# What is Sesame Street's intended "age"?



## EBeth0000 (Aug 19, 2007)

My mom says DS "should be watching Sesame Street." I won't get into the whole story.

Anyway, issues with mom aside (and I can deal with those in a loving manner), my main argument to her was about the AAP rec's which, darn it, are only going to hold her at bay for 4 more months, but I was also saying how Sesame Street was designed for much older kids, like 4 yrs. and up, but now I can't find any evidence for that. In fact, a lot of the stuff I am finding doesn't talk about what age they TARGET but their RATINGS which, I guess, are quite good in moms to kids under the age of 3. Any help?


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## Justmee (Jun 6, 2005)

You can tell you my kids weren't into sesame street at all when they were 2. I won't tell you won't shows they were into though, since you don't want your LO watching TV and I think that's great







. Mine weren't too interested in tv anyway until they were about 3, and even then only 1 is really into it. One takes it or leaves it, one doesn't like it for more than 5 minutes.

I don't have evidence to back it up, but I think sesame street is more for the 3 - 5yo crowd than toddlers. Just my opinion.


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## wildmonkeys (Oct 4, 2004)

My little guy still isn't watching tv though he is sometimes in the same room while it is on - small house and two brothers....

Anyway, my oldest son never liked Sesame Street, but my second did from about 3.5-4.5. He liked the count and Mr. Noodle.


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## HrCreuzi (Dec 5, 2008)

I admit that we let Kara watch Sesame St now and then. She LOVES it. Mostly the music though. That's what she reacts to the most. I try to put Baby Einstein videos on for the music part, but we never seem to be able to find the remote for the DVD player.


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

DD started watching it at 2. The character Elmo is 3 if that helps. I would assume it is targeted at the 3-6 year olds.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

The age of Sesame Street's target audience is from 3-5 (which is slightly younger than it was in the beginning, I believe), but most toddlers are exposed to it before then, and some can benefit from it, but as with anything it's up to the parents and their comfort level, etc.

Elmo is 3-1/2 supposedly, and he is the main draw for the younger children. Big Bird is 6 years old. Zoe is 3. I don't know the ages of the others, but most are preschool-aged.

From Wiki:

Quote:

...Elmo's World was created by producers, after it was identified that the average age of Sesame Street viewers was heading downwards.[14] Created with 3-year-olds in mind,[15] the segment brought a predictable regularity to the show, which ran contrary to its normal, varied assortment of segments. Because of its predictability, length, and young target audience, the segment has been derided by some critics and older fans, despite its success. The segment's low-skewing age was decided on after producers found the show was attracting that age bracket, even though it wasn't intended for it.
So originally the show was designed for preschool and up. Now it's more accommodating to younger toddlers.

Our toddler (will be 3 in April) has been watching some select Sesame Street (and Elmo DVDs) for a while now and enjoys them greatly. As with anything she is exposed to, we censor it for content and commercials, and screen it ahead of time.

The benefits from watching come in the form of not only learning educational things like counting, colors, letters, etc., but also in mirroring social skills. However, some of those social skills may not be what you're wanting your child to learn. Zoe and Elmo bicker a lot, for instance. But SS has always had some controversial type characters on it (Oscar the Grouch isn't the best role model, but he's entertaining). I'm okay with it not being 100% PC. I'm okay with Cookie Monster. I'm not okay with Baby Bear's babytalk though. That bugs the crap out of me. But it's a personal peeve and my daughter seems unfazed by it.

To be honest though, I'm not a huge fan of the current Sesame Street (the one with the darker, rap-like intro, and Word on the Street, etc.). It seems less educational and more entertaining. So we tend to record the older episodes off Sprout and those are the ones she watches (they still have Elmo though, but we're okay with that).

But to be frank, there are some original episodes from when I was a child, that I think are too flashy for a young toddler to be watching.







It's all very much a personal thing. But if you're already teaching your child numbers, counting, colors, letters, etc., then I don't see why you'd need to expose her to any TV, educational or not. It's my understanding that the majority of children who benefit the most from Sesame Street are younger preschoolers whose parents are not already educating them consistently, so SS becomes a substitute. At least that's how I understand it.

That's not to say it still can't be helpful as a type of learning supplement, and that's where we are. I am the primary educator for my child, but Sesame Street is allowed some days here. It's one of the few things we're comfortable with on the TV. But if you're not, then there are plenty of arguments as to why you shouldn't expose your tot to it. Your mom may be right regarding target age being younger, but that doesn't mean it's right for _your_ child. That is something only you can decide.


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## zinemama (Feb 2, 2002)

I guess to me this is not so much about SS as about why you would even engage in this kind of discussion with your mom. Why should you have to argue, hold her at bay, justify or find any evidence at all about this?

If you don't want your child watching tv, that's all you have to say. Your mother raised you as she saw fit and now it's your turn to do the same. End of story. More bean dip, mom?


