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  • Here at NPR's Life Kit Parenting Podcast we've been looking into different strategies to help kids learn self-regulation, which experts say is an essential skill for success in school and in life.

  • And today we're joined by a very special guest from Sesame Street who has an interesting relationship to self-control.

  • Hey, Cookie!

  • Hi, Cory! Hi.

  • Yeah me, me self-control expert.

  • Expert, really?

  • Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah me control meself (myself) all the time.

  • Me told me feet to walk to studio.

  • Me told me hands to brush me fur for important interview. Self-control!

  • Cookie that, that's not really what I meant by self-control.

  • Oh. What, uh, what you mean?

  • Well, I'm talking about self-regulation.

  • Like, staying calm and resisting impulses.

  • Even when there's something we really, really want to do like, um...

  • Eating these cookies!

  • Not eat cookies! Why wouldn't me want to do that?

  • Well, lots of reasons.

  • So self-regulation helps us learn.

  • It helps us stay healthy.

  • It helps us get along with other people, so, for example, we have these beautiful, fresh, warm cookies, but what's missing?

  • Um, they're not in me tummy?

  • No. Our friend, Anya!

  • Oh, Anya.

  • Wouldn't it be nice if we waited to enjoy them with her?

  • Yeah, me see what you mean.

  • Me going to give it try. Where Anya?

  • Don't worry. It's just gonna be a couple of minutes, she's stuck in traffic.

  • OK, me can do this. Me can wait. Wait for Anya.

  • Ohhh! This not easy for Monster!

  • OK, stop.

  • Think. OK. What could we do to distract ourselves?

  • Me have no idea, just give me strategy.

  • OK, OK. I know! I know!

  • Let's take a nice deep belly breath.

  • But not by the cookies.

  • Yeah, thank you.

  • Because they smell really...

  • Me gonna back away from the cookies. -Here we go. Ready?

  • It's pretty good, huh? - Yeah, yeah, me try it again.

  • Oh boy!

  • Me tummy's got other ideas.

  • It grumbling.

  • OK, OK. Wait. Wait.

  • I have another idea. I have another...

  • Have you read anything interesting lately?

  • Actually me have, yeah.

  • Doctor Zhivago.

  • What did you think of it?

  • A little dry actually.

  • A little dry. Could use some milk for some dunking.

  • - Oh! Cookie! - Would be better in the long run.

  • Milk!

  • We don't have milk!

  • - No! No milk! - Oh there's milk in the kitchen I know.

  • - OK, I'm gonna go get the milk. - Please.

  • - Wait. - What?

  • Is it OK if I leave these here?

  • You gonna be OK?

  • Yeah, yeah, yeah. Me, me, me got this.

  • I believe in you.

  • Me got this.

  • You can do this.

  • Hurry.

  • Go.

  • You're dragging it out too long already.

  • Hurry, Cory! Run like the wind!

  • Oh, boy.

  • Me need another strategy, how about me sing song? Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • What song me know? Oh, oh, oh!

  • C is for cookie! That good enough... No!

  • That a terrible song to sing now!

  • Me look away!

  • Oh, hey Cookie!

  • - I'm so sorry I'm late for the interview. - Hi, Anya.

  • - Are these cookies? Can we chow down? - Yes!

  • Cookie! Ah!

  • - Wait a minute! - What?

  • Anya, me no can believe me saying this, but we have to wait.

  • We have to wait for Cory to come back with milk.

  • Oh, right!

  • Because it would be really kind to wait for our friend.

  • Yes.

  • But Anya, me struggling.

  • -Oh, really? -This no easy for Monster.

  • Well did you try your strategies? Did you try deep belly breath?

  • Yeah, me did that.

  • -Um. Did you try singing a song? -Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • How about um, talking about a book that you've read?

  • Me did the book thing, yeah.

  • Me try all strategies to stay calm and resist cookies.

  • Oh, I think I hear something.

  • - Hey Cory! - Hey you made it!

  • And you waited! Thank you.

  • Oh, but we still need to talk about self-regulation.

  • You know, Cory, I think we already learned quite a bit about it.

  • Yeah, me agree with her.

  • Cookie!

  • Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot.

  • Are these gluten-free?

  • More waiting?

  • That worth the wait.

  • That was worth the wait.

Here at NPR's Life Kit Parenting Podcast we've been looking into different strategies to help kids learn self-regulation, which experts say is an essential skill for success in school and in life.

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