National Grouch Day: What kids can learn from grumpy characters
Pull out your best pout, scowl, and frown, and get ready to celebrate Sesame Street's National Grouch Day.
According to the Muppet Wiki, "A Grouch's mission in life is to be as miserable and grouchy as possible, and pass that feeling on to everyone else."
Whether on the playground or in the office, kids and adults learn to give cranky people their space 鈥� there may be a method to their grumpiness. In fiction, however, everybody loves a good crabby character. Kids adore Eeyore, Oscar, and Viola Swamp. Adults love Archie Bunker, Groucho Marx, and Grampa Simpson.
While grouchiness may not be a personality trait that you hope to instill in your children, there is something to be said for acknowledging the Oscar the Grouches of the world. Their pessimism, while disheartening at times, can offer a much needed reality check.聽
For kids, these crotchety characters can help children to process a slew of negative emotions that can be overwhelming. They illustrate how one person鈥檚 bad mood can permeate a room and begin to spread. What鈥檚 more they can model language that kids can use to express their own feelings.
Parents can take advantage of these tales to start discussions with kids about feelings. For young children, happy and sad can be very black and white concepts. More complex negative emotions like anger, jealousy, and frustration can quickly become overwhelming. When kids don鈥檛 understand these emotions, they can retreat inward or lash out. Offering kids the chance to explore these emotions through discussion and pretend play can arm them with the necessary vocabulary and coping skills to better deal with them later.
In addition, grumpy character story lines frequently include other characters that offer to help them to feel better with kind words, actions, and just offering to spend time with them. That鈥檚 a lesson every parent can embrace.
