"Won’t You be my Neighbor?"

Abstract

This study investigates family perceptions of character education and social emotional learning in PBS Kids educational media programming.  Interview transcripts of parents and their children were analyzed to investigate their perceptions of the media programming and the impact it has on character development and social emotional well-being.  This study indicates that many parents who were exposed to PBS in their youth and are returning to PBS for foundational support when in raising their children. The wholesome messages depicted on PBS shows, like Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, are helping parents teach their children about complex topics, such as how they feel, what they value, and cleanliness in the home. This assistance, in turn, enables parents to have conversations that help their children thrive, and foster a healthy and supportive parental/child relationship.