For 45 years, Sesame Street has been a staple in the education of billions of children around the world. Through Elmo, Grover, Big Bird, Count Dracula, Mr. Snuffleupagus, Bert & Ernie, the infamous Oscar the Grouch, and hoards of other characters, Sesame Street teaches children effective life skills that are often unknowingly cornerstones in family law.

However, somewhere between puberty and a busy career, adults forget some of the most important lessons from Sesame Street. The results are divorce , domestic disputes, visits to Tallahassee family law attorneys, and more unfavorable outcomes. Although a Tallahassee divorce lawyer may seem imminent, it’s time to get back to the basics and revisit Sesame Street for a few important family law lessons.

RESPECT OTHERS

When it comes to marriage and divorce, couples seem to forget the quintessential Sesame Street message, “Treat others how you want to be treated.” Sesame Street offers parenting tips and ways to teach your children the importance of respecting the feelings of others through the “Feelings Dance,” “Cooperation Game,” and “Play Time. However, a staggering number of marriages end in divorce because of the inability to respect the other spouse’s feelings. One alternative is to keep it simple and get back to Sesame Street basics.

FAMILIES STAND TOGETHER

Undoubtedly, finances are of the top reasons families separate. Sesame Street’s “Families Stand Together” addresses the issue of dealing with tough economic times in your family. Through several strategies, stories and activities, your favorite Sesame Street characters offer a different insight on the importance of families sticking together no matter what. Even though tough financial times are the top reasons for divorce, you can use lessons from Sesame Street to make it through those times as a family.

HOW TO DEAL WITH DIVORCE

On the Sesame Street website, you can find a helpful toolkit named “Little People, Big Challenges: Divorce.” This kit is designed to teach you how to help your child through a divorce and how to cope with the changes associated with a visit to a Tallahassee divorce attorney. The toolkit offers several activities, songs, books, and videos to help younger children understand divorce and the changes that are likely to occur. The children’s songs are positive, happy and reinforce tremendous love for children. Best of all, there’s an app for that: the Sesame Street Divorce App is available for iOS and Android devices. Together with Sesame Street and your Tallahassee family law lawyer, you can make the situation as less stressful on your children as possible.

DIFFERENCES ARE COOL

Another one of the top reasons for marriage dissolutions are cultural differences. Whether the difference is religious or geographic, Sesame Street’s Grover and Khokha help children learn at an early age how to appreciate everyone’s individual differences. The dynamic duo go on adventurous explorations through the Arab World and teach children to appreciate the differences that make everyone unique.

ILLNESS IN YOUR FAMILY

When there is a serious illness in the family, it can be difficult for both children and parents. Often, children desire to discuss the illness openly with their parents, but the parents worry about the illness scaring them. In any case, it’s normal for everyone to be afraid. Sesame Street’s “Here For You” stresses the importance of talking to ensure everyone in the family is coping with situation in a healthy way. The goal of “Here For You” is to encourage healthy communication and to stress the fact families can find strength in each other during challenging times.

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