Did you know Mr. Snuffleupagus (now called "Snuffy") of Sesame Street was once Big Bird's imaginary friend? Developmentally, it's appropriate for children to create imaginary friends. However, the writers of Sesame Street changed the narrative with this wooly mammoth character. Why? More research began to show that children who have been sexually abused are told by their abuser to "keep it a secret." Sesame Street decided to bring the character out of the imagination and part of the real (Sesame Street) world. Encouraging children to tell adults about any secrets they have coerced into keeping, was an excellent decision on their part. Once again, Sesame Street was ahead of the game! They've explored so many issues like grief, autism, divorce and incareration.