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You can’t shield kids from scary news – here’s what ‘Sesame Street’ and other children’s shows did after 9/11
Producers created new episodes and specials that addressed children’s fears without naming the attacks, while experts said honest reassurance helps kids cope.
- Following the 9/11 attacks, Sesame Street producers created episodes addressing children's fears without explicitly mentioning the event, instead centering a story on a fire at Hooper's Store.
- In 2002, Rosemarie Truglio, vice president of education and research for Sesame Street, explained the show's approach was to meet children where they were developmentally, knowing even 2- to 4-year-olds sensed what happened.
- The PBS show Arthur took a similar approach, airing a two-part episode called 'April 9' that centers on a fire at Arthur's school. This strategy helped children process fears through age-appropriate storylines.
- Experts suggest answering children's questions honestly without gory details. These programs offer a useful lesson: rather than shielding children completely from disturbing events, adults can help them process what they've seen in reassuring ways.
- More than two decades later, children have many more platforms to encounter frightening images and stories. Common Sense Media reports that while television time remains similar, total media exposure is far greater today.
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You can’t shield kids from scary news – here’s what ‘Sesame Street’ and other children’s shows did after 9/11
Mourners on Staten Island watch a funeral procession for a firefighter killed during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Peter Turnley/Getty ImagesOn back-to-school night in 2005, I eagerly entered my youngest child’s first grade classroom. The walls were festooned with brightly colored responses to the prompt: “Draw something you remember.” I scanned for my son’s picture and was shocked when I encountered his drawing: an airplane flying into New York’s…
·Boston, United States
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Total News Sources24
Leaning Left5Leaning Right3Center15Last UpdatedBias Distribution65% Center
Bias Distribution
- 65% of the sources are Center
65% Center
L 22%
C 65%
13%
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