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Elmo's Dad Gets Sent to Iraq

Posted by Cole Gamble

Sesame Workshop, the people behind Sesame Street, is helping military families with young children cope with the deployment, redeployment and homecoming of their mommies and daddies. Would you like to see something a little surreal this morning? How about watch a music video in which Elmo’s dad tells Elmo he’s being shipped off to Iraq?

I must be a little behind, I didn't know Elmo had a dad and that his dad knew how to really rock the goatee/track suit combo  Oh, and apparently he's southern? Kidding aside, I think this is a wonderful thing Sesame Street is doing. It’s the kind of thing they were created for. The program is called Talk, Listen, Connect and if you are a family with young kids and a loved one at war, you may want to check out this kit at www.sesameworkshop.org/tlc/.  There is information and advice for both the child and the parent in dealing with this difficult time. 

 

What depresses me is that this program is still needed. The reality for military familes is that mommies and daddies go to war, they come home from war, but then they get sent back to Iraq again. It’s just tragic. Once the kid has seen the video when mommy went off to Iraq the first time, what are we supposed to do when mommy goes back to Iraq a second or third time? Show them the video again? Some day this war will end and it will be up to families, not politicians, to pick up the pieces.

 


Comments

 

steffmarcusky said:

This breaks my heart. But thank God for Sesame Street.

April 10, 2008 10:25 PM
 

Military Spouse said:

It's a great video for kids. I applaud Sesame Workshop for putting it together and providing it free of charge.

FYI, in military-speak, "redeployment" refers to the process of returning from a deployment and reintegrating into a family and community, not a subsequent deployment, though that is a reality for many military families.

April 11, 2008 3:13 AM
 

rebareba said:

Military spouse: The translation of military speak ("redeployment") was really helpful. It also serves as a reminder that those of us outside that world can rarely really understand what's going on in it. I'm impressed Sesame Street rang true for you.

April 12, 2008 12:02 AM

About Cole Gamble

Cole Gamble is a writer in the environs of Portland, Oregon where he has two children, one he calls “Jillian” and the other he simply refers to as “The Beef.” His revolutionary parenting technique is a three-pronged system consisting of A) wrestling children for fun and profit; B) convincing his daughter she is a robot; and C) resisting the urge to beat up other four-year-olds when they tease his kids. Propagation of aforementioned children was assisted by his wife, Nicole, who is gorgeous but ironically hates being photographed. His writing has appeared in print, on various Internets and been transmitted into the air through the magic of the radio. Currently he is working on an evil self-help book titled Improve Your Life Or Die.

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