Cookies for Breakfast with Danny LaBrecque

A Conversation with Romper Room Teachers: Margaret Lloyd, Molly McCloskey Barber, Florence Petheram, and Karen Robbins,

Long before Ms. Rachel, Circle Time with Ms. Monica, and Caitie’s Classroom, there was Miss Nancy of Romper Room, a show that first aired live from Baltimore, Maryland in 1953. Co-created and produced by Nancy Claster and her husband, Bert, the show offered free public early childhood education across the country, and eventually all around the world, through a network of teachers, trained as hosts to appear on air via their own local TV stations.  In 2024, I had the honor of looking through the magic mirror and visiting with four Romper Room teachers:  * Florence "Miss Florence" Petheram; Spokane, Washington, on KREM and KHQ, from 1958-1982. * Margaret “Miss Margaret” Lloyd; Fairbanks, Alaska on KTVF, followed by Seattle/Tacoma, Washington, from 1963-1974.  * Karen “Miss Karen” Robbins; Rochester, New York on WOKR from 1968-1969.  * Molly “Miss Molly” McCloskey Barber; Baltimore, Maryland on WMAR, in 1981, then Secaucus, New Jersey until 1987. Nationally syndicated as Romper Room and Friends, the program aired until 1994. The combined wisdom of these extraordinary women is exactly what we need to hear in this shared social moment. So sit up straight, use your best DoBee manners, and listen carefully. Maybe one of these Romper Room teachers will look through her Magic Mirror and say your name!

A Conversation with Suzie Hicks

Today, I'm talking with Suzie Hicks, the creator and host of Suzie Hicks, The Climate Chick. The series is the first of its kind, breaking barriers to demystify and inspire future generations. Most importantly, their focus is on the generations that are going to be impacted by the climate change advocacy of today. Suzie and I recorded this conversation on January 11, 2025. This past week, Los Angeles California has been devastated by the worst wildfires of its history, destroying entire communities and displacing thousands of people. At the time of this recording, the fires are still burning and people are coming together to help one another. Suz lives in LA. They were in a safe place and able to talk about their mission on and off the screen and what they wanted to communicate to support children and their grownups in this moment of climate crises. You can learn more about Suzie and Suzie Hicks, The Climate Chick at https://www.suziehickstheclimatechick.com/ You can also follow them on social media. As Suzie said, "Feel your feelings and then take action. It is the antidote for despair." Links to support those impacted by the LA Wildfires at the time of this podcast release are listed below. https://www.redcross.org/ https://wck.org/ https://supportlafd.kindful.com/?campaign=1040812 https://www.lafoodbank.org/fire/ https://cpf.salsalabs.org/disasterrelief/index.html

A Conversation with Eliot Daley

On this episode of Cookies for Breakfast, recorded early in 2022, I am joined by my friend and mentor, Eliot Daley. Eliot played a significant role in the early development of the classic children’s television series, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. As friend and partner to Fred Rogers, Eliot served as president of Small World Enterprises, Inc. and Executive Vice President of Family Communications, Inc. (the precursors to Fred Rogers Productions.) He co-wrote several scripts with Fred Rogers under the guidance of Dr. Margaret McFarland. We talk in great detail about that process from concept, to refinement and delivery. We also reflect upon the importance of friendship and mentorship, bridging generational knowledge to meet the social-emotional needs of the day. We also discuss parallels between the challenges of early television communication, present-day interactive screens and the potential futures of communication in the daily lives of children and adults. His time working on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood in the early 1970s, dramatically deepened his understanding of what it means to bring out the best in others. Consequently, he has adopted a favorite definition of love: “to yearn for the fulfillment of another person on their own terms”. We can see this reflected in his regular essays, which can be found through his website, The Daley Almanac [https://www.thedaleyalmanac.com/]. I’m deeply thankful to have Eliot Daley in my life. I hope you enjoy our conversation.

