It was an enjoyable film about an apparently almost 'too good to be true' gentleman even without the context of having grown up with The Neighbourhood.
Starts with:
1. State the idea you wish to express as clearly as possible, and in terms preschoolers can understand. Example: "It is dangerous to play in the street."
2. Rephrase in a positive manner, as in "It is good to play where it is safe."
3. Rephrase the idea, bearing in mind that preschoolers cannot yet make subtle distinctions and need to be redirected to authorities they trust. As in, “Ask your parents where it is safe to play.”
Ends with:
... 9. => "Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is important to try to listen to them, and listening is an important part of growing."
Remainder of rules available at https://www.openculture.com/2019/05/mr-rogers-nine-rules-for...
When speaking to children, adults often start with the assumption that children are inferior in some way to adults and therefore they can't be spoken to in a rational way. On the contrary, Mr. Rogers spoke to children in a way that didn't condescend, and did so effectively, not shoving too many ideas into a single statement or making his audience feel shame for not initially knowing something.
Also note that in method 9, he provides a rationale for the lesson.
> It is important to try to listen to them, and listening is an important part of growing.
This might seem innocuous, but "because I say so" really isn't a good explanation for either children or adults. Relating the lesson to something that most children want, to grow, is both truthful and respectful.
People often underestimate the complexity of things they are used to. If you keep trying to use complexity/baggage without realising it, you might assume others aren't smart enough to understand, because it seems so obvious. It takes skill to see that something is not obvious and then break it down so that it can be understood.
No, he spoke to them in the way he spoke to all humans. For example here he is talking to Congress:
He was the real deal, with the courage to have unswayable adherence to pure humanitarian values. Look up the time he went to shame Congress into funding PBS.
And with no small amount of work... He was a trained Presbyterian minister and child psychologist. His show was a religious vocation.