Children’s Television Workshop and expendable crew members

October 11, 2007 by Barbara.

I read The Day Snuffy Had the Sniffles by Linda Lee Maifair to Reid during a potty break in the middle of supper recently. Reid used to require a companion, preferably one who would read to her, at all potty breaks but lately she has preferred the independence of going to the bathroom alone. I’ve got quite used to not having the table in the middle of a meal. Sometimes, though, Reid puts in a request for someone to read to her. It’s rare enough that I agreed.

Reid does not know many of the Sesame Street characters. I’ve never seen DVDs of the original show to buy, rent or borrow and have to confess that I find Elmo annoying. We listen to the Sesame Street 25th anniversary CD in the car sometimes and I try to explain who is singing but it’s pretty abstract. So, there we were, me reading a book about original Sesame Street characters (from a church rummage sale) and Reid doing what she should be doing on a potty break. Each time a character appeared, we had to discuss who she or he was. At one point, Big Bird and Betty Lou were in the library and Reid was quizzing me about the characters looking at books, doing homework at tables and that sort of thing. None of them were familiar to me. I told her that each was an “expendable crew member”. Ken laughed at me and reminded me that Reid had never seen Star Trek.

Imagine that! Reid is 3 and has seen neither the original Sesame Street nor Star Trek of any series. And I tell myself I expose Reid to important cultural traditions …

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