Life Kit - Sesame Street's Grover On Coping During Coronavirus: Just For Kids

Episode Date: May 10, 2020

Hey kids! Sesame Street's Grover is here and he's got some great ideas for making your days brighter during coronavirus. Grover explains how to make virtual play dates more fun, how to daydream and how to be a helper.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

There are celebrity interview shows, and then there's Wildcard. It's a podcast from NPR that the New York Times just named as one of the 10 best of 2024. It's hosted by me, Rachel Martin. I ask guests like Issa Rae and Bowen Yang revealing questions like what's a place you consider sacred? Has ambition ever led you astray? And I'm telling you, it is such a good time. Listen to Wildcard wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's Anya. And I'm Corey. And this is the first episode of NPR's Life Kit that's just for kids. So moms and dads and caregivers, I want you to go get them. Hey, kids. All right. Everybody here? Okay. We wanted to talk directly to you and answer some of your big questions about this time that everybody's been spending at home.

Yeah, because it's been kind of weird, right? So we brought some help. We're going to video chat with a very exciting guest. Hello, everybody! That's right. There is a monster in this podcast. It's Grover from Sesame Street. Hello, all you children and mommies and daddies. I hope you are all safe and well right now. I'm doing so much better since I got on the line with you, Grover. So you've been home with your family, just like Corey and I both have, doing social distancing.

Yeah, in fact, Grover, I think you know a lot about distancing, don't you? This is near. This is far. And this is near again, okay? Now that we're all social distancing, it's kind of the same thing. It kind of is, yes. We are all having to get far from each other when we want to be near. Aww.

Yeah, and not only are we apart, there are also lots more rules, aren't there? And we can't all go outside and play whenever we want. So we wanted to know, Grover, what's keeping you busy right now? Well, I am trying to help around the house. I try to make my bed and I take my dishes to the sink and try to pick up my toys. But I also do things around the neighborhood. I am a delivery monster, and I go to the grocery store, and I pick up groceries for people who cannot go to the grocery store. I put on my mask, and I am very safe, and I go to the store, and I pick up

groceries, and I take them to people like Mrs. Crustworthy. Oh. Yes. Huh. Wait, Grover, I'm sorry to ask this, but how do you fit your mask over your nose? You know, I made my own mask. Oh. And it is very stylish, too. Oh. But it fits me perfectly. Does your mask have Grover on it? No, it has little cute bunny rabbits on it.

Nice. Yes, I rabbits on it. Nice. Yes, I designed it myself. Amazing. Support for this podcast and the following message come from Dignity Memorial. When your celebration of life is prepaid today, your family is protected tomorrow. Planning ahead is truly one of the best gifts

you can give your family. For additional information, visit DignityMemorial.com. What's in store for the music, TV, and film industries for 2025? We don't know, but we're making some fun, bold predictions for the new year. Listen now to the Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast from NPR. The Indicator is a podcast where daily economic news is about what matters to you. Workers have been feeling the sting of inflation. So as a new administration promises action on the cost of living, taxes, and home prices.

The S&P 500 biggest post-election day spike ever. Follow all the big changes and what they mean for you. Make America affordable again. Listen to The Indicator, the daily economics podcast from NPR. So one thing that I'm hearing from some kids is that they are really missing seeing their friends. And I wonder, what do you do when you miss your friends? Well, I try to stay connected with my friends over video chat. Actually, just before talking to you, I was on with Snuffy.

Well, his left eye anyway. It's kind of hard to see all of him on a little tiny screen. Grover, I'm wondering, what are some other ways we can make these video chats just more fun? You know, sometimes it is fun to have a meal together with somebody. And you can make the same meal. And it is sort of like having dinner together. And using video chat, you can play with your friends. If you both have the same game, you can play the game together.

You can play a board game. You can play card games with one another. And that is a lot of fun. Corey, that's a really good idea. You know, you and I should play a card game on video chat sometime. Do you know how to play war? I'm really good at it. Oh, gosh.

You would totally trounce me. Grover, do you have any other ideas that maybe don't require a screen? Well, let's see. You can play with your toys and use your own imagination. And you can go anywhere in your own imagination. You know, reading a book also is a fun thing to do by yourself. And your mind can go anywhere in a book as well. Especially if there's a monster at the end of it.

Oh, I do not think I want to read that book. Grover, have you been doing a lot of daydreaming? Because that's something I kind of remember you doing when I was a kid. Well, I do like to day that book. Grover, have you been doing a lot of daydreaming? Because that's something I kind of remember you doing when I was a kid. Well, I do like to daydream. I think it is very healthy for everybody to just take a moment and let their mind wander and see where it goes. I'd love to know where does your mind go when you daydream, Grover? What's your happy place? Oh, I like to imagine that I am high on a mountain. I can see the whole world and all of my friends down below. And I wave to them all. That's nice. So, Grover? Yes? There's one really big question, and I don't know if you know the answer to it, but I'm kind of hoping that you do.

And I know that it's the top question for almost every kid. And that is, when is this going to be over? You're asking me? I do not know. Do you know? I thought you might know. I am sorry. I do not know. Do you know? I thought you might know. I am sorry. I do not know.

