Different and Same. Thank you, PBS!

It is a very touching thing indeed when children's programming and literature creates awareness for ALL types of children and their differences, especially when they are the same as my daughter.

Yesterday, Adria and I watched what is quite possibly my new favorite children's show. There is a program aired on the public television station, PBS, called "Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood." This adorable cartoon for pre-schoolers allows the legacy of "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood" to live on in fully animated form with a young tiger playing the part of Mr. Rogers.

Now I have to admit, I don't usually sit down and watch shows with my girls unless it's family movie night. But after I hit play on the DVR and saw what this one was about, I had to sit down and watch it with Adria.

You see, Daniel meets a new friend named Chrissy. She is a fun, adorable brown-haired little girl, but Daniel quickly realizes that she is different. Chrissy wears braces and uses crutches to walk.

Daniel Tiger with his new friend Chrissy, who reminds me of Adria :)

Adria didn't say much, but as Daniel began asking Chrissy about her braces, Adria slid off the couch and moved closer to the TV to watch more intently. It made me tear up to watch Chrissy's confident and matter of fact responses to their questions and to play right along with the others, just like my Adria.

Thank you, PBS.

For years, I think that Sesame Street has done a good job at incorporating children in wheelchairs or with down syndrome into their shows. It's wonderful to teach children at a young age to welcome all types of people into their lives, even if they are different.

I would ask and encourage you to watch this episode with your young children and see what type of dialogue it creates. The show does not say that Chrissy has spina bifida, but because that is the most common permanently disabling birth defect, I highly suspect that this show was inspired by a child who has it. Though Adria does not need crutches to walk, she did have to use a walker for a year and many children with spina bifida do need the crutches or other assistive devices in addition to braces.



I have a feeling we'll be singing that cute little song a lot, "In some ways we are Different, but in so many ways, we are the Same."