Sesame Street’s New Muppet Experienced Homelessness
Sesame Street wants children to know they are not alone, by discussing a difficult topic that sadly many children face. That’s why they have decided to introduce a new story line that deals with being homeless.
The muppet, Lily, was first introduced in 2011 in an episode that discussed hunger. Lily shared she suffered from food insecurity, or being without a reliable amount of nutritious food.
Now, Lily is sharing with her friends her sadness over not being able to go home to her apartment, and how her family must stay with friends.
Sesame Workshop is the nonprofit behind Sesame Street and helps to provide children with educational resources through mediums such as tv shows and media channels.
One of many goals the nonprofit has is to teach children how to be less judgmental of those who are different, and to understand others are going through difficult times, just as they possibly are.
Of the developed nations, the US has one of the highest child food insecurity rates in the world, meaning children 18 years and younger are with “limited or uncertain access to adequate food,” according to the USDA.
Various organizations reached out to Sesame Workshop and expressed their desire to have a storyline that followed what many children today are facing, being homeless.
Having a muppet like Lily express her fears and concerns helps kids cope with the trauma they are experiencing by identifying with a character they feel close and comfortable with.
It is crucial for young children to understand they can talk with someone about what they are experiencing, and it’s also necessary for kids to express themselves.
Roughly 2.5 million kids are currently experiencing homelessness in the US, according to Now This. Through their educational resources, Sesame Workshop is providing kids, caregivers, and adults the tools to help deal with life-changing circumstances, including how to talk with kids and help them cope.
As a result, Sesame Workshop is continuing their representation of real-life difficulties through other characters. Some of the topics they will be covering in 2019 include military deployment, addiction and foster care.
Sesame Workshop also provides free stories online that continue to follow muppets like Lily throughout their journey, and are available in multiple languages.
