Sesame Street has never shied away from tough topics and now they are tackling the topic of a parent being incarcerated. This is coming with some raised eyebrows and of course, some differences of opinion on whether this is appropriate for the age demographic of Sesame Street viewers.
On the one side, you’ll have the people that don’t or
somehow can’t, talk to their kids about the parent, aunt/uncle/family member
that is in jail and deal with that child’s feelings and worries. They appreciate
and rely on show’s like this to help their children deal with and realize that
this happens in some families and that they are not alone. They consider this a
fact of life and approve of Sesame Street bringing this topic into the light
and keeping it “real”.
The opposing consensus is that people need to deal with
their family issues in their own homes. Talk to their children if this happens
in their family and deal with it themselves rather than expecting a children’s
show to teach their kids for them. This is not a fact of life in most families. Those against this type of programming would
rather not have their kids watching and asking questions about topics they’d
like to shelter their children from until they are older.
If you'd like to watch the video, it's here. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yk3SxyPW6lA
Sesame Street has dealt with many other topics like death,
bullying, academic success and divorce. What do you think? Is the topic of incarceration something you want your children
watching and asking questions about at very young ages?
