Today is Winnie the Pooh Day, and like so many “small” calendar moments, it carries a weight of memory for me that feels anything but small. Winnie the Pooh wasn’t just a character in our home—he was a constant presence, a quiet comfort, and a gentle teacher during my children’s earliest years.
For my son, William—now almost 16—Winnie the Pooh was everything. He had a Winnie the Pooh blankie that went everywhere with him. It was worn, soft, and well-loved in that way only a child’s comfort object can be. That blankie showed up at bedtime, on car rides, and during moments when the world felt a little too big for a little boy. It was stitched in yellow and red.
Pooh also showed up in our kitchen. I used to make William Winnie the Pooh pancakes—round, imperfect, and always made with love. They weren’t Pinterest-perfect, but to him, they were magical. At the table, he used a Winnie the Pooh placemat he proudly made himself, a little artist already expressing what mattered to him. He created Pooh everywhere—out of rocks in the yard, out of popsicle sticks, out of whatever materials he could find. Pooh wasn’t just something he watched or read about; Pooh lived in his imagination.
My daughter, Angelina, now 20, had her own beloved companion—Mother Goose. While William clung to Pooh, she gravitated toward stories, rhyme, and rhythm. Mother Goose was her comfort, her creativity, her connection to language and storytelling. Looking back, it feels so fitting. Even then, her heart leaned toward words and meaning, while her brother leaned toward comfort and constancy.
As a mom—and as an educator—I see now how these attachments were never just about toys or characters. They were about feeling safe. They were about knowing that gentleness, imagination, and kindness had a place in their world.
That’s why Winnie the Pooh still matters today.
Pooh teaches us lessons that feel especially relevant in a world that often moves too fast and expects too much:
- It’s okay to be gentle in a loud world.
- Friendship matters more than perfection.
- Listening is just as important as speaking.
- You don’t have to have all the answers to be wise.
- Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is simply be yourself.
Pooh reminds us that emotional intelligence isn’t new—it’s timeless. He shows us that feelings are meant to be named, shared, and honored. He models empathy, patience, and loyalty without ever preaching. These are the same values I spent years trying to nurture in classrooms and hallways as a teacher and principal—and the same values I still believe we need to intentionally teach our children today.
As William approaches 16 and my daughter steps confidently into adulthood, Winnie the Pooh and Mother Goose feel like gentle echoes of who they were—and who they still are at their core. Childhood moves quickly, but its lessons stay with us, tucked quietly into our hearts, much like a worn blankie once tucked under a little boy’s arm.
So today, on Winnie the Pooh Day, I’m grateful—for the pancakes, the placemats, the rocks and popsicle sticks, the stories and rhymes, and the characters who helped shape my children’s earliest understanding of love, creativity, and belonging.
Sometimes, the smallest bears teach the biggest lessons. 🍯
Thank you so much for visiting the blog and taking the time to read this post. I hope you found it worthwhile.
Best,
Jennifer
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