Sesame Street's Grover is a household favorite -- at least in my household. He's the calm, reassuring voice in the craziness of life.
Sometimes he sounds silly and sometimes he sounds serious but, through it all, he's there to help us help our kids. The entire Sesame Street gang has been helping parents navigate through new experiences and tough topics for more than 50 years now.
Here are some of the time-tested ways Grover has navigated tough situations, and his tips for military kids going through the same things.
Moving Day Tips
Military kids can struggle with moves because of the unknown. Guess what? Grover struggled with this too when he first moved to Sesame Street. He even has a book about it, one that kids can read with their parents to help figure out all the feelings they're having about moving. Grover's not sure about moving, but then he meets some new friends, and things start looking up.
Read: "Grover Moves to Sesame Street"
Encouragement
The entire Sesame Street gang loves military families and military kids. This year, Grover put out a special message to military kids on Facebook. Sesame Street does a great job providing resources for parents, child care providers and children on a variety of topics including deployments, routines and even grief. And, of course, they have a wonderful program that visits military installations around the world and engages with kids of all ages.
Watch: Grover's Month of the Military Child Video
Counting Down to Something Special
We all like having something special to look forward to, and we can all get a little wrapped up in just how far away it is. In this book, Grover is looking forward to a visit from his uncle, and his mom helps him make a calendar countdown. As a bonus, it also helps kids learn the days of the week.
Read: "When Is Saturday?"
Information About Covid-19
Recently, Grover took to the airwaves for another important lesson for children of all ages. Grover and his new friends at NPR's "Life Kit" talked about the questions that kids have about the novel coronavirus, staying home and what's going on in the world. Grover tackles the important things, like why some people are wearing masks and how he misses his friends too.
Listen: Grover on Coping with Coronavirus
Grover may not be a military kid, but he's got some great insight for our military kids -- and for parents. There are lots of resources available for talking through tough topics with your children, but Sesame Street is a great place to start.
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--Rebecca Alwine can be reached at rebecca.alwine@monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebecca_alwine.
