Sesame Street has long been a staple in many American households. The long-running PBS show is known for its puppet characters that offer lessons on math, spelling, and childhood development. This educational content also offers life lessons to prepare children for the world around them. For the first time, Sesame Street is debuting a new character to help children understand “blended families,” those consisting of children from other marriages or partners.
The character Ruby premiered on August 5th in an episode where he meets his stepsister, Abby, along with other Sesame Street characters, including Elmo. Rudy, who is an orange-colored monster akin to Elmo, is different than Abby, a pink fairy, but the two learn to love and accept one another as new siblings. A press release from Sesame Workshop regarding Rudy stated:
“Families come in many forms – including newly-blended families, which can present unique challenges for kids. As part of Sesame Street’s kindness curriculum, kids will watch as Abby and Rudy meet for the first time, get to know each other, and overcome their differences to embrace their new sibling relationship.”
Learning to deal with the new realities created by divorce is not an easy process, especially for children. It’s encouraging to see programs like Sesame Street deliver the message that families can learn to embrace those new realities in a positive manner. Hopefully, the new relationship between Rudy and Abby will serve as a great lesson for children of divorce across the country.
If you’re currently considering divorce, an experienced member of our team can answer any questions you may have about the process. Call (704) 810-1400 to schedule a meeting with a lawyer at our office.