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## Boot (Jan 22, 2008)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *nighten* 
But if you're already teaching your child numbers, counting, colors, letters, etc., then I don't see why you'd need to expose her to any TV, educational or not.

I don't mean to go off topic but do most people really think it is necessary, or even desirable, to teach their 2 year old these things? Personally I think toddlers will naturally learn to count without it being taught and, as for letters, school is soon enough for that. Personally I avoid 'educational' toys or media like the plague. I see it as something to protect my child from. Other parents can do as they see fit but I take issue with the assumption that we should be consciously teaching our kids academics at age 2.

I hope this doesn't come off as combative. I don't mean to spark an off topic debate. I just wanted to present to other side.


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## snoopy5386 (May 6, 2005)

DD started watching the elmo's world portion of sesame street at about 18 months (no flames, we are ok with TV in moderation here). She started watching the whole episode sometime around 2. Some parts interest her more than others and I have seen her pick up a lot from it (dances, songs, phrases) in the past 3 or 4 months or so. She will be 3 in April.


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## nighten (Oct 18, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Boot* 
I don't mean to go off topic but do most people really think it is necessary, or even desirable, to teach their 2 year old these things? Personally I think toddlers will naturally learn to count without it being taught and, as for letters, school is soon enough for that. Personally I avoid 'educational' toys or media like the plague. I see it as something to protect my child from. Other parents can do as they see fit but I take issue with the assumption that we should be consciously teaching our kids academics at age 2.

I hope this doesn't come off as combative. I don't mean to spark an off topic debate. I just wanted to present to other side.

I think you misread what I wrote.







I was responding to the OP, whose Mom said that she needed to let her toddler watch SS, presumably for educational benefits/purposes. My argument was if the OP is already exposing her child to those things then it's redundant/unnecessary for child to watch SS. I was offering the OP an out so to speak.









---

As for whether a parent should or should not be teaching these things to a toddler, it's up to the parent. I'm of a mind that you can and should teach a child anything he or she wants to learn, so long as it's fun. Forcing is never good, but I think every child is naturally curious and wants to learn. I can't imagine not teaching my child as much as she wants to know, so long as she's having fun with it.

But that's just me.


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## EBeth0000 (Aug 19, 2007)

thanks for all the replies. It has been a long time since I watched SS, and I am glad to know the target age is indeed younger, it's not just people using it for younger kids inappropriately.

I am totally fine with TV, for reasons that work for our family we limit TV for ALL of us. . .DH has ADD and has trouble turning it off once it's on, we both struggle with insomnia and find TV in the evenings exacerbates it, and for DS, I just don't personally see any need. He watches 1/2 hour a day of 3-yr. old appropriate content at my care provider's and I am fine with that. But here at our house, he never asks to watch and I get plenty done around the house without needing to pop in a DVD or anything, but I totally understand parents and kids whose situations and needs differ from ours.

As for my Mom, the only reason I wanted to have some solid info on age appropriateness was kind of what someone said here, why has it become a REQUIREMENT that he watch it, like he is somehow being deprived of something. My thing is, I am ok with all forms of media at the age-appropriate level, adjusting as PP said, for your child's individual development.

Yes, he is showing interest in learning letters (he will bring a book to me and ask "what's that?" and point to a letter. So I say it and tell him, he seems to be learning them just fine. He knows all his colors already. I don't see why a) I should push it or b) why he should specifically need Ses. St. to learn it! Seems weird to me, that is all. . .if he wanted to watch it for fun I would be cool with that.

More than the screen time what bothers me is the marketing. He knows who Elmo is (and I have no problem with the little red guy, I actually think he's cute) and for the last couple of weeks we switched to sposies (I'm 39w3d pregnant with a washer dryer in my basement). Well, the sposies have Elmo on them and now whenever he sees ANY diaper, cloth or another brand he says "Elmo! Elmo!" This seems a harbinger of fights to come in the grocery store, Target, etc., as he will recognize this character and want to get shoes, sippies, cookies, or whatever else they slap the character's face on







I have no problem being firm and saying "no" and that's fine that he likes the character, I just like limiting our screen time to try to limit the influence of these characters in terms of the associated marketing, that's the part I really have a major problem with.


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## Holiztic (Oct 10, 2005)

Jane Healy's Endangered Minds has a great (and very in depth) discussion of Sesame Street and the problems it poses (at any young age!) I highly recommend reading it!

On the topic of 2 year olds learning to count: I know 2 year olds that have _memorized_ "one, two, three, four..." as if it was one big word they learned how to repeat. They have little (or no) concept of the actual meaning. My DS started saying "two" recently in reference to my breasts. He then started to saying it to pairs of dogs, etc. A few weeks later he started saying "three" to anything more than two. He is slowly and naturally learning what these concepts mean. We never say "one, two, three, four" etc to him. We hold up three grapes and say "three grapes", I take one away and say "two grapes". If you read EM you'll really see what significance this distinction has for future learning.


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