In this issue of The Upworthiest, Cecily Knobler unpacks the nine strict rules Mister Rogers ran every sentence through before he said a word to a child. Then tell us which one you'd make mandatory for adults talking to adults. Also, the embarrassingly simple things people took years to figure out, and a teen cashier who watched an elderly woman's card decline and didn't hesitate for a second.
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Mister Rogers had his own rules when speaking with children. | ||
Mister Rogers’ strict ‘9 rules for talking to children’ were the secret to his brilliance | ||
Though it started as a joke, it was incredibly helpful as a communication tool. | ||
By Cecily Knobler | ||
It’s probably no secret to most that Mister Rogers had a unique style when it came to communicating with children. In fact, it became one of his life’s missions to understand them and make them feel understood. He was a champion for increasing education and helping teachers and parents better communicate with kids at their own pace. | ||
Rogers was so diligent about using the right words, some staffers who were near and dear to him came up with a made-up language called “Freddish” to help describe his communication techniques. They took it even further when some drafted a “manual” to help everyone on set speak his language. | ||
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The Internet can be a noisy place. Every once in a while, however, you stumble across something that reminds you just how much good there is in the world. And when we find something uplifting, we have to share it. (It’s kind of our thing.)
We all need a break from the doomscrolling, so this week we’ve put together five of the most uplifting, tear-jerking, joyful things we’ve found on the internet (with some help from our friends at Shriners Children’s™). From the sweetest surprise pregnancy announcement to the greatest airport welcome that’s maybe ever existed, here are some gems we’ve found sprinkled across the internet that will make you truly feel joy.
No poster? No problem! 😆🕷️
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People are sharing mind-numbingly simple solutions to problems it took them years to figure out. | ||
People admit their most embarrassing ‘duh’ moments that took them years to figure out | ||
Did you know you’re allowed to warm up your shower before you get in it? | ||
By Evan Porter | ||
What about that a double scoop of ice cream doesn’t have to be the same flavor twice? | ||
If those questions feel almost insulting, congratulations, you’ve never had a “duh” moment. For the rest of us, social media has become a strangely comforting confessional booth, where people are lining up to admit the embarrassingly obvious life hacks they somehow missed for years, sometimes decades. And once you start reading, you can’t stop, because you will absolutely see yourself in at least one of these. | ||
There’s actually a reason these moments feel so specific and so humbling. It’s the same trick your brain plays on you with visual illusions, like the classic image that’s either two faces about to kiss or a vase, depending on how your brain first locks onto it. Once you see it one way, it’s shockingly hard to see it any other way, even when the other answer was staring you in the face the whole time. | ||
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An Upworthiest Quiz
Which Freddish rule would you make mandatory for adults talking to adults?
Yesterday’s Results
We asked you: Where do you do your best out-loud thinking?
In the car, full conversation, both parts (42.3%)
In the shower, for the acoustics (12.1%)
In the kitchen, narrating the recipe (29.7%)
In the grocery aisle, and I will not apologize (15.9%)
‘In the car’ was the most popular choice, but the comments were full of people asking for an ‘all of the above’ option. Upworthy readers are, it seems, a chatty bunch, even when there’s nobody around. Love it!
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An elderly woman’s card kept declining at Walmart. The teen cashier didn’t hesitate for a second. | ||
“He didn’t care who she was, who she loved, who she voted for.” | ||
By Adam Albright-Hanna | ||
Brent Cabahug moved from the Philippines to Minnesota with his mom and sister. He’s a high school senior at Stillwater Area High School, and Walmart is his first job. He’s been saving up to buy a car. | ||
During a shift in late January, an elderly woman came through his checkout line and her card kept declining. The line grew restless. Cabahug walked around the register and paid her $80 grocery bill himself. Then he went back to work. | ||
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