But that is okay. You know, it is okay not to know things. That is all right. But I know that it will be over someday. And we will all get to see each other again and play with each other again. This is just for now. That is what my mommy says. Oh, I like that.

So, Grover, Corey and I were hoping to get your help playing a game right now, and it's something that helps us stay in the moment so we can think a little bit less about what's going to happen later on. And it's called 5-4-3-2-1.

Okay. Is it the counting game? What are we doing? It's kind of a just living in the moment game. two, one. Okay. Is it the counting game? What are we doing? It's kind of a just living in the moment game. Oh, okay. Here's how you play. I want you to name five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two that you can smell, and then finally one thing that you can taste.

Yeah. And everybody who's listening, you guys can play too if you want along with Grover. Yeah. So five things you can see right now. Oh, all right. Well, I see a tree outside my window. A hat of mine on a coat rack. I guess it really should be on a hat rack, but it is on a coat rack. I will have to deal with that later.

I see my mommy working on her computer. And I see you on my little screen, Corey and Anya. Oh, and of course, the penguins. All right. Now, they are my next meeting. We have a virtual lunch date. I guess they started early in another one of these apps here on my computer. Now, four things that you can touch.

Well, I can touch my soft blue fur, my special pen and my notepad for writing shopping lists. I can touch the chair that I am sitting in. Is that four? I think that is four. Actually, it might have been chair that I am sitting in. Is that four? I think that is four. Actually, it might have been three. That might be five. I gave you a bonus. We need the count here, Grover.

We have the wrong monster. I am sorry. Now, three things that you can hear. Wow. I can hear you, Corey, and Anya crystal clear. Does that count as one or two? Two. I'll give you double credit. And then I can hear my mommy

over across the room clickety-clacketing on her computer. No, it is okay, mommy. No, you are not too loud. Now, two things you can smell. Oh. Well, I think I can smell. Oh. Well, I think I can smell some tuna. Mommy, did you make some tuna sandwiches?

Oh, boy, for lunch. Oh, good. Oh, good. I cannot wait to have that later. And let's see. You know what? I cannot smell anything else over that tuna. Tuna just kind of takes over. It does, doesn't it? Yeah. And then the last thing, one thing you can taste. Well, I can almost taste that tuna. When is lunch? Can I have it early? Well, at least now you're not thinking about the far, far future. You're just thinking about lunch. You know what? You are right. That is a very neat thing you just observed. That if we have little things we look forward to, then we might forget about some of the other things that we are kind of worried about. You know what makes me feel less worried is just kind of talking to our friends and talking to you

i'm feeling a lot better i am helping you right now grover you are the biggest help oh i am blushing i'm wondering grover you know you spend a lot of time talking to younger kids but i know that there are also a lot of older kids right now who are missing their high school graduations, who are missing college graduations, who are feeling really sad. And I'm wondering if you have anything to say to them or even to the grownups who are listening to us right now and feeling a little bit sad or a little bit worried. It is okay to be sad every now and then. That is only human or monster. Everybody who is alive gets sad from time to time, and that is okay. But this is going to pass, and we will all be able to get together,

and we will all be able to celebrate when we do. Okay, I guess it's time for us to say goodbye. Well, before I go, I just want to do something very important. I want to thank all of the people out there who are helping others. You know, like nurses and emergency workers and the people at the stores who go to work every day. And they help people. And that is so important. We should all thank them, whether it is putting a sign out in our windows for the mail carriers who come and deliver us the mail or just standing outside your door or opening your window at night like I do

with all my neighbors and yelling at the top of our lungs, thank you. I love doing that. That's our favorite part of the day over here. In fact, let's send one big radio thank you right now on three, okay? One, two, three.

Thank you. Bye, Grover. Bye. Bye, Corey. Bye, Anya. That's all for our first very special kids-only episode of Life Kit. You can find more Life Kit episodes for parents at npr.org slash lifekit.

And if you love Life Kit and you want more, subscribe to our newsletter. That's at npr.org slash lifekitnewsletter. And if you've got a good tip about parenting during quarantine or a question for us, leave us a voicemail at 202-216-9823 or email us at lifekit at npr.org. A big thank you to all of our friends at Sesame Workshop, including Rosemary Trulio, Lizzie Fishman, Britt Edwards, Eric Jacobson, and of course, Grover. This episode is produced by Sylvie Douglas,

Megan Cain is the managing producer, and Beth Bonovan is our senior editor. I'm Corey Turner, and I'm near. And I'm Anya Kamenetz, and I'm far. Thank you next time. through Fridays, play along with our new game show to What's in a Wow? It's Wow in the World from Tinkercast and NPR. Subscribe and listen now. This message comes from Grammarly. 89% of business leaders say AI is a top priority. The right choice is crucial, which is why teams at one-third of Fortune 500 companies use Grammarly. With top-tier security credentials and 15 years of experience in responsible AI, Grammarly isn't just another AI communication assistant. It's how companies like yours increase productivity

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