by Lee Hill

You probably know Nickelodeon as the home of "Dora the Explorer," "Diego" and "SpongeBob." But what you may not know is that the cable television network is also home to some serious news programs.

Today, we taped an interview with Linda Ellerbee who is hosting a special this Sunday called, "$tre$$ed Out! The Economic Crisis and You." The show features kids, mostly 12 to 14 years of age discussing how the recession is changing their lives. Some of the stories are gut-wrenching.

Here's Leah talking about what happened when both her parents lost their jobs:

Another child who was interviewed is David, who talks about the imminent foreclosure of his family's home:

The special starts with Ellerbee saying "what has happened is not your fault." In this clip, she explains how many kids blame themselves for their parents' economic troubles:

Linda Ellerbee has produced news specials for Nickelodeon for almost twenty years. Before that, she worked as a television correