[birds chirping] [doorbell ringing] (children) ♪Hello!

Hello!♪ ♪Won't you be my friend?♪ ♪Hello!

Hello!♪ ♪Let's say it again.♪ ♪Hello!

Hello!♪ ♪Won't you be my friend?♪ ♪Hello!

Hello!♪ ♪Now you are my friend.♪ ♪♪♪ ♪H-E-L-L-O♪ ♪That's a word we all should know.♪ ♪H-E-L-L-O♪ ♪You can say it.♪ ♪Just say hello.♪ ♪♪♪ Hey!

There's Mr. Chuck!

Well, hello, friend!

Hello, Mr. Chuck!

Hello, Mr. Chuck!

Hello, Mr. Rogers!

Hope you have a good one.

You, too.

Thanks.

Hello, friends.

I am glad you could drop by today because I've got something to show you.

Take a look at this.

[snaps] What do you think?

Pretty fancy stuff, huh?

Do you think wearing fancy clothes makes people special?

Well, I'll tell you, wearing fancy clothes makes you feel good and look good.

When your hair is neatly brushed and you're all clean and dressed up, you do feel better about yourself.

How you feel about yourself is very important.

But that's not what makes you unique.

Unique means one of a kind.

Okay?

How about this?

[snaps] Do you think football players and other athletes are special?

Well, it's true that when you're physically fit you look better and you feel better.

But there's lots more to being special than looks.

It's also true that an athlete's ability to play a particular sport does make them different from many people.

But is what they do the thing that makes them special?

Well, take a look at this.

Hello, friends.

I'm Rochelle Stevens.

I won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics, and I have to tell you, it was a wonderful, exciting experience and it did make me feel very good and very proud of myself.

But winning a gold medal is not what makes me special.

As an athlete I do have certain skills and abilities that not just everyone has.

I worked and practiced very hard to have those skills.

But that's not what makes me special.

It's a part of who I am, but even if I couldn't do all those things, I'll still be Rochelle Stevens.

I mean, lots of people have won medals at the Olympics and even more people are athletes.

But there's only one Rochelle Stevens and that's me.

I'm one of a kind.

I am special.

The really important things that make me special come from inside - the way I feel about myself, the way I have come to know myself, and like myself.

You're special, too.

And as you grow, you can learn to search inside yourself to find those things that make you special.

Many things go together to make each of us unique.

As you grow, you find out more and more about the things that make people special.

You know, if we keep an open mind and are willing to learn more about ourselves and more about others, we can see how important and valuable each person can be.

It's a lifelong adventure that you're just beginning.

♪♪♪ (man) ♪I see your face.♪ ♪What a beautiful face.♪ ♪I see your face - it's a lot like mine.♪ ♪I see your face.♪ ♪What a loverly face.♪ ♪I see your face - it's a lot like mine.♪ ♪You have two eyes.♪ ♪And I have two eyes.♪ ♪You have two ears.♪ ♪I have two ears.♪ [nasally] ♪You've got a nose.♪ ♪And I've got a nose.♪ ♪I see your face - it's a lot like mine.♪ ♪I see your face.♪ ♪What a wonderful face.♪ ♪I see your face - it's a lot like...♪ ♪I see your face - it's a lot like mine.♪ ♪♪♪ Friends, look closely at your finger.

Do you see little ridges that loop around the tip of your finger?

That's your fingerprint and no one else in the world has a fingerprint just like yours or mine.

Everyone has a different fingerprint.

If you have an inkpad and a piece of paper you can use them to look at your fingerprint.

Just press your finger in the ink... And on the paper, like this.

That's my fingerprint.

No one else has a fingerprint just like mine.

And you know, each of us is different in other ways, too.

We may look alike in some ways, but we're really all different.

And we're all special in our own way.

Let me show you something you can do with your fingerprints.

You can make a little drawing on them.

First, you make a fingerprint with the ink, like I did.

Then you use a fine point pen, kind of like this, and draw around the print like this.

♪♪♪ These little drawings make nice cards for your parents or grandparents.

And since your fingerprint is one of a kind, your card will be one of a kind, too.

[applause] (man) That's a very good sign.

♪♪♪ Look what I've got here.

I've got a cup of orange slices.

A cup of pineapple chunks.

And a cup of coconut.

I'll bet you know what an orange looks like.

It's round and orange, of course.

But have you ever seen a pineapple?

Well, this is a pineapplpx<he.ú ?It's where this com?

It's green, brown, and oval in shape with spiky leaves at the top.

This?x is a coconut.

It's r0úound, brown, and kind of ha iry.

0 And it's very hard on the outside.

In fact, you need something like a hammer to get one open.

I've cracked??úúh?.

It's open and on the inside that's what it looks like.

The white part is what you eat.

They all look very different, don't they?

Have you ever tasted any of these foods?

Each one tastes different, but they're all very good.

Today, I'm going to mix them all together to make a fruit salad.

I'll just put them into this big bowl and sti?xpy?xr them up.

♪♪♪ You know it's fun to mix different foods together.

♪♪♪ Sometimes you come up with new ways to enjoy the foods you like.

But you know what?

I think it's the differences in these things that makes them fun when they are al?÷pygçl mixed up together.

♪♪♪ The different colors and flavors go together to make a pretty salad, and a tasty one, too.

I mean, they're all very good by themselves, but if oranges were the only fruit you ever had to eat or if all fruit tasted like oranges, well it would get boring after awhile.

People are like thatu, too.

z Everyo?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ÷u?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?s the differences ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ñ?ññzñzthat make life .

It's the differences that make each of us special.

And when we get together we can like each other just as much because, well, we're different and special as we can becaus?v>v>v>vl÷e havn common.

♪♪♪ Do you like fruit salad?

So do I.

See what I mean?

[applause] (man) You can count on Rochelle.

As we continue with the story of Awongolima, we find out more about the importance of sharing as we discover how everyone, large or small, can help in times of trouble.

Now let's listen to our friend, Mrs. Isha, as she continues with the story of Awongolima.

When Bird arrived at Ms. Queenie's house she was in the back working in her garden.

Oh, she was raking and hoeing and fixing plants so they wouldn't bend or break.

Bird!

So good to see you, son.

How are you?

How's your grandmother doing?

You know she and I used to work together over at the high school.

She taught...I think she taught...was it woodshop?

Yeah, I taught home economics.

Party?

Of course I want to go to a party.

Just one moment, let me put my things away.

You know that's a good thing to do when you work, you put things back so you can find them next time.

I'll put them away and then I'll get my party clothes.

A party!

I think I'll wear my party apron, you see, because there might be some real fun things to take to the people and there might be some good fun things to bring home.

That's what aprons are good for.

And I'd better wear my party shawl around my head, you know?

Because if you're going to take me back on your tail feather I just don't want my hair blowing everywhere you know.

Well, I'm ready to go because I'm always ready for a party.

I better close my door.

And I better pack my puppy dog.

Well, I'm ready.

And about that time...bird on the wing... and watch out bird...cloud, cloud!

Why you're a mighty good flier.

It was good flying and they only stopped one time.

Birdie had to get a drink of water at this little town where there were human beings just like me and you and animals who could stand up and talk, just like those human beings.

And Miss Queenie just stood there waiting whiln<e bird got water.

And soon they were back, back... watch out bird...cloud, cloud... Up in the air.

Well, before you know it, did I tell ya it was a party?

Did I tell you about all the singing and the dancing?

And did I tell you about all the good eating?

And the drinking?

And the running?

And the jumping?

And did I tell you that everyone paid compliments and did good favor to everyone else?

But did I tell you that toward the end of the day when it was time for people to pack and go home, Ms. Queenie straightened up her head cloth and she came to the front to give thanks to the king for sending bird that same day to get her.

And she told the children how nice and well mannered they were.

And she paid compliment to the young men and the young women and also to the ones who built the benches and laid down the picnic tables and made the pies.

But she said, "Children, I'm so ç;ó5ó5ó5ó5pleased to be here.

"But I must say to you that as an old lady in my experience, "if you're not careful and use time well, "in time things might occur differently than you thought.

"You see, on our way here, Bird, who came to get me you know, "we stopped one time in a city and the people looked just like "you and me.

"And the animals, yes the animals, they could stand up "and talk just like human beings.

"But I saw there in that city, I saw pushing, and shoving, "and I heard no when yes would have done just as well, "and I saw injustice take the place of justice and there was "no peace and sometimes gangs and criminals were all around "doing things to make the people afraid.

"Well, I didn't come to have you worry, I brought to you a seed.

"A seed pod from a tree that grows [6[6Ñc÷q?>ó'Oññwçñç "of the mounta?m6Ñ6in - that'se I come from.

"And if you plant this seed, that is, if you begin "to have trouble, you must only need to stand in front of it "once it has started to grow, and you must say a magic word.

"When it has grown to maturity, the tree will HLffw ÑyÑy?wÑóÑ "no leaves, no flowers unless you say the magic word.

"The magic word, the magic word.

Awongalima."

Tune in next time to see how the tr ee grows.

