those who know me well for being a bit or a mr. rogers fan. call me silly, but before i ever had kids, i always knew that i would think of mr. rogers when making parenting decisions. i loved and respected his work. after my kids were born, i wanted to write him a letter to thank him for leading me to AP type parenting. i never did, and believe it or not, i burst into tears when i heard on the radio that he died (i was pregnant). i'm so sentimental!!!







:

OT: a couple of years ago, Esquire magazine did an article on him, and put him on the cover (i dont subscribe...i was working at a periodical clearinghouse at the time). the article mentioned that mr. rogers and the interviewer were walking through NYC together when some guy saw them and said "holy s!*t, its mr. f#@*ing rogers!" i'm not sure how i expected him to react, but, of course he was ridiculously friendly to the guy.

anyway, enough of my ramblings...


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## Aura_Kitten (Aug 13, 2002)

mama3peanuts ~ i cried too when i heard he passed away!







he was always one of my favorite TV icons when i was a kid, and always treated everyone w/ such respect. that was awesome.


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## mamaduck (Mar 6, 2002)

Yep, I bawled too. I actually *miss* him now. I swear, I feel his absence in this world and its painful. I feel like we *needed* him. KWIM?


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## delighted.mama (Jan 29, 2003)

I have to admit that I cried as well. I grew up with Mr. Rogers. His program was always so consistent, throughout all of these years. There was something so wholesome and simple about it. Just a few days ago, I was flipping through channels and they were re-playing his program and I felt really sad, thinking that he's gone from us. I'm glad I'm not the only one!


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## EnviroBecca (Jun 5, 2002)

I have a friend who was a childhood friend of one of Mr. Rogers's sons. He says Mr. Rogers did get fed up and yell sometimes (hard to imagine, isn't it?), but otherwise he was just the same at home as anywhere else. He never mentioned any spanking or other punishment--I'll try to remember to ask next time I see him.


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

Mr. Rogers was my birthday twin, FWIW. Our birthday is the twentieth, a week from Saturday







I always thought that gave us a special bond...

There was a replay of a great interview with him on NPR not too long ago, you could probably search the archive at npr.org and listen... lots of good. respectful stuff.

Dar


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## mama3peanuts (May 28, 2003)

i remember that interview! it was on the diane rehm show!!! i remember because the inteview had just started when i was at my desk at work. i was so excited to hear it, but i had plans to go out to lunch with my coworkers (2 guys!). they actually laughed at me when i asked them if i could listen to it in the car (i only forgave them for that when it was replayed following mr. rogers' death).

anyway...


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## CTMOMOF2 (Aug 7, 2003)

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...214949-6860912

Don't know anything about the book, but i did a search for "MISTER ROGERS PARENTING BOOK" and Amazon had one called exactly that!


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## jazminflower (Jan 4, 2003)

we love mr. rogers. we actually have his book you are special
nice to know that dd shares his birthday on the 20th as well


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

I just thought of this... I have an ebay auction going right now for a bunch of old Mothering magazines, and there's an interview with Mr. Rogers in one of them! It's #31, Spring 1984 (not trying to spam, really - it just seemed appropriate). It is actually very cool - he says, "The gift of being gentle with ourselves is a major gift and I think that one of the greatest gifts that we can give others is the gift of receiving. I've seen it in kids as they offer their homemade things to others. There are some people who think that you should just lavish praise on kids even if they just put a blob of black ink on a paper and hand it to you. A child does not want to hear, 'Oh, that's beautiful" when the child may have made it to say, 'I'm _furious_ .' If we can receive honestly, that is a real gift."

He also talks about visiting a daycare center and seeing a little boy who sucks his thumb the whole time and the only thing he can bring himself to ask Mr. R. is "Are you invisible?" He talks about teens, guns, competition, values issues that are doubly hard because they were tough for you, the parent, when you were little... very cool. They also mention a book called Mr Rogers Talks With Parents....

Dar


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## DebraBaker (Jan 9, 2002)

I thought I was the only one with Mothering Mags that old









My dd enjoys Mr. Rogers but I must confess I couldn't stand him when I was a teenager, I babysat these kids and the parents wanted me to put on Mr. Rogers for the kids but it was on the same timeslot as the Star Trek reruns. Oh well.

db


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## Dar (Apr 12, 2002)

Star Trek vs. Mr. Rogers, hmmm... no contest for me as a teen!

There was a great SNL episode in the late seventies or early eighties with Mr. Rogers. too. He was a good sport.

dar


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## DebraBaker (Jan 9, 2002)

"I like the way you say that"

Yes, he was a good sport and a good man.

I'm sure he was for gd.

db


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## mraven721 (Mar 10, 2004)

I'm glad to see others feel the same way about Mr Rogers as I do. I love this man. I find my self signing his song all day...'It's such a good feeling to know your alive. It's such a happy feeling, your growing inside...' I really lifts me up. Crazy, I know. I did read his Parenting Book and I thought it was great. I also heard the interview on NPR. I don't have a real player, but if you do this link should work. http://discover.npr.org/features/fea...ml?wfId=836843 It's a recording of the NPR interview (I hope..)


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