Sunny day, sweeping the clouds away…
Sesame Street has been helping military families face challenges for years. Since the first installment of Talk, Listen, Connect, military children were able to see Elmo go through the deployment of his father. This segment taught children how to find ways to stay connected, despite the miles in between.
The second installment explained how Rosita and her family dealt with an injury. Kids could easily identify with the desire to return things to the way they used to be. Children whose families were dealing with both visible and invisible injuries visited Sesame Street to talk about the ways they were coping together.
When Families Grieve, the third installment gave parents and children some comfort by talking about death and how to keep memories alive. Small things make a huge difference, and with this third installment, almost every military child could find something to identify with in these videos.
Sesame Street, with help from parents, caregivers, and advisors from child development and military backgrounds have joined together to talk about what else is effecting military children. With so many veterans transitioning to civilian life, there quickly became a need for another installment of Talk, Listen, Connect to help the children cope.
Elmo and Rosita returned to the program to help military children prepare for the transition. The program features success strategies for every member of the family upon leaving the service. Among the tips included are advice on maintaining every day routines, keeping communication open, and reaching out for help when needed.
Friendly Neighbors There, That’s Where We Meet
Children pick up on change so quickly, and Sesame Street’s program is helping parents communicate with their children about topics that are difficult.
My daughter has a kindergarten classmate whose father is retiring this year. Both that student and my daughter have expressed concern about where they will live, when they will move, and whether or not the father will find a job. It’s nothing we’ve ever talked about as a family, but I know that it is important to my daughter that her friend is happy and cared for. This program would be incredibly beneficial in this circumstance. Children especially like seeing their favorite Sesame Street characters going through similar situations.
How to Get, How to Get to Sesame Street
This last installment of the Sesame Street program was made possible with financial support from Brystol-Myers Squibb and Prudential, among others. Military families everywhere will rejoice when hearing that these programs are free and available from so many organizations. Sesame Street will partner with military, veteran, and employment organizations nationwide, as well as with universities and human resources departments to get the information out to as many families as possible.
These 10 new videos, activity book, and implementation tool kits really emphasize the child’s perspective; recognizing, addressing, and breaking it down so no child feels they are dealing with this alone. This installment completes the military cycle and will fill a gap in the military life cycle training while preparing families for the transition to civilian life.