♪♪♪ By age four a child has already developed definite ideas about self worth.

That is why it is important to begin building a foundation for positive self concept early on in a child's life.

Children learn who they are through interaction with family, teachers, and friends.

As parents, we can provide a warm, loving atmosphere in which to grow up, but well, what are some of the other ways to build a child's self image?

That's a good question.

And that's what we're going to talk about today on Parent's Corner.

Our guest today is Dr. Charlotte Kennedy.

Dr. Kennedy is a psychologist and she works with children.

Glad to have you with us today.

Thank you mofor the opportunity to be with you today.

Dr., as I said earlier, a warm and loving environment does play a major role in helping a child develop positive self worth.

And that seems straight forward enough, but it's a very broad idea.

What are some specific things a parent can do to help develop a child's sense of self worth?

There are a lot of things that parents can to do to say to children, "You're special."

In fact I brought some examples.

Could you help me with that?

Thank you.

This is a picture of a child's artwork that appeared in the newspaper.

The parent saw the artwork, clipped the article, and framed it.

And the picture is now hanging, ex cept for today, on the child's wall.

Every morning when the child awakens she looks at her picture and she says, "That's something that I did."

Her work product is important because the most important people in her life have displayed it on her wall.

That's one of the things that parents can do.

But a picture doesn't have to be pr ofessionally framed for a parent to recognize a child's accomplishment.

I have another example.

This is the same child's artwork.

In fact, this is the artwork during her preschool years.

Her parents have placed this on th e refrigerator.

They've traveled across the country collecting artifacts and this picture is among their most prized possessions.

The child looks at this as she is having her breakfast and she says, "That's a picture that I painted."

And her parents tell her what a good job she did.

She feels important and continues to say to herself, "I'm an important person because I do things that my parents value, that they appreciate."

Sure.

Another example... Wallpaper .

When parents decide to paper or pa int a child's room, it's important that a child have choices.

I brought two choices of borders for wallpaper.

A child feels important when a parent says, "Choose the kind of paper that you want on your wall."

Allowing children choices gives them a feeling of accomplishment which they continue to see as they look around their room on a daily basis.

And what are some pitfalls parents should avoid when allowing children to make choices?

Frequently, parents get so excited about providing a child with the opportunity to make choices that they take them into the paper store itself.

For example, a parent might take a child into a store and say, "Look around.

Tell me what you find interesting.

Tell me what you want to put on your wall."

A preschool child having an unlimited number of choices becomes overwhelmed.

Then it's difficult for them to choose.

They haven't developed yet the ability to discriminate.

So that's something you should not do?

Yes.

It's important then that parents choose two or three options, each of which they find attractive and present the child with those choices.

"Which of these three kinds of wallpaper would you like?"

The parent has chosen those that are affordable, that are pleasant to them, and therefore, the child is successful regardless of his or her choice.

Well, Dr., we've talked about some things parents can do.

What are some things a parent should say to a child?

First and foremost, a parent can say, "You're special."

Secondly, parents can comment on or compliment a child for intricate features.

For example, "You have beautiful eyes.

You have beautiful hair.

You are pretty."

When the most important people in the world say that, the child believes it, he or she says it to himself or herself and it's internalized.

And it's important for parents to repeat that as often as they can.

Finally and foremost, it is important for a parent to say, "I love you."

How can parents recognize when a child has a serious problem with his or her self-esteem?

And Dr., what are some signs that they should seek professional help?

Children who have low self- esteem begin to make negative self statements.

They begin to have doubts.

Frequently we find that they exhibit problems in the classroom.

They tell themselves that they are unable to learn, they have difficulty, therefore, learning because of those statements, and they begin to act out instead.

Remember, children who are not able to perform well in the classroom have to get attention.

They get attention then by misbehaving.

When they show behavioral problems in the classroom and make negative self statements, then parents need to seek help.

Very interesting.

Today our guest has been Dr. Charlotte Kennedy.

She's a child psychologist and of course, she's helped us today, tremendously I might say, understand how we as parents can work with our children in helping to build self-esteem.

Thank you very much for being with us.

It's been a pleasure.

Friends, today we talked about many of the things that make us special.

Everyone is special, and finding out what makes us special is a lifelong adventure.

As we learn more about ourselves and about others, we can see how important and valuable each person can be.

Perhaps this can make us kinder to ourselves and to others.

Because as we learn to value ourselves, we can see and appreciate the value of others.

Well our time is up for today, but I've had an interesting time and lots of fun.

We hope you have, too.

Until next time, thanks for watching.

So long.

♪♪♪