Are your kids a fan of Daniel Tiger’s? This new storyline had us all feeling quite some relief instead of the usual mum guilt.

A new episode introduced the storyline where Daniel Tiger’s mum went back to work.

After spending three years as a stay-at-home-mum after Daniel’s little sister Baby Margaret was born, Mum Tiger puts on her tool belt and joins the workforce as a handywoman for the magical Neighborhood of Make-Believe.

“We were really excited, a lot of people working on the show are working parents themselves and we wanted to focus on this aspect of life,” says Christopher Loggins, a producer for Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood.

“Another strategy that Daniel learns is that you can be more than one thing and that is very much true for Mom Tiger,” Loggins tells Babble. “She is not only a mom but she has an important job in the neighborhood.”

“We decided to give Mom Tiger what some might call a traditionally male job because we wanted to show young viewers that jobs don’t need to be confined to traditionally male or female,” Loggins tells Babble. He also adds that this wasn’t just a one-time storyline — now that Mom Tiger is the local handywoman, we’re going to be seeing a lot more of her at work from now on.

“The intention is to give the kids watching strategies on what to do when a grown-up is busy,” Loggins explains. “We all want to give our full time and attention to our kids as much as we can, but the reality is were all juggling responsibilities and in this episode, the mom is working and Daniel must look around him to find creative ways to entertain himself.”

“But at the same time,” Loggins continues, “we were hoping that grownups watching would feel a sense of camaraderie to see a character on TV struggling with the same issues of balancing real-life responsibilities with family time.”

People are loving the new storyline!

– “I love how this show has somehow managed to mirror my children’s major life moments and been an example for guiding them through those moments. My youngest child was born a couple weeks after the birth of Margaret and helped my older son understand and now I am getting ready to re enter the workforce with two anxious children. This has once again eased little minds. Thank you for continuing Mr Rogers legacy and continuing to add to Daniel tigers story.”

– “When I saw the new storyline the other week in which Mom Tiger gets a job as a carpenter and temporarily prioritized her work over her child’s boredom. It really spoke to me as a mom who works from home and has to shift my priorities multiple times each day. And a woman working as a carpenter and putting herself and her work first, wonderful!”

– ” Love this! My little guy likes to tell me “have fun at the clock factory!” when I go off to work. His daddy stays home with him and mommy works in an office… can’t wait for him to see these new episodes!”

– “Love this! I am a stay at home mom and I think it’s awesome that the show spreads the message that adults can make different choices and families can function in different ways but all be happy and healthy.”

– “I love that Daniel’s mom has a job now. It literally made it easier for me to leave for work this week. My daughter has been a little sad lately when I have to go, but this week she happily announces “Mom’s going to work! Just like Mom Tiger!””

– “Oh PERFECT timing for my girls who have started to cling to my legs when I try to leave then with our high school age nanny for the day. And they love her too but they’re having such a hard time and this is an awesome way for my oldest to see other mommies have to leave to work sometimes too.”

Share your comments below

We may get commissions for purchases made using links in this post. Learn more.