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How Daniel Tiger Changed The Way I Parent

Daniel Tiger has changed the way I parent! Come read how this simple show has changed my toddler, and me too.

Oh, Daniel Tiger. You’re such a simple little show, but kids just love you; Allison is no exception. If you’ve never seen it, it’s a show on PBS that’s loosely based on Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood. Daniel Tiger is the star, and he goes through real life situations with his friends to teach kids how to handle them as well. Moms across the internet have raved about this show, and I didn’t believe their awesome reviews- until I used it to potty train Allison (see below). Now I’m a forever fan, and I hope Allison never gets bored of this show. Daniel Tiger has changed the way I parent, and if you’ve never experienced the show with your little ones, climb on the Daniel Tiger train- or trolley. Here’s how the show has helped me:

I potty trained with no issues

On Allison’s second birthday, she received a box of pull-ups and some underwear, and she immediately wanted to replace her diapers with those. I’d been experimenting with a little potty seat for about a month, and then I discovered Daniel Tiger for the first time, specifically the potty episode. After that, it was like magic. Seriously. She wanted to watch that episode over and over, and we sang the song every time she went potty. After a little work, she was pretty much fully daytime potty trained, and it only took about 2 months total. Apparently these results are not typical; your mileage may vary!

I encourage her imagination more than ever

During the show, Daniel has little imagination sessions that Allison likes to watch. She has a few Daniel Tiger figurines, and a Colorform sticker set that she uses to recreate different scenes from the show. Included with these stickers are Prince Tuesday and Prince Wednesday, and let me just say, I think she has a little crush on Prince Tuesday. She gets this big smile whenever he’s on screen, and she’s always getting me to make the sticker talk to her. It’s super cute, and I’m glad the show at least gets her imagination going.

I use the little songs for her- and myself, too

Those songs, guys. Those catchy little songs that I find myself singing randomly throughout the day are really helpful in certain situations. Now I will say, when Allison’s mad and past the point of no return, singing does NOT help; it only makes things so much worse. But when she’s in a pretty good mood, these songs are amazing, and I actually use them internally at times. Here are some of our favorites:

  • When something seems bad, turn it around and find something good!
  • See what it is, you might feel better!
  • If you have to go potty, stop and go right away. Flush and wash and be on your way!
  • Clean up, pick up, put away. Clean up every day!
  • Everyone is big enough, big enough to do something!
  • When you get so mad that you want to roar, just take a deep breath and count to four!

I admit, I probably use the “take a deep breath” and “find something good” songs a bit too often for myself, but hey, they help!

I look for episodes that fit our situation

There have been times recently that I just throw up my hands and say, “What would Daniel Tiger do?” One example: Allison has the most refined tastes of any toddler I know. Vegetables are the devil, and the only meat she’ll eat is pepperoni. Lo and behold, there’s an episode where Daniel and his friends try new foods! The song goes: “You gotta try new foods ’cause it might taste good!” It’s a good mixture of “I like bell peppers!” and “These carrots are too crunchy for me”. I’ll sometimes intentionally pick out this episode when I really want her to just try something. One day, sometime after watching this episode, Allison suddenly proclaimed, “I want to try a carrot stick! And a bell pepper!” And I just so happened to have both in my fridge, so I gladly pulled out both, of which she took a bite of each and spit both out. Hey, progress!

You can find Daniel Tiger on PBS Kids, and also on Amazon Prime- every season, in fact. I highly encourage you to start getting your little ones involved with this show! What has Daniel Tiger taught you? Be sure to share in the comments!

Daniel Tiger has changed the way I parent! Come read how this simple show has changed my toddler, and me too.

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Kristen

Saturday 25th of February 2017

I am so glad you posted this. My daughter and I love Daniel Tiger. I sing the songs often to myself and her. It has allowed us to talk, sing and play pretend better. I have also bought Daniel Tiger books so we can read them and talk to she.

Jaime

Saturday 25th of February 2017

I didn't realize there were Daniel Tiger books! Allison's going to flip; I need to go check them out. =)

Luanne

Saturday 25th of February 2017

My son and I get through each day at dropoff time for preschool singing grown ups come back.

Jaime

Saturday 25th of February 2017

I love it! Allison hasn't started school yet but I wonder if I'll need to start singing that, too.

Ana McNair

Thursday 23rd of February 2017

We love Daniel Tiger as well! The songs have been so helpful! We even changed the words to a few so that it worked for morning routines. Plus I don't cringe when it is on, I actually enjoy watching it with my son, unlike shows such as Cailou or Barney

Jaime

Friday 24th of February 2017

That's awesome! I really hope Allison doesn't get bored of the show anytime soon. =)

Stephanie

Sunday 12th of February 2017

There is a song they sing about grown-ups coming back when they leave you somewhere an it helped so much when Connor started school. We are huge huge huge fans of Daniel.

Nili

Friday 10th of February 2017

We (Sam and Alexandria) love Daniel Tiger....it's probably one of the only little kid shows that does not bug the crap out of me. I agree with you, lots of great lessons and I find myself singing the songs to the kids when they are faced with something they are unsure about.

Jaime

Friday 10th of February 2017

I haven't found an episode I didn't like! The newest season is now available for free on Amazon Prime, so I have to make my way through those now. =)

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