TRANSCRIPT
My kids and I love watching the children's TVshow "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." He's all about being kind andconnecting with neighbors. Each episode is like a mini celebration of theawesomeness that is created from being tight with your neighbors. Sometimes, Iwish I lived in the land of make-believe. Things just seem less complicated.
And I say this becauseI don't know my neighbors at all. Don't judge me. But I've lived in my currenthouse for almost seven years. And I couldn't tell you the first names of thepeople who live near me or, honestly, what types of cars they drive. I justhaven't paid close enough attention. And the pandemic only deepened myno-need-to-get-to-know-them-anyway mindset. But as a kid, I knew almost all ofmy neighbors. We exchanged Christmas gifts, invited each other to parties,which were the best because you could just walk over. One time after school,when I was locked out of the house, I went to a neighbor who not only let meuse her phone, but she even drove me to my mom's work so I could get a key.
It felt really good to knowthat if I ever needed anything, our neighbors were there. There was a sense ofsafety and comfort that came with knowing my neighbors as a kid. And feelingsafe and secure is more important than ever. And on this episode - you'veprobably guessed it by now - tips on how to be a better, more caring neighbor.
Knowing how to be agood neighbor is a skill that is helpful to start at a young age. And ChrisLoggins knows all about that. Chris is the supervising producer for"Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." And in case you're not familiar withthe show...
The show isfor 2 to 4-year-olds. In each episode, there is a little song that isrepeated throughout. We call it the strategy song. And these are all strategiesto help children develop social and emotional skills.
So I called Chris upbecause I knew if anyone could, he would probably be able to help me learn athing or two about being a good neighbor. Then I learned real quick, there isno such thing as a good or bad neighbor in the land of make-believe.
I think, if you'retalking about a good neighbor, that sort of puts, on a certain level, a valuejudgment on what is a good neighbor, and also sort of introduces the concept ofa bad neighbor. And we don't necessarily think of things as good versus bad.There are lots of different ways to be a neighbor.
That brings us toTakeaway No. 1. This seems obvious, but get to know your neighbors. It allstarts with getting out of your comfort zone. Whether you're a newbie or along-timer in your neighborhood, being a kind neighbor all begins with smallsteps, like saying hi to people on your block and learning their names.
I recently,actually, moved into a new neighborhood. And I felt like it was important forour family to reach out to our new neighbors. But more importantly, we haveneighbors who definitely helped us feel comfortable and helped us, you know, makesure that we had things set up and know where things are in the neighborhood.
OK. So we shouldn'tstart out the process by judging what makes a good or bad neighbor. But wheredo we go from there?
I think being aneighbor starts with kindness and empathy. I've learned over the years that thekids that are in our core audience, 2 to 4-year-olds, they're still developingthe idea or the sense of empathy. It's difficult for them to really think abouthow someone else is feeling or put themselves in someone else's shoes.
On "DanielTiger's Neighborhood," they showcase how being kind can go a long way.Cleaning up litter or even cleaning up after a pet can make your neighborhood anicer place to live and show your fellow neighbors that you care. And thattakes us to takeaway No. 2 - make small, kind gestures a daily practice. Youcan ask your partner or kids to help pick flowers from your garden to give anew neighbor a bouquet. Or simply introduce yourself when you see them out fora walk. I mean, if you like to bake, go for it. No one's stopping you. I don'tknow anyone who'd resist a pie. And remember, it all starts with just making aneffort to get to know the people that live around you.
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