I’m blogging on my phone at the Turtle Fountain so this is sloppily put together.
Some of the steps for addressing preschoolers from the unofficial rule book for Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood [BELOW] are how I’d like to communicate—with adaptations for adults of course.
I’ve been trying. When I first started blogging almost fourteen years ago, for instance, I had to force myself to stop saying “we”. I knew (know) not everything I think and feel applies to all of us, but it was a hard habit to break.
That’s related to this “Freddish” guideline:
“Rephrase your idea to eliminate any element that may not apply to all children.”
(Like people who talk about God as a father —that doesn’t always work the way they want it to: We don’t all have fathers, much less good fathers. Not that the god of the Bible is a father I’d want anyway though—that whole trick with telling Abraham to sacrifice his son, for instance.)
Here below are Fred Rogers’s rules for [writing for] talking to children, —via Michael at OCA—from The Atlantic, "Mister Rogers Had a Simple Set of Rules for Talking to Children", June 8, 2018, by Maxwell King; theatlantic.com/family/archive/2018/06/mr-rogers-neighborhood-talking-to-kids/562352
- “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.
- “Rephrase in a positive manner,” as in It is good to play where it is safe.
- “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.”
- “Rephrase your idea to eliminate all elements that could be considered prescriptive, directive, or instructive.” In the example, that’d mean getting rid of “ask”: Your parents will tell you where it is safe to play.
- “Rephrase any element that suggests certainty.” That’d be “will”: Your parents can tell you where it is safe to play.
- “Rephrase your idea to eliminate any element that may not apply to all children.” Not all children know their parents, so: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play.
- “Add a simple motivational idea that gives preschoolers a reason to follow your advice.” Perhaps: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is good to listen to them.
- “Rephrase your new statement, repeating the first step.” “Good” represents a value judgment, so: Your favorite grown-ups can tell you where it is safe to play. It is important to try to listen to them.
- “Rephrase your idea a final time, relating it to some phase of development a preschooler can understand.” Maybe: 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.
- [END excerpt from "Mister Rogers Had a Simple Set of Rules for Talking to Children"]
