Sesame Street Breastfeeding Controversy

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The article

 

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I think they should discuss breast feeding on the show again. For people to compare it to pornography is the height of immaturity.

 

[Puckrox]

I think it's totally valid for Sesame Street to teach about breastfeeding on the show. It's a natural thing that happens in life, and kids should learn about it at a young age.

 

[Cindy]

I think it's totally valid for Sesame Street to teach about breastfeeding on the show. It's a natural thing that happens in life, and kids should learn about it at a young age.

What exactly do kids need to learn? It's been my experience that children don't tend to have questions about breastfeeding, they just accept it. Unlike adults whose views have been skewed, children already see it as a natural thing. I don't think the point of having breastfeeding on Sesame Street is for the kids, it's really about making breastfeeding a more acceptable practice in our society.

Understand I'm a strong supporter of breastfeeding in public. I've done it, it's no big deal. And I'll always support a mother if she chooses to feed her baby in public by breast or bottle (they get critized too). If Sesame Street wants to mention it, cool. If not, that's ok too. Making breastfeeding a more mainstream topic is always a good thing, I just don't know if Sesame Street is the best venue. It's not as though I sit down with my kids on a regular basis on go over the benefits of breastfeeding as if I were reinforcing their ABC's. Now showing a mom breastfeeding on American Idol that might get people's attention.

Perhaps Sesame Street should focus on a greater appreciation for the human body in general. Let's stop little girls from thinking that the women they see in magazines are real. That it's not all about having the perfect body, the perfect hair, etc.

 

[Drtooth]

What exactly do kids need to learn? It's been my experience that children don't tend to have questions about breastfeeding, they just accept it. Unlike adults whose views have been skewed, children already see it as a natural thing. I don't think the point of having breastfeeding on Sesame Street is for the kids, it's really about making breastfeeding a more acceptable practice in our society.

Exactly my thoughts. It isn't about it being acceptable or natural... it's completely unnecessary to teach that on Sesame Street, especially with the way the show is now. Most of the Demographic just got off the stuff. it's just something they did once back when it was all about realistic street stories that weren't forcibly trying to teach engineering or nature.

Perhaps Sesame Street should focus on a greater appreciation for the human body in general. Let's stop little girls from thinking that the women they see in magazines are real. That it's not all about having the perfect body, the perfect hair, etc.

I'm loving that little Muppet Girl that sings about her hair and that women can be anything. They're clearly going to use her for more things down the line, so Sesame Street is teaching that as we speak... not quite as much as bird calls or deciduous trees.

 

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Most of the Demographic just got off the stuff

Maybe most, but I was bottle fed. And when I saw breast feeding in public as a kid I was shocked. So there certainly are kids who would be educated by having this explained.

And come on, Sesame Street talked about things kids likely already knew about all the time. But they're kids, they need a frame of reference and explanation; that's what Sesame Street was good at.

it's completely unnecessary to teach that on Sesame Street

Well another reason I can think of is showing kids this body part's true purpose before kids are exposed to our tasteless pop culture which reduces a women's body to a sexual object. Just saying...

 

[a_Mickey_Muppet]

its a natural, part of life....some people just NEED to grow the H3LL up!!!

 

[Pepe'sgal90]

Well I think it would be a perfectly acceptable topic fit for children. As an RN I know ways to teach perfectly and how people are with the whole subject and yes I have had to teach families about breastfeeding and they encourage in the hospital that the kids should know due to the unfamiliarity with it. Kids are normally very acceptable with the subject as a way of nutrition towards babies. I am pro-breastfeeding advocate even though I am not a mother myself and it would lead Sesame Street kids to a greater understanding , in the past they taught us about death and HIV why not breastfeeding.

 

[Drtooth]

Maybe most, but I was bottle fed. And when I saw breast feeding in public as a kid I was shocked. So there certainly are kids who would be educated by having this explained.

Well, my comment is more directed at the fact that the audience is so young now... like a large number of the show were just weened or something. It feels like the only problem with Sesame Street doing more complicated subject matter is that it's got to be lost on the younger audience members... heck, I'd be surprised if the older 3 year olds understand all this engineering stuff. I just think there's a HUGE gap in their logic when 10 minutes of the show's story has to focus on scientific method and inventions when the last 15 minutes of the show is entirely focused on what those nobby little bits at the end of your feet are called. Seriously, that's why I don't get Elmo's World...it's like an entirely different show.

But I agree... Sesame Street wouldn't need to talk about breast feeding, not just because of the audience not picking up on it, but it's playing to the wrong audience. Something for parents would be the better place for education about it. Kids usually either completely don't understand things or completely accept them.

 

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It feels like the only problem with Sesame Street doing more complicated subject matter is that it's got to be lost on the younger audience members... heck, I'd be surprised if the older 3 year olds understand all this engineering stuff.

You can't limit kid's programming just because "they won't understand." You might as well not educate children at all if that's the case. They don't need to understand every little detail, the point is they're learning in their own way and being exposed to new things.

When I was 3 years old I was watching Pirates of Penzance! Did I get everything that was going on? No obviously not. But I loved it! And I grew up with a love of art and not just the flavor of the moment teeny bopper nonesense.

And I'm also thinking of the Katy Perry situation. She was banned from Sesame Street for supposedly showing too much cleavage. So right then we've taught kids that showing breasts is evil. That is why so many people get so annoyed about breast feeding in public, because we've learned to associate the image purely with pop culture sex. Which again, shows that adults are the immature ones, not the children.