Thoughts for the Week:

We live in a society that seems so rushed. Parents have often told us how hard it can be to take time to relax and enjoy their children. They've also expressed concern about how they seem to be hurrying all the time, that they have to hurry their children - get them up and get them dressed, push them to eat faster, and move quickly through all the day's activities. Parents worry about how all the rushing around affects their children and themselves.

Because adults are often in such a hurry, it may seem easier to do things for children rather than to give them time to do things for themselves. But it takes time to learn, to think, and to practice the important skills that can develop naturally during childhood. Whenever we do let children take their time to do things, we're giving them support for learning and growing.

By letting children do things at their own pace as often as we can, we may also find that we're making it easier for them to accept those times when they do have to hurry. It can also help us adults to slow down and remember the most important things in life.

Summary of the Week:

Today's fast-paced society could easily lead a child to assume that always going fast -- when you're learning, playing or doing family activities -- is what really matters. In these programs, Mister Rogers shows how different things -- from feathers to cranes to roller skates -- are meant to go at different speeds, helping children understand that both Fast and Slow have important and necessary places in our lives.

In the Neighborhood of Make-Believe, the Trolley is speeding around, and everyone is trying to help slow it down. The neighbors discover that doing something fast is not always better, especially when they're trying to learn something new.