Bravo for Sesame Street

Mike has started recording episodes of Sesame Street (to provide a little more variety than the four episodes available from the free on-demand -- although the boys do like the one where Elmo learns the salsa).

I had one of the new episodes on the other day, and they had a short segment, maybe 30 seconds, where they showed different kids, focusing on their ears. The last one was a baby with a hearing aid that looked a lot like the one James has.

Matthew was just fascinated by this.  He kept saying "ear, ear", and wanting me to rewind it so he could watch it again.  He probably watched that segment about 20 times.  (I know, I know, he's spoiled.)  The only other time he's wanted to rewatch a segment like that was one about the ocean, and he didn't even ask for that one as many times as this.  I think it was probably because he'd never seen a baby wearing a hearing aid on television before.

And you know what?  I would bet a lot of money that it'll be a long time before he sees one again.  I think it's really cool that Sesame Street shows all kinds of different kids -- different races, ones with glasses, ones in wheelchairs, and now one with a hearing aid.  It's so rare for shows to do that, and I think it's great that kids could get used to seeing all kinds of different kids, and those kids being treated and accepted just the same as everyone else.

So, thank you, Sesame Street, for making our family feel included.   

(I should add that so far, nobody has ever excluded James or treated him differently because of his hearing aids -- I don't think the other kids on the playground really notice, and the adults probably do but haven't said anything.  But still, it's neat to see a kid with hearing aids on Sesame Street.)

P.S.  Recent new words for James include window, squirrel, choo-choo, and nine.  :)