10 Parenting Lessons From Mister Rogers That Will Truly Never Expire

Mr. Rogers famously advocated for parents and caregivers to be honest with children when tragedy struck, which is perfectly reflected in one of his most famous quotes: "My mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.' To this day, especially in times of disaster, I remember my mother's words, and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers — so many caring people in this world."

It's relevant, especially in today's world, to foster children's perspective when bad things arise, and to teach them to pay attention to the good that's being done instead.

Mr. Rogers championed for children to be loved exactly as they are, without any conditions attached. His simple philosophy shined through every time he sang the beautiful lyrics, "It's you I like. It's not the things you wear. It's not the way you do your hair. But it's you I like, the way you are right now, the way down deep inside you. Not the things that hide you. It's you I like."

Instead of focusing on being right or strict, Mr. Rogers supported the notion of being kind before anything else. "There are three ways to ultimate success. The first way is to be kind. The second way is to be kind. The third way is to be kind."

Parenting can often mean reaching milestones filled with mixed emotions. Mr. Rogers understood that bittersweet feeling very well and offered comfort in knowing that something even better was right around the corner. Mr. Rogers said, "Often when you think you're at the end of something, you're at the beginning of something else."

Mr. Rogers emphasized the importance of teaching children how to love learning. He advocated for letting children learn freely so that they may explore and discover life lessons through small and large adventures. He said, "The more you learn, the better feeling you have about yourself and the world we live in."

Mr. Rogers was definitely thinking outside the box way before the rest of the world. He said, "The thing I remember best about successful people I've met all through the years is their obvious delight in what they're doing, and it seems to have very little to do with worldly success. They just love what they're doing, and they love it in front of others." Instead of pigeonholing your child into the expectations of what you want, allowing children to freely pursue their passions will help cultivate them into more well-rounded grown-ups.

Mr. Rogers advocated for the groundbreaking parenting philosophy to always be authentic and truthful when talking to children. He truly believed that kids were inherently smart, and if grown-ups treated them with equal amounts of dignity and honesty, children would thrive.

Mr. Rogers spent his entire life serving others, so it's no surprise that he was also a big proponent of teaching children how to take care of each other. He said, "Real strength has to do with helping others."

Mr. Rogers never shied away from talking about big emotions like anger and sadness. He felt that allowing children to talk honestly about difficult feelings only enhanced their ability to manage those "big" feelings better.

Mr. Rogers believed it was crucial to teach children about the gift of uniqueness. He understood the pressures of trying to fit in but always championed the belief that it was our differences that made us so special. He said, "As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one else has — or ever will have — something inside that is unique to all time. It's our job to encourage each other to discover that uniqueness and to provide ways of developing its expression."