Search Results for: blog sesame street helping parents teach kids about terrorism

Media Review: Follow that Bird!

I consider myself a book-lover, frugal, and responsible about other people’s property. Thus it may surprise you that, upon finding and reading a book in the church nursery, I ripped it up. By hand. Into tiny little pieces. I told the nursery director later that I didn’t even want someone to pull it out of the recycling and read it. Perhaps even more surprising is that it was a Sesame Street book. More surprising yet, I set out to review the movie the book was based on, and ending up thinking that it wasn’t that bad, actually enjoyable, with a … Continue reading →

Beware of Crazy Fake Elmo in NYC

To know Elmo is to love Elmo… or at least to tolerate him for the sake of your toddler. Sesame Street’s beloved red monster, whose infectious laugh is known around the globe, is a welcome companion to millions of children. However, a rogue version of the lovable PBS character is giving the real Elmo a bad name. According to reports, a dirty, creepy imposter Elmo has been preying on innocent tourists in New York City. Call him Bizarro Elmo. He looks just like the real deal: red fur, big orange nose, huge white eyes, except this Elmo is filthy, rude, … Continue reading →

Sesame Street Lends a Hand to Cash-Strapped Parents

My preschooler loves watching Sesame Street, but honestly, the summer reruns are killing me. Seriously, if I have to hear Telly Monster lament about his missing triangle one more time I may reconsider Dish Network’s recent offer to hook me up with cheap satellite TV. Fortunately, I may not have to dig deep to preserve my sanity. Yesterday, the folks who produce Sesame Street announced that new episodes of the Emmy Award-winning children’s show will begin airing next month. What’s more, the new season includes a special show dedicated to the economy. If you haven’t already discussed the current financial … Continue reading →

Driving the Family Germ-mobile

“If you’re a soccer mom, you’re essentially driving a germ-mobile.” Or so claims a microbiologist from the University of Arizona who conducted a study on bacteria levels in people’s vehicles. The conclusion: Most of us are driving around in motorized toilets. Scratch that. Actually, what this germ expert concluded was that in most cases the toilets in our homes are cleaner than the interior of our vehicles. Food for thought the next time you consider loading up the kids for a ride to grandma’s house. Before you start bleaching your dashboard take a look at the details of the study: … Continue reading →

Halloween and Young Children: Trick or Treat?

The school supplies are long gone at area stores; swiftly replaced by Halloween everything. My preschooler, who is absolutely petrified of anything that howls, hoots or hangs crooked, bursts into tears each and every time we get near the Halloween area at Wal-Mart and Target. (I don’t even attempt to visit places like Halloween USA or Halloween Express when my daughter is with me.) This understandable, yet at times inconvenient fact (inconvenient because these days obtaining a tube of toothpaste now requires taking a six aisle detour around the Halloween madness) is not unique in families with young children. Likewise, … Continue reading →

“Sesame Street” Helping Parents Teach Kids About Terrorism

Subtitle: Elmo Meets Michael Chertoff or “The Muppets Take Manhattan… Post 9/11” I wish I were kidding. For decades parents have turned to those fun-loving furry friends on “Sesame Street” when they needed help teaching their kids how to spell, tie their shoes, and count to 10 in Spanish. But now Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, Zoe, Oscar the Grouch and crew are getting serious about a grown up topic most adults struggle to deal with—terrorism and other potential deadly catastrophes. So how exactly does a parent explain to a 3-year-old why it’s important to prepare for a terrorist attack? Don’t … Continue reading →