A student brought me a My Little Pony. A little stuffy My Little Pony, and his name is Big Mackintosh.
I have a My Little Pony poster on my desk, and a bin of ponies for kids to play with at recess when the weather is bad.
As kids, we know there are problems, big ones and little ones, and our solutions, though simplistic, are meant to help those around us, even though sometimes we have an egocentric point of view. Sometimes - I'm speaking in generalities - there are those kids who create non-profits to help the hungry or develop apps for individuals with PTSD.
Anyway, I think what spoke to me as a child about My Little Pony were the themes of kindness, honesty, laughter, loyalty, and generosity. There was something inside me that would say 'YES! This matters!" And it still does. Both the traits and the little shouting voice. Other shows and toys aren't promoting such positive ideas, and these positive ideas are traits that help promote good character. I also appreciate that the characters are anthropmorphized. Yes, they're ponies, but little girls [and boys for that matter] aren't looking at distorted images of the human body. Like Daniel Tiger, it's a message. Hopefully in a non-threatening vehicle.
Kindness. Honesty. Laughter. Loyalty. Generosity. It matters.
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