Mister Rogers had a dilemma. Superman was at the height of his popularity, and every child in America was recreating the hero’s battles. Mister Rogers believed in the power of play as “the work of the child”. He knew play was integral to child development. But what he read in the newspaper that day shocked him: a boy in New York had jumped off a rooftop wearing a towel, pretending to be Superman. He fell to the ground and was severely injured, all because the child copied what he saw on TV.

Mister Rogers also knew the media was a minefield and a tool. A minefield because of its promotion of cruel and immoral behavior, and a tool because God could use it for good. Without tooting his horn or tearing down other creators, Mister Rogers held to his conviction that children deserved better. He created an episode of his show in response to the Superman incident, reassuring children that what they saw in the film was only make-believe.

I return to this incident time and time again as I write. Mister Rogers, the classic role model of children’s television, inspires me with his desire to help children. In his lifetime, he asked television creators to give children healthy role models. He knew children imitated what they saw on the screen, and he thought actors should behave in a way that was mindful of a child audience. While the Superman TV show was not intended for young children, there were few television shows at the time meant for them aside from Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and Sesame Street. The shows that did exist wanted to deliver laughs, not talk about feelings.

Things haven’t changed much today. Even though there are hundreds of preschool shows on the air, many still focus on bad behavior. Shows that are supposedly about “social-emotional learning” tell the same stories about lying, cheating, and impatience. To do so, they emphasize bad behavior to the point that the child’s good behavior is limited to a minute of screentime. This makes the conflict more memorable than the resolution.

I think we can do better.

I feel it is my responsibility as a Christian and a writer to create child characters who are good role models. This doesn’t mean writing “perfect” children – this means writing kids who are real. Kids who are funny and smart and make mistakes. Kids who are learning and growing, who have hearts bigger than their tiny bodies, who love Jesus and spread that love to others. Sure, they’re self-centered sometimes; all kids are. But they will learn from their mistakes and show the audience how to bounce back. My prayer is that kids will befriend my characters and learn how to manage their emotions with God’s help.

If you’re reading this, I bet you want to write Christian preschool stories with social-emotional themes. Hooray! So do I. Here’s a few tips I’ve learned that you can use in your own writing:

Name that feeling. Preschoolers don’t yet have the words to explain how they feel, but they will demonstrate what they’re feeling through their actions. However, this isn’t always a positive thing. Preschoolers are impulsive and will scream or even hit when they’re frustrated. To prevent future emotional crises, it’s good to teach children to take a deep breath and recognize what they’re feeling. My characters do just that, naming their emotions out loud to model what that feeling looks like. As writers, we may think this is telling and not showing, but it’s perfect for preschoolers who are learning self-control. Naming a feeling is the first step toward coping with that feeling, and it’s a simple addition to a character’s dialogue.

Pray. When we are overwhelmed, we sometimes forget to pray. That doesn’t make it less important – I’d argue giving our feelings to God is one of the best things we can do! Whether it’s a praise or a cry for help, God is always there to listen to us. I want to show children that God can handle all of our feelings. I often have my characters pray out loud to show children how to pray. Characters glance upward in gratitude when a lost friend is found, or they cry out for help when they’re distressed. If it doesn’t fit in the story, a prayer could go in the back matter of your picture book to encourage families to pray together. There are many ways to include prayer in your story, so choose the one that works best for yours. And remember to pray over the words you write! Let God work through your words to reach your readers.

Accentuate the positive. I’ve mentioned that many preschool stories focus on a character’s bad behavior, but they gloss over how that character repents. Think of The Cat in the Hat. The Cat messes up Nick and Sally’s house and doesn’t clean up until the last page or two. Don’t get me wrong – I love Dr. Seuss! But reflect on this for a moment. Is the child reading the story going to remember that the Cat cleaned the house, or will they remember the great big mess he made? In my stories, I try to make the resolution more memorable than the conflict. I know, crazy. But if your character must learn a lesson, then the child needs to remember that lesson. For example, in my picture book manuscript, my main character struggles with fear. Instead of overdramatizing the scary parts, I show my character working through his fear with God’s help. He prays, he plays pretend, and he imagines himself in a different situation. I emphasize how my character solves the problem and model age-appropriate ways for children to beat their fears. This leads me to my last point…

Strategies! I’m a big fan of Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood. Daniel sings short, catchy strategy songs just like Mister Rogers that help children cope with their big feelings. For example, “When you feel so mad that you want to roar, take a deep breath and count to four”. These are simple, practical tunes that are sticky, and kids love them! I include emotional coping strategies in my stories through clever repeater lines. In my picture book manuscript, my main character repeats his mommy’s advice – to say a prayer and play pretend – when he feels afraid. In one of my screenplays, the characters remind themselves of their worth in Christ by telling each other, “You’re not ordinary. You’re extraordinary!” These repeater lines can become especially meaningful for kids and parents. Try including a Bible verse, rhyme, jingle, or catchphrase for your characters to say (or sing) as a coping strategy. They’re fun to write and fun to say!

What a blessing it is that you want to write stories that point children to Christ! Our culture may ask kids to listen to their feelings rather than their faith, but through your writing, you are showing children that feelings aren’t everything. Mister Rogers famously said feelings are “mentionable and manageable”, and with God’s help, we can show children healthy ways to manage them. God bless you for doing your part, neighbor!

Image Credit: David Pinkerton on Flickr.