Take Your Child to Work Day

This video was inspired by the caring adults of Sesame Street… and beyond!

• The camera operator character, Frankie, is a tribute to Brooklyn native Frank Biondo, who has been behind the camera for every season of Sesame Street since the very first episode in 1969! He’s included here as part of the tradition of honoring the senior crew and cast that carry the history of Sesame Street.
• Wes’s tie is a tribute to the grandfather of Bradley Freeman Jr., the puppeteer who performs Wes. Brad remembers how his own grandfather—a high school teacher—would give ties to students going on job interview (and then teach them how tie them). The values his grandfather modeled with that gesture stayed with Brad his whole life.

Caring Adults Matter

Even little moments have a big impact, and these “Big Little Moments” are the superglue of families; they can become an anchor that serves children for a lifetime. Through your words and actions, you help children aspire to be whatever they want to be… and to work hard to get there.

Together, watch this video in which new Sesame Street friends Wes and his dad, Elijah the Meteorologist, have fun at “take your child to work day” at the TV station, where Wes learns about Elijah’s work and why he chose his job.

Before viewing, you might say or ask:

• Let’s watch this video about Wes and his dad Elijah on “take your child to work” day.
• Elijah is a meteorologist on television—he tells everyone what the weather will be that day and week.
• Can you name the jobs of any of the grown-ups we know? What else do you know about the caring grown-ups in our lives?

After viewing, consider how you support your child’s aspirations, talents, and contributions to the world, and how your interactions may be opportunities for bonding. You might:

• Talk about your own work, skills, or hobbies, and offer to show children the “behind the scenes” parts of what you do.
• Consider what might you be able to teach children about your own work, skills, or hobbies. What can you help them they try themselves, as Wes did with Elijah’s weather report? (For instance, children might plant a seed, type numbers into a calculator, make sounds on an musical instrument, hand you tools as you work, and so on).
• Discuss jobs children may want when they grow up. What do they love to do, and how might that turn into a job one day? (for instance, Wes loves building with blocks, so he wants to be an architect)
• Think of ways people in your family—kids included—use their skills to help others, like Elijah.
• Remind children that you’re proud of them now, and you’ll be proud of anything they decide to do when they grow up!

For More Fun….

• Pause when Elijah explains the “TV trick” of the blue screen. Can children explain what happens (and why) when Grover stands in front of the blue screen? Demonstrate by putting any object in front of a background of the same color (for instance, a blue block in front of a blue sheet of paper).
• Notice the weather icons on Elijah’s map. What icon would a meteorologist put on a weather map where you live today?
• Point out all the other characters on the set of the TV station. What are they doing? (using big cameras, reporting news, directing the show)