Back in February, my sister “Rachel” asked me if I would mind watching her two daughters, ages 3 and 4, overnight while she and her husband “Alex” went out for their anniversary. I work as ...

I've stopped writing thank-you cards and my kids don't have to write them, either. We express our gratitude in other ways.

Thanks to Netflix, my kids will see it too. My parents read to me every night and bought me preschool workbooks. But the effect “Sesame Street” had on me was distinct from anything they could do.