The girls discuss the new "hottie" in town, Everett. They talk about how gorgeous he is and change their behavior to try and impress him. Relatable tween content of having a crush and romance, but not graphic.
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Clementine and her family are African American and live in Chicago. Voice actors voicing family are Black. The podcast portrays a Black family with a strong connection and healthy relationships. Her parents are small business owners, and she and her younger brother help out at the party store they own. There are stereotypical middle school characters like the mean girl, Wilhelmina, and a cute boy named Everett. Everett defies the popular kid stereotype by being (in his words) a "dork" who is down-to-earth and who embraces differences. There are casual mentions of Clementine being gluten free. Clementine and Wilhelmina both try to hide their real personalities and interests to impress a boy, which can come off as relatable, but also perpetuate stereotypes of gender roles.
Give people a chance and don't let jealousy cloud your judgement. It's okay to share your friends. We all have different talents. You can learn from your mistakes and show compassion. To be different is to be unique. Clementine learns to be less possessive of her friend Sunny. She learns that it's okay to be yourself and that we all have different talents.
Positive Role Models
some
Clementine is at the age where she's embarrassed by her parents and is experiencing a lot of friendship turmoil. She sometimes makes bad decisions (like pretending that her family is moving because she wants attention from her friend), but she learns from her mistakes and reconciles with friends and family when they argue. Clementine and Wilhelmina both try to hide their real personalities and interests to impress a boy. Clementine's parents are patient with her and model compassion, trying to help even if she acts like she doesn't want their help. Wilhelmina is the stereotypical "popular" girl, who makes fun of others, especially Clementine, but isn't awarded for her behavior.
Educational Value
very little
Social-emotional lessons are intertwined into the episodes. Clem learns to be less possessive of her friend Sunny. She learns that it's okay to be yourself and that we all have different talents.
Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that The Holidays is a funny and original podcast that centers around Clementine Holiday, an African American 12 year old going through the typical growing pains of entering the tween years. Her parents run a party store at the mall, and have a tradition of celebrating a holiday every day of the year, from National Potato Chip day to National Backwards Day. Clem often feels awkward and makes mistakes as she tries to navigate her preteen years, from trouble with friendships to having a crush, but there's always a lesson to be learned in each episode. Her parents model compassion and understanding, especially her mother who Clementine often confides in. There's some use of disparaging language like "moron","dork" and "jerk". This show is most likely relatable to preteens and is also fun for adults.
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What’s It About?
This podcast tells the story of a 12-year-old girl, Clementine Holiday, and her life growing up in a very unique family. Each episode of THE HOLIDAYS is based around a daily holiday (like National Potato Chip Day) that the family celebrates, partly because they run a party store, but mostly because they love celebrating together. Clementine's dad makes corny dad jokes, and her little brother Corey loves to push her buttons. It can be awkward for Clem as she tries to navigate her family life and her middle school life, which includes friend drama, mean girls, and a cute new boy she has newfound feelings for. She may not always make the best decisions, but she learns from her mistakes. The show is created by voice actor Aneesha DuBois and children's author Patrick Carman.
This podcast works because of its combination of humor, unique concept, and empathy geared toward the often overlooked tween audience.The Holidays uses an unusual premise to introduce a very relatable concept: the growing pains of becoming a preteen. Like many kids her age, the main character Clementine gets embarrassed by her parents and fights with her little brother. While she has good friends (including her BFF Sunny), she also deals with the catty behavior of some of her peers. Whether you're a tween, teen or full-fledged adult, there's often cringe-worthy moments in Clementine's experiences we can relate to all-too-well. Clem rides the waves of insecurities, while learning that it's okay to be her unique self. This show is a perfect blend of tween angst mixed with the comfort and joy of family traditions.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how a recurring theme in the The Holidays is Clem feeling embarrassed by her family as she gets older. Is it okay to feel awkward or embarrassed sometimes? How do you deal with it?
Clementine and Wilhelmina both try to hide their real personalities and interests to impress a boy, something you might have seen in TV shows and movies too. Why do you think this is so common in tween and teen entertainment? What message does this send?
Clem and her family are African American and live in Chicago. Her parents are small business owners and her family has a close relationship. Do you think families like Clem's are well represented in podcasts or TV shows? Why or why not?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by
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Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
By Lakshmi Hutchinson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
