Speakeasy forum: Sesame street to teach kids about divorce

"Sorry kids, we're splitting up. Just like the parents of Jessica and Michael and Deborah, you know" (or who-ever of their friends or nephews have divorced parents).

Kees

I guess you've either seen it or support it without even reviewing it.

I expressed that I was not in favor of kids learning about such serious and emotional matters from puppets. They should learn from the mouth and eyes of adults. Sesame Street isn't the first kid's show to tackle this. Mr. Rogers took this one on and, if I might say so, did a very decent job. He's a human and, in some instances, connecting with a human is far better than trying to connect with puppets and costumed characters.

but have nothing to say about the subject. So be it.

"Some kids that have divorced parents are picked on by kids with parents that are happily married."

That may be the most ridiculous thing you ever have said, LOL. What do they call them? "Hey, you divorced kids!" "Guys, let's go harass those divorced kids!" Did you grow up out in the sticks as an only child or something and get your learning about life from some book written by a high school dropout, who was also a dismissed social services employee?! Kids pick on other children, older on younger, bigger on smaller, there's a myriad of excuses for them doing it, but the actual reasons are something entirely different. You cling to every excuse anyone could come up with for that I guess. Were you picked on and blamed it on your parents getting divorced?

It gets better;

"Unless the parents bring the subject up, the child may not realize that divorce can happen to anyone"

Yeah, when they hear it from their parents, that's when they usually find out about it, so far as it will affect them. You can be sure they've already heard about divorce though from other children who experienced it, which you admit in your first misguided statement.

And better and better, as we descend to the brainless level.

"AND all parents aren't smarter than the average Muppet."

Muppets aren't real. Muppets have no brains. Sorry to break this news flash to you, but way past time you realize it. What you mistake as their brains would be those who animate the Muppets. I suspect some of those are parents, too, so really don't see any point to what you said.

Nobody ever said anything averse to me about it, other than my MIL once.

I guess there were plenty of other more immediately seen and heard things for one kid to tease another about than that. Must have been a bigger teasing point up north than down South.

a number of ways. Correcting this behavior is the responsibility of parents. If parents are felt to be lax, I don't see where puppets should take over their job. Kids can't retreat into fantasy land to find consolation and advice and I believe we've become remiss in our responsibilities by thinking that setting up alternative mechanisms is appropriate. IMO, there are some things that are not best taught over the TV and especially by non-humans. Granted the puppets are controlled by people, there's something missing in the communication when eye contact, facial expressions, and other body language is missing. I'd never quibble with kids and parents watching such programs together and discussing them but that's nothing that can be controlled.

you would be having these discussions with your children. You'd not need the remote. You are not a good parent if you leave the job to puppets. It's better than nothing" isn't a good alibi.

Like anything else that's difficult, you initiate discussion with your child when the issue arises. You don't need to always think proactively. If your child mentions hearing of a divorce, that's the time to begin talking about it...not the next morning over breakfast. The term used is "teachable moment". The same goes when a child misbehaves and you want to set them straight. You do so right then and there and not the next day over breakfast.

Your "Why did you bring that up daddy?" question is perfect. The same would go for a kid who sits down in front of the TV, turns on Sesame Street, and watches a program discuss a subject he's never heard of. "What was that all about? Why did Elmo bring that up, daddy?"

I suspect some of those are parents, too, so really don't see any point to what you said.

some of those ARE parents

SEE...The "point" was within your grasp...and you failed to connect, you poor soul, just think how intelligent you could appear if only you opened your eyes and ears.

The rest of your post?...

Sounds like someone sicced you on me, did I do something to your cornflakes today or to someone you care about?

Sesame Street has bugged me before. This is just one more thing to come along it seems.

What about actual parents, child development, and child psychology experts?

So you and Sesame Street are in agreement.

Eventually, the head writer signs off on it, and the script gets typed up into our script template by our script coordinator. Then I proofread it, and clean copies are distributed to our Research department. The folks in Research all have Master's degrees and PhD's in education, child psychology, etc. Research will review each script and give their comments to our head writer, who has the ultimate power to veto anything (of course, if Research feels very strongly, they'll push hard.) I'll put those research comments that were approved into the script and then the producers will meet on the script.

One thing that bugs me in this thread is links to how careful the writers were being. Writers? What's so special about writers? What about actual parents, child development, and child psychology experts?

I guess you didn't read the entire thread/links....

They have used the show to talk to kids about difficulties before. After 9/11 they did an episode in which the grocery store burns down as a way of talking to kids about sad things that happen.

Divorce is, unfortunately, a fact of life that millions of kids have to cope with. I see no harm in it being addressed on Sesame Street.