"You are special," the well-known saying from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, is understood as an essential message that helps children develop self-esteem. That concept also helps a child develop an appreciation of diversity. Respect for others begins with self-respect. That message, then, becomes a double one: "You are special...and so is everybody else!"

The Neighborhood has always been a welcoming place for visitors -- from different races, cultures, and age groups, who speak different languages and have a wide range of skills and interests, as well as physical challenges.

Valuing Uniqueness

Mister Rogers talks about uniqueness in ways that helps children appreciate diversity. For example, one day while drawing a simple version of a tree, he said, "Everyone would draw a tree differently. That's because everyone is different -- and that's the way it's supposed to be!" Not only does each person draw differently, but we each have different things we like to do and our own way of seeing the world; we learn in different ways and at our own pace; and we express our ideas in different ways.

Much that We Share

At the same time, children can understand that there is much that we share -- because we're human beings. We all have feelings, hopes, and dreams; we all need to feel that we belong in this world; and we all need to know we're accepted as we are.

Children Feel more Comfortable with Others Like Them

For young children, meeting someone new -- especially someone who seems different -- may not be easy. Preschoolers are just beginning to open their interests beyond the family to other people and the world around them. In that process, they try to make sense of the world by organizing things into categories, and they can become fascinated with matching and sorting games -- games about what's alike and what's different. Children tend to categorize people that way, too, and that's why they tend to befriend children who are like them, and may feel uncomfortable with children who seem different from them.

Attitudes are Caught not Taught

Children take their cue from adults, and child-care providers can have a powerful influence on children's attitudes when they set up an atmosphere of acceptance when any new child comes into a child-care setting.

We want to do all we can to encourage children to become adults who rejoice in living in a world of unique individuals, and at the same time sharing with their neighbors the hopes, fears, sadness and joys that we human beings, all through the ages, have had in common. Of course, we do this best by being that way ourselves. Attitudes are CAUGHT, not taught!

Certainly we don't have to like everyone in this world, but with the help of the grownups in their lives, children can learn to be respectful, courteous and kind -- to be "neighborly."

As Fred Rogers said,

"It's our differences that give the world its "melody" ...and also its dissonance. We can learn to play together, and care for each other. All we have to do is want to."

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