If your mother happened to leave when you were little, you really notice the lack of this awareness in the more cynical type of children’s fare. “Having a mom who loves you is what makes you special!!” Hmm thanks for that, I’m three, so I guess it is time I learned I’m garbage.
If I had seen Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood regulary back then, it might well have made me less of a twisted Caliban figure. If your IRL parenting hookup is less than perfect –and there will always be one or two kids in that situation – it can mean a lot that you can still get this kind of emotional message from somewhere even if it’s just a TV show.
