Ms. Rachel has a reminder for moms everywhere: ‘Perfection in parenting does not exist’
One of the best things about Ms. Rachel—aside from her expertise and magical personality—is that she’s a mom who deeply loves her family and tries to balance All The Things like the rest of us.
Recently, Ms. Rachel (who does actually have a full name: Rachel Griffin Accurso) spoke with Motherly about her upcoming collaboration with Blippi and Meekah—fellow favorites with the preschool crowd—being a working mom, and how she feels about those adorable TikToks of babies lighting up when they hear her familiar voice on YouTube.
The upcoming collaboration episode features Ms. Rachel, Blippi, and Meekah as they walk around the Big Apple and share what they learn.
“We had such a great time filming at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan with Blippi, Meekah and the whole crew,” she said. “Our episode is all about vehicles. We learn about buses, fire trucks, trains and more. We have some super fun songs in this episode.”
She says she loves working with other content creators who also “bring joy” to preschoolers and their families is so important to her.
“Everyone was so energetic, sweet and caring!” she says. “We truly became friends. We had a wonderful time and I would love to work with them again in the future.”
Chances are, if Ms. Rachel is part of your child’s daily routine—Blippi is, too. His incredibly popular videos provide live-action learning and entertainment for the preschool crowd, too. Katelynn Heil, GM of Blippi, is thrilled the two titans of toddler programming have collaborated with Meekah, Blippi’s best friend.
“For one, our fans inspired us to make it happen! We also know that many of our fans are families with children of multiple ages—mine included—and as such are using a variety of tools to educate and entertain their little ones,” Heil explains. “Younger kids will watch Blippi with their older siblings and older siblings watch Ms. Rachel with the younger ones. One of the best things about this collaboration is the joy and learning it will bring kids—and parents—of all ages.”
As parents everywhere can attest to, there’s no shortage of content aimed at children on YouTube and YouTube Kids. But what makes Ms. Rachel click so well with her littles (and their parents) goes well beyond her cheerful disposition.
Research shows that young children are attracted to the kind of speech, tone, and facial expressions that her videos predominantly feature. By doing this, she gets babies and preschoolers to pay attention and focus on her speech sounds and language—a great tool for parents and caregivers to use.
“I wanted to make these research-based techniques that experts use to help young children available to all children and their families,” Rachel explains. “As a music teacher, I’ve always been passionate about how powerful music is and how it can help with bonding, soothing, and teaching. Music also brings so much joy!”
In addition to being popular on her YouTube channel, Ms. Rachel also has a significant fan base on TikTok. Specifically with fellow moms. Her account is full of duets with videos of babies adorably reacting to her “Learn to Talk” episodes and toddlers fangirling over her (she’s basically Mister Rogers 2.0). But she also shares videos where she’s not just Ms. Rachel, she’s Mom Rachel. And Human Rachel.
Those videos offer grown-ups a sense of connection and validation, too. Last fall, a video about “mom guilt” hit home with moms everywhere.
“I think it’s comforting to know that you are not alone in a feeling,” she tells Motherly. “It’s something that so many of us struggle with, but it is so important to also remember that we need to take care of ourselves, and to remember that we are enough! Perfection in parenting does not exist! We need to be compassionate with ourselves. Love is what matters at the end of the day.”
Rachel loves being able to see the adorable reactions of little ones responding to her and her show. It feels personal for her not just because she’s the star of the show, but because her mission in life is to help families realize all children deserve the chance to meet their full potential.
“It’s such an honor to be part of so many little ones’ days,” she says. “I have a daily prayer I say, which is “How can I help?” When I hear that I am helpful to little ones and their families, I feel so fulfilled and I know I’m on the right path.”
Despite her work keeping her busy, Rachel says no matter what—her family comes first. She prioritizes her time with her family and being present with them, so when she’s working she can be fully dedicated to it. But, like many of us, she still wishes there was more time in the day (and coffee).
“I just want to do everything I can to serve and be an advocate for young children and their families.”
The Ms. Rachel and Blippi collaboration will be available to watch on both of their YouTube channels on July 29.
