I love Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Now here is a kids’ show that is worth watching! Not only does it have some great lessons for kids, I think it teaches parents a lot, too! In fact, it might be argued all parents should watch this show so that they can use the songs throughout the day with their kids! (Especially stay-at-home moms and dads whose day job is to deal with toddler issues.)
I’ll admit, I’ve gone out of my way to watch an episode that’s particularly relevant to something going on. For example, Bean fell and had to go to the doctor to check his knee. While we waited in the waiting room, we watched the episode where Daniel hurts his ankle and goes to the doctor (“Daniel Feels Better”). Everything seemed to make more sense to Bean after that and helped him handle the somewhat nerve-wracking situation!
Or when we made cookies at Christmas time, Bean made a mistake cutting out a cookie and was very upset. I was able to remind him of the episode “Baking Mistakes” and said, “It’s OK to make mistakes. Try to fix them and learn from them, too.” (I couldn’t remember the tune that went with the song at that time, but the lesson still helped.) Bean always gives me a big smile and says, “Just like in ‘Neighbor’!”
The entire season after Daniel becomes a big brother is wonderful, although we don’t sing any songs from those episodes on a daily basis. Bean’s all-time favorite episode, however, is “Nighttime in the Neighborhood.” It helps that I really like the songs in this episode, too!
To that end, I’ve compiled a list of the top ten songs we actually USE throughout our week. In parentheses I’ve listed the first part of the episode (it’s usually two parts per episode) where this song plays so you can find it to watch yourself!
I’ll actually start with an Honorable Mention: It’s almost time to stop, so choose one more thing to do. (“It’s Time to Go”) This one didn’t make the list because I don’t sing the song, but I had to include it somewhere because it is definitely a lesson we follow every time we go somewhere now. It is absolutely amazing to me how much this works! When we’re at the park, I’ll tell the kids “one more thing, then it’s time to go,” and we never have any problems (tantrums or whining)!
10. It’s OK to feel sad sometimes. Little by little, you’ll feel better again. (“Duckling Goes Home”) I actually just sang this to Bean today when he had a hard time leaving church!
9. When something seems bad, turn it around, and find something good! (“Daniel’s Birthday”) This one has so many applications, and honestly I think it’s a great one for adults to sing throughout their day! 😉
8. Clean up, pick up, put away, clean up everyday. (“Neighborhood Clean Up”) We actually have a couple different clean up songs and they never cease to help get the job done. When we sang this one in the preschool Sunday school class another kid actually said, “That’s the Daniel Tiger song!”
7. When you’re feeling frustrated, take a step back, and ask for help. (“Daniel Gets Frustrated”) Again, a very pertinent one for adults as well as kids. This one also works great with our Rules.
6. When you wait you can play, sing, or imagine anything. (“Daniel Waits for Show-And-Tell”) We sing this one a lot when we’re out and about, especially going out to eat (which is the second part of this episode).
5. When you’re sick, rest is best, rest is best. (“Daniel Gets a Cold”) I love this one also because the second part of the episode his mom gets sick and he helps! Very beneficial when I’m not feeling well!
4. You can take a turn, and then I’ll get it back. (“Daniel Shares his Tigertastic Car”) This one we sing multiple times on a daily basis. Having a little sister has made this one so much more applicable. 😉
3. When you gotta go potty stop and go right away! Flush and wash and be on your way! (“Prince Wednesday Goes to the Potty”) Another one we sing on a daily basis now–especially helpful when reminding Bean of the last two steps!
2. When you feel so mad that you want to ROAR, take a deep breath, and count to four: 1, 2, 3, 4. (“Daniel Gets Mad”) When I give myself a “mommy time out,” this is the song I sing. It’s songs like these that are why I think Daniel Tiger is as much for parents as kids!
1. Give a squeeze, nice and slow, take a deep breath, and let it go. (“Calm for Storytime”) I’ve actually had Bean tell ME, “Momma, sing the calm song!” (Especially in the car! 😉 Don’t ever forget your kids are always watching!) This song is a constant daily reminder to myself that I need to pause and breathe, if anything because if he sees me doing it, Bean will do it too, and it’s SUCH a good lesson to keep in mind in so many situations:anger, frustration, excitement…
(For a complete list of episodes go here.)
Even if you never watch Daniel Tiger, or your kids are too old for the show (it’s definitely geared toward toddler-Preschool-maybe Kindergarten age) I hope this list has given you some ideas for applicable parenting songs. My question now is: How come there aren’t CDs with Daniel Tiger songs on them?!
PS: There is only one episode (so far!) we’ll never watch: “Daniel Can’t Ride Trolley.” This episode’s song is: “When you can’t get what you want, stomp three times to help yourself feel better.” This feels to me like telling a kid it’s ok to throw a fit when they don’t get what they want. It’s SO completely out of character for Daniel and his family it feels like the normal writers had a sick day and someone else stepped in. I don’t know how it got in there, but other than this episode, I’ve always been pleasantly surprised by the realness of Daniel’s parents (instead of cartoon-y or even sitcom-y). The way they talk to Daniel and interact and parent him is full of love, but also discipline. And every show ends with an “ugga-mugga” (how the Tiger family says “I love you”)!
PPS: I should also state clearly somewhere that these are all my own opinions. I don’t work for PBS and I wasn’t paid by PBS to write this. I’m just a parent who really appreciates a well-written, helpful kids’ show! 🙂