Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood: When Will You Stop Whining?

 Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood is a television show on PBS, based off of Mister Rogers Neighborhood. The show utilizes observational viewing, in which Daniel Tiger provides children ages 2-6 an example of how to deal with day-to-day situations that help them develop their social and emotional skills. With the show’s popularity, one would think that reviews on Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood would be all the rage from parents and children. But to my surprise, I have found otherwise. In reviews on commonsensemedia.org, many parents and children have a bone to pick with popular Daniel Tiger. 

In many of the parents reviews, it mentions that Daniel Tiger “never wears pants,” is a “spoiled brat”, or “too whiny.” While reviews written by children, mostly older siblings the age of 13, write that although the show is amusing and has some positive effects of teaching children how to deal with certain emotions in certain situations, it is absolutely nothing like Mister Rogers Neighborhood. Some also complain that Daniel Tiger is very whiny, but there are also other reviews about how the show is a great and innovative way to teach the newest generation about feelings. One particular person wrote that they had enjoyed that Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood  teaches young children that “being upset isn’t always a bad thing,” much like it is commonly said in other children’s shows.

From my own personal experience watching this show with my son and younger cousins, I can agree that both sides of reviews bring up good arguments. One of the comments that truly stuck with me was the fact that Daniel Tiger gets whiny when things do not go his way, same thing for his friends. For a show that is supposed to benefit off of observational viewing, this is something that can really throw the show off of it’s curriculum for its targeted age group. At the same time, those who say it's a good example given other shows, is something I also agree with. I believe that it’s the views of different generations and households that determine the true outcome of the viewer observing the show,