Television Review: A Place of Our Own
What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that this series is intended for
caregivers, not kids. It certainly contains little that could
be called objectionable, but it won't be very entertaining for
kids, either.
Families can talk about the various issues raised on the show.
Should parents encourage their kids to become activists? Why is
it important to learn about science and nature? What kinds of
games do you like to play at home, and why?
To be a parent is to be constantly presented with burning questions. Why won't Marcia eat her carrots? How can I get Billy to stop biting his teacher? When will Connor be ready to throw a ball? Finding answers is easier said than done. Enter A PLACE OF OUR OWN, an educational series for child caregivers that's funded by the Sesame Workshop (of Sesame Street fame). Hosted by genial mom Debi Gutierrez, each show centers around a specific topic: how to keep kids safe on the road, how to encourage children to volunteer in their communities, that sort of thing. Experts and parents hold forth on the topic in short sound bites, providing viewpoints, resources, and tips.
Each episode features a creative activity meant to encourage viewers to ruminate more on the topic of the day. If the topic is healthy eating, for example, a family may demonstrate how to involve kids in cooking a meal. Another episode on encouraging scientific curiosity in kids explained how to help young ones make a nature poster.
A Place of Our Own won't win any awards for sets or costumes. The mood is low-budget and down-to-earth, with an emphasis on solid information over flash. But the show is still appealing, mostly because it provides sympathetic, sound guidance for many of parenthood's difficult questions. Incidentally, the show is connected with an information-rich Web site that's a great resource for parents looking to improve their skills.
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