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No More Mr. Rogers
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Monday, September 1st, 2008
No More Mr. Rogers
Every morning, one of the first things Ethan asks Dave is if he gets to stay home today. Today, Ethan was delighted to find out that it was a Monday, and Daddy didn't have to go to work. He immediately said how happy he was that he would get to watch Mr. Rogers with Daddy.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood is his favorite show. I know a lot of you probably think it's dumb, but our little family thinks it's really just about the best show ever. It dealt with tons of topics other shows won't touch. It promoted curiosity, questioning, imagination and enjoyment of music. Plus, there was a trolley! Every show included certain elements, but they weren't always in the same order. So, the show had the consistency that children crave, but it included just enough change to keep things interesting. Every week had a central theme. One week, they focused on vacuums (Ethan's all time favorite appliance). My favorite part has always been when we get to see a video of how something is made.
After lunch, Ethan asked a few times if he could turn on the tv to watch Mr. Rogers with Daddy. We told him he had to wait until both hands were on the 12. And when they were, we turned on the tv. Instead of Mr. Rogers, we got some crap show with a freakin talking sloth. The kids and I hate that show. They won't stay in the room if it's on. I was so confused, but I was just hoping it had something to do with it being a holiday or a slight change in their schedule that happens from time to time.
Nope. They don't show Mr. Rogers anymore. WILL didn't give me any notice, they just stopped showing it. I had to find out what happened on the Chicago Tribune website. I cried. It's like he died all over again. I didn't have the heart to tell Ethan today.
This will have a pretty big effect on our day. We used Mr. Rogers as a wind down between lunch and nap time. It's the only show that could get both kids to sit down (next to each other, even) and be still for a whole 30 minutes.
Please direct all of your concerns to:
WILL-AM-FM-TV-Online
Campbell Hall for Public Telecommunication
300 N. Goodwin
Urbana, IL 61801
will-tv@uiuc.edu
217-333-1070
No More Mr. Rogers
Every morning, one of the first things Ethan asks Dave is if he gets to stay home today. Today, Ethan was delighted to find out that it was a Monday, and Daddy didn't have to go to work. He immediately said how happy he was that he would get to watch Mr. Rogers with Daddy.
Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood is his favorite show. I know a lot of you probably think it's dumb, but our little family thinks it's really just about the best show ever. It dealt with tons of topics other shows won't touch. It promoted curiosity, questioning, imagination and enjoyment of music. Plus, there was a trolley! Every show included certain elements, but they weren't always in the same order. So, the show had the consistency that children crave, but it included just enough change to keep things interesting. Every week had a central theme. One week, they focused on vacuums (Ethan's all time favorite appliance). My favorite part has always been when we get to see a video of how something is made.
After lunch, Ethan asked a few times if he could turn on the tv to watch Mr. Rogers with Daddy. We told him he had to wait until both hands were on the 12. And when they were, we turned on the tv. Instead of Mr. Rogers, we got some crap show with a freakin talking sloth. The kids and I hate that show. They won't stay in the room if it's on. I was so confused, but I was just hoping it had something to do with it being a holiday or a slight change in their schedule that happens from time to time.
Nope. They don't show Mr. Rogers anymore. WILL didn't give me any notice, they just stopped showing it. I had to find out what happened on the Chicago Tribune website. I cried. It's like he died all over again. I didn't have the heart to tell Ethan today.
This will have a pretty big effect on our day. We used Mr. Rogers as a wind down between lunch and nap time. It's the only show that could get both kids to sit down (next to each other, even) and be still for a whole 30 minutes.
Please direct all of your concerns to:
WILL-AM-FM-TV-Online
Campbell Hall for Public Telecommunication
300 N. Goodwin
Urbana, IL 61801
will-tv@uiuc.edu
217-333-1070
savemisterrogers.com
I must agree with you, though... my favorite part was how things were made, too!
Fortunately, Mr. Rogers is on DVD. Perhaps you can ask all of the relatives to buy them for Ethan for the holidays.
Poor guy! Maybe Dave can find episodes on the internet somewhere. If it is still on here, I'll TIVO it, and make Ethan a DVD.
Jenn, I read that only a handful of PBS stations are still carrying it.
http://www.amazon.com/Mister-Rogers-Neighborhood-Advent...
I also just sent off an email to PBS. He'll be back on the air by tomorrow.
One day, Ethan said to me, "Mommy, I love you just the way you are." He totally got that from Mr. Rogers. Melted my heart. Still does when I think about it.
Sometimes I would think about Ethan growing and maturing and growing out of Mr. Rogers. I wondered how our days would go when that happened and if Mia would have acquired the same love of Mr. Rogers by then. Children are supposed to be allowed to grow out of Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, not have it abruptly taken from them.
Ethan "talks" to Mr. Rogers frequently on his play phone. He has an imaginary Mr. Rogers friend that he takes with him and talks to around the house.
http://savemisterrogers.com