Becoming Mr. Rogers
Becoming Mr. Rogers
Writing with Kindness, Clarity, and Calm
Writing with Kindness, Clarity, and Calm
Fred Rogers—yes, the Mr. Rogers—had a gentle superpower: he knew how to speak directly to children in a way that was calm, clear, honest, and kind. Your task is to write a short lesson for children, using Mr. Rogers’s unique approach.
“Mister Rogers Had a Simple Set of Rules for Talking to Children” By Maxwell King
(Note: Some features may be behind a paywall—focus on the opening content and tone if full access is unavailable.)
“Mr. Rogers asked about when he gets angry”
(Optional: Search other short Mr. Rogers clips if this one doesn’t resonate—what matters is the tone.)
Think of one important message that every 5-year-old should hear—something true, useful, and kind.
Examples:
It’s okay to cry.
People are different, and that’s okay.
Grown-ups get scared too.
It’s not your fault when adults fight.
You don’t have to be perfect to be loved.
Write It Like You Would Say It
Say it your way first. How would you explain this message to a younger person right now? One or two sentences is fine.
Take that message and reshape it:
Use calm, simple, gentle words
Use short sentences
Imagine you’re saying it on a quiet TV show to one child sitting at home
Speak with children, not down to them
Try to write a 30-second to 1-minute “speech” in Mr. Rogers’s tone. You can imagine it spoken, sung, or introduced with a small story.
Original version of your message (your voice)
Mr. Rogers-style version (revised tone)
3–6 sentences max for the final version
Title or short phrase that sums up your lesson
Lesson: “It’s okay to be mad, but you can’t hurt people.”
“Hey, I know you’re mad, but you can’t throw things or hit. That’s not okay. We have to find better ways to deal with it.”
“Sometimes, we feel so mad that we don’t know what to do. And that’s okay—it’s okay to feel that way. But when we feel angry, we can try to stop and take a breath, or talk to someone we trust. Even though we’re mad, we can still choose to be kind. And that helps the mad feel smaller.”