Elmo seeks to help grieving kids

WASHINGTON — The room was full of military families as Muppets sang new "Sesame Street” songs aimed at preschoolers with parents in faraway Afghanistan and Iraq.

When Elmo, who speaks to that age group as only a 3 -year-old furry red Muppet can, said sadly in his high-pitched voice, "Sometimes there are days when I miss my daddy,” a child in the audience blurted out, "I miss my daddy, too!”

It nearly brought the room to tears.

But organizers and parents know it also shows that where adults fail, fuzzy creatures can succeed: Even when kids are grieving over war and separation, they'll listen to, and learn from, Elmo.

The Elmo event at the Reserve Officers Association in downtown Washington last month kicked off a new "Sesame Street” tour with the USO, of 43 military bases.

The tour is part of "Talk, Listen, Connect,” a joint project between the children's television show and the Department of Defense. Its intent is to help young children cope with deployments, homecomings and parents who return injured.

There are 650,000 children under the age of 5 in Guard, Reserve and active-duty families.