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Nina Stern/Ann Schwarz
Nina Stern Public Relations
(818) 990-9242
nstern@nsternpr.com
aschwarz@nsternpr.com

PARENTS RANK MANNERS AS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUALITY
TO TEACH CHILDREN IN A REVEALING NEW SURVEY

CO-SPONSORED BY PARENTS MAGAZINE AND HIT ENTERTAINMENT,
CREATORS OF BARNEY®

• Those Polled Agree the Earlier You Start Teaching Manners, the Better
• This Fall, HIT Will Distribute a Free Manners-Based Barney Curriculum Kit
  to 20,000 Daycares and Preschools Reaching more than Two Million Children
  

DALLAS, TX/NEW YORK, NY, October 23, 2003 – In a revealing survey of more than one thousand adults with at least one child between the ages of six months and five years, good manners was ranked as the most important quality to nurture in children (tied with religious faith, and higher than responsibility, creativity, independence or a strong work ethic). The survey was co-sponsored by HIT Entertainment, creators of the Barney & Friends® series on PBS KIDS®, and Parents Magazine. Conducted by an independent research company, the Parents Magazine/HIT Entertainment survey will be posted on-line the week of October 27 at both www.parents.com and www.barney.com.
A snapshot look at some additional highlights includes the following:

• 98% believe that the earlier you start teaching manners, the easier it will be for your kids to learn
• 86% of those surveyed agree that the most effective way to teach manners to children is to be a good role model yourself
• the most-cited reason (66%) for the erosion of manners today was parents not spending enough time with their children; 26% felt the media were to blame
• in an open-ended survey question asking which TV/movie characters represent a good manners role model, Barney was mentioned more than any other by a wide – 50% – margin

In the November 2003 issue of Parents, editor-in-chief Sally Lee writes, “Our ‘Good Manners’ column has always brought tons of feedback from our readers … so, along with HIT Entertainment … {we} polled more than a thousand parents to get some insight into this issue.”

Lee goes on to write that, while “A whopping 95 percent of you believe that manners have deteriorated, and nearly two-thirds are very concerned about this … you also recognize that manners aren’t just about niceties and napkins; they’re about respect—for yourself and others.” Addressing readers’ ongoing concerns about “how to raise polite children in a rude world,” Parents features a regular column with real-world tips from avowed manners expert, Peggy Post of the Emily Post Institute.

“For 15 years, Barney® has reinforced the value of respect, kindness and consideration for others,” said Sue Beddingfield senior vice president of marketing services for HIT Entertainment. “As this survey indicates, parents continue to be very concerned about raising polite, caring children, and we’re proud to be playing a role in helping them achieve that goal.”

Fall ’03 Educational Campaign Features Advice from Emily Post Institute and
Free Manners-Based Barney Curriculum Kits That Will Reach Millions of Preschoolers

This fall, HIT Entertainment is spearheading an educational campaign on the subject of manners directed to parents and caregivers. In addition to working with Parents columnist Peggy Post on a public awareness effort, HIT will distribute a “curriculum tool kit” free of charge to 20,000 daycares and preschools nationwide serving more than two million children, as well as to PBS® Ready To Learn coordinators at stations nationwide. The kit is based on Barney’s Best Manners: Your Invitation to Fun!, a new preschool video from HIT Entertainment, and it contains age-appropriate lessons about sharing, taking turns, healthy habits, polite greetings, and other behaviors. Select activities also will be available as free downloads from the Barney website and at PBS KIDS online (www.pbskids.org) beginning on November 3, 2003.

“What a treasure trove of resources for those who are dedicated to teaching manners to children,” said Peggy Post, co-author – with Cindy Post Senning, Ed.D. – of The Gift of Good Manners: A Parent's Guide to Raising Respectful, Kind, Considerate Children. “In our book, we approach manners from a developmental perspective that is based on introducing concepts when children are most ready to understand them. This package of materials accomplishes that same goal by giving caregivers and parents the tools to reinforce learning.”

Established in 1989, HIT Entertainment PLC is a fully integrated global studio, with divisions in the UK, U.S., Canada, Germany and Japan, including broadcast production and distribution, video and audio sales, consumer products licensing, and marketing. A world leader in quality family entertainment, the company controls all rights for such acclaimed children’s properties as Angelina Ballerina™, Barney®, Bob the Builder™, Kipper™, Pingu™ and Thomas & Friends™. Rubbadubbers™, a new HIT-produced series, made its U.S. broadcast launch on Nick Jr. in September 2003. In the U.S. and Canada, HIT Entertainment also distributes the popular preschool property, The Wiggles®.

PBS KIDS provides a nonviolent, noncommercial daily television schedule that empowers children as members of their communities, nation and world. PBS KIDS welcomes parents, teachers and caregivers as learning partners through broadcast as well as online through www.pbskids.org. PBS, headquartered in Alexandria, Virginia, is a private, nonprofit media enterprise owned and operated by the nation's 349 public television stations. Serving nearly 90 million people each week, PBS enriches the lives of all Americans through quality programs and education services on noncommercial television, the Internet and other media.

10/23/03

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