A Conversation with David Kleeman

Today's show has a unofficial soundtrack. Be sure to listen to the full episode to fully understand the significance. "I'd rather be nine people's favorite thing than a hundred people's ninth favorite thing." - "Nine People's Favorite Thing" from the musical, Title of Show. Did you go to the Kidscreen Summit from February 12 to 15, 2023 in Miami? If so, I'm sure you heard from today's guest, David Kleeman, an individual who wears many hats. David is known as a strategist, an analyst, a speaker, a thought-leader, a forward-thinker and even a guru! He truly is all of the above, and so much more, while remaining incredibly humble. David's story in the world of children's media can, in part, be traced back to his days at the Harvard Ed School, when a lecture by Gerald S. Lesser, a Harvard psychologist who was the longtime chief adviser to Sesame Street, inspired David to pursue teaching through television. The specifics, he would learn along the way, and he continues to evolve and adapt to the moment. Our definitions of media change, and many of us, myself included, might sometimes fear that change. But if we remain true to ourselves, there really is no reason to dread the "horseless carriage" a.k.a. the metaverse. As it approaches, we have the time to get under the hood and "get it right this time." And most importantly, we can create a safe space for our kids to drive the creativity.  If you are like me, you weren't in the position to attend the Kidscreen Summit. But fear not! We are represented through voices like David Kleeman's, and many others who understand that time + consistency = not only recognition, but also a lasting place in the history of serving children and families authentically through the screen.  I'm truly proud of Cookies for Breakfast and the conversations we've documented with some of the pioneers of early children television like Eliot Daley of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, innovators like Howard Blumenthal of Where in the World Is Carmen Sandiego?, and the new generation of creators and hosts pushing against marketable trends like Lindz Amer of Queer Kids Stuff and Stan Tucker of The Very Airy Library, by simply being true to themselves and the children they serve. I hope these conversations might inspire you on the days you feel like you're just too tired to compete with, or conform to, what sells. I truly believe that children have never needed fearless authenticity through their screens more than today. If you're ready to dig deeper and offer kids what they deserve, I hope you enjoy my conversation with David Kleeman. Related links: David Kleeman is the Senior Vice President of Global Trends for Dubit [https://new.dubitlimited.com], a strategy and research consultancy based in Leeds, England, that also creates digital games, apps and virtual worlds. Learn more about Danny "Danny Joe" LaBrecque and his preschool series, Danny Joe's Tree House here [https://dannyjoestreehouse.com]. Danny Joe's Tree House content has been recognized for its capacity to spark curiosity, inspire learning and build self-esteem with a SENSICALSELECT™ badge. We are deeply honored by this recognition from our colleagues at sensical.tv from Common Sense Networks, backed by Common Sense Media. Start streaming Danny Joe's Tree House [https://lnkd.in/gfytwDsa] today for FREE in the 2-4 year-old section.

A Conversation with Lindz Amer

Recorded in April, 2021, join my second guest, Lindz Amer, and me as we talk about LGBTQ+ representation in children's media, discrimination, cyberharassment, and creating safe spaces for all children to be seen, heard, and accepted exactly as they are. We also discuss the then-recent announcement of a version of Instagram, in early development, for children under the age of 13, called Instagram For Kids. Lindz Amer makes queer stuff for kids, families, educators, their loved ones, and allies! They created their beloved LGBTQ+ family webseries Queer Kid Stuff in 2016 which now has 4M lifetime views and counting! They are the author of “Rainbow Parenting: Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies [https://read.macmillan.com/lp/rainbow-parenting/]” and host of the Rainbow Parenting podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rainbow-parenting/id1625886479]. Their debut picture book, “Hooray for She, He, Ze, and They!” is slated for publication with Simon & Schuster in fall 2024. To learn more about Lindz Amer visit www.lindzamer.com [www.lindzamer.com] To learn more about Danny LaBrecque visit dannyjoestreehouse.com [dannyjoestreehouse.com].