Thanks to my daughter’s occasional – OK, almost daily – 30 minute DVD or TV breaks, she knew her ABCs and 123s in English, Spanish and Sign Language by the time she was three. She learned why bananas turned brown (from Sid the Science Kid) and the sequence of how to get to the golden rainbow (Dora.) She rejoiced when the “letter of the day” was the one that her name started with (Sesame Street.) There was no doubt that she was learning something from everything she was watching. However, our daily struggles as mom and daughter didn’t have to do with the alphabet or counting. They had to do with social and emotional things – like patience, courage, resilience, and kindness. It was pretty easy for her to learn her ABC’s, but it was clear that teaching her how to be a good person was a much harder task.
So I dug a little deeper. As a person who grew up singing songs about “what do you do with the mad that you feel?” from Mister Rogers, I went on a mission to seek the same kind of quality programming for my own child. I wished that if there was any kind of magic lesson that my child could glean from a TV hero, it would be about all the real life lessons, questions and issues we faced every day. I did some research and discovered that I wasn’t the only parent struggling to teach these things to my child.
According to a study published by the Center on the Social Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, University of Arizona, 2008) “The National Academy of Sciences reported that 60% of children enter school with the cognitive skills needed to be successful, but only 40% have the social-emotional skills needed to succeed in kindergarten.”
As a mother, I find this unsettling. Of course, I want my daughter to be academically ready to succeed in school, but she needs to be socially and emotionally ready as well! The study further states:
“Research has clearly shown that children’s emotional and behavioral adjustment is important for their chances of early school success, yet the emphasis on cognitive and academic preparedness often overshadows the importance of children’s social-emotional development. When children feel good about themselves; are able to develop positive relationships with others; and know how to identify, express, and manage their emotions, they are more likely to be ready to learn and succeed.”
Makes sense to me. Teaching young children how to communicate their needs and feelings is clearly the job of parents, caregivers and family members first and foremost. But positive role models in the media who focus on social and emotional lessons can be a huge help. So I joined up with producer/director/mama Samantha Kurtzman-Counter, and we formed The Mother Company.
It is our mission at The Mother Company to provide some seriously nurturing (while still seriously fun!) content for kids, so that parents will feel like they are getting a little help raising well-adjusted, healthy human beings. Our motto is “Helping Parents Raise Good People” – and we aim to help parents, teachers and caregivers work toward that goal in two ways:
- On our parenting site, we feature articles from thoughtful parents and world-renowned experts (such as Dr. Wendy Mogel, Dr. Michele Borba, Dr. Robyn Silverman & more) offering insight into the many challenges we all face as we try to raise healthy, safe, well-adjusted children.
- With our award-winning Ruby’s Studio line of stylish, engaging and fun children’s products: videos, books, eBooks, apps, dolls and activities based in social and emotional learning for young kids.
It is our goal that all parents who share our values and our vision come together. Parents who care about teaching their children character will find us as a resource, use our experts, share their experiences. Parents who want to encourage their children to use their words, express their feelings, be a good friend, show respect and kindness will check out our kids’ products and find them helpful.
It is my hope that The Mother Company becomes the company of an entire generation of parents who are trying to help an entire generation of children learn how to become kind, communicative and self aware. We are The Mother Company. We are here for you. Come take a peek and join us – www.themotherco.com.
Photo by Next Exit Photography
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