The Neighbor We All Need Right Now
Hey REK family,
We’re going to be real with you this week.
The world feels heavy right now. You’ve probably seen the news. And if you have kids at home who are curious, perceptive, or just happened to catch something on a screen, you may have already had one of those conversations you didn’t quite know how to start.
We don’t always have the answers. But we know someone who did — someone who knew exactly how to sit with the questions.
This week, we’re spending time with Fred Rogers. Not just the cardigan and the sneakers. The man who, every single time the world got scary, showed up for children and the parents who were trying to protect them.
His message hasn’t changed. And this week, it’s exactly what we need.
The Cardigan. The Camera. The Courage.
Photo: Getty Images
In 1968, a man named Robert Kennedy was shot and killed.
He was running to be President of the United States. A lot of people loved him. And when he died, the whole country felt it.
News cameras were everywhere. Images of violence were on every TV screen. Adults were scared and sad — and kids were watching. Picking up everything. Wondering what it all meant.
That night, a man named Fred Rogers stayed up.
You might know him as Mr. Rogers. The man with the cardigan and the sneakers. The one who always said, “I like you just the way you are.”
By morning, he had written a special TV episode, not to explain what happened, but to sit with kids in their fear. To let them know it was okay to feel scared. And that they weren’t alone.
In the episode, a little tiger puppet named Daniel asked quietly: “What does assassination mean?”
His friend paused. “Have you heard that word a lot today?”
“Yes,” said Daniel. “And I didn’t know what it meant.”
She answered him honestly. Gently. Without panic.
Then Mr. Rogers looked straight into the camera and said: “There is just so much that a very young child can take without it being overwhelming. I plead for your protection and support of your children.”
He did this again after 9/11. Every time the world got scary, he showed up.
Because Fred Rogers believed one thing above everything else — kids don’t need you to have all the answers. They just need you to stay in the room with them.
That’s the bravest thing a person can do.
The Mentionable Moment
Have you ever noticed that when you finally say the thing out loud, the worry you’d been carrying quietly, it immediately feels a little smaller?
That’s not a coincidence. Fred Rogers built an entire philosophy around it.
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary.” — Fred Rogers
This is Choice Power in one of its most important forms. The choice to name what we feel, instead of carrying it alone.
This week, you might try the Mentionable Moment. A simple practice you can use at dinner, in the car, or at bedtime.
Start with yourself. Name something that felt big or hard this week. Not to alarm them, just to model that feelings are speakable.
“I felt worried when I saw the news. I also felt really grateful that we were all together.”
Then invite them.
“Is there anything that felt big for you this week? Anything you’ve been wondering about?”
Just listen. You don’t need to fix it or explain it. The act of listening is the skill.
That’s it. One moment. One question. One quiet choice to make the unspoken speakable.
It doesn’t have to be perfect. It just has to happen.
The 15-Minute Habit That Grows With You
The parents best equipped to raise empowered kids are the ones who keep learning themselves.
But when do you find the time?
That's exactly what Headway was built for. It turns the world’s best nonfiction books into short, powerful summaries you can read or listen to in minutes — even on your busiest days.
It even includes gamified challenges to keep you consistent, spaced repetition to help ideas stick, and focus sounds to tune out the noise.
If you’ve been wanting to read more but never seem to find the time, this is one tool we genuinely recommend.
Before you go...
Happy International Women’s Day from all of us here at REK — and especially from our co-founders, Sylvia and Tammy.
Raising Empowered Kids has always been a deeply human project, and so much of that work has been shaped by women: mothers, educators, mentors, and community builders who show up every day with patience, courage, and care. Today we’re celebrating that leadership — and the countless ways women help create the environments where children and families can grow.
March 20 would have been Fred Rogers’ 98th birthday, and it feels fitting to close with one of his most enduring reminders. His message to look for the helpers has helped generations of children make sense of difficult moments and it still feels especially meaningful today.
Happy birthday, neighbor.
Next week we have something a little special coming your way — a REK Easter adventure, just in time for the long weekend. We think you’re going to love it.
Until then, wishing you peace in your home and week ahead.
Your friends at REK,
Adam & Matthew Toren, Sylvia Tam, and Tammy Vallieres
P.S. Mr. Rogers had his cardigan. You’ve got your tote bag.
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.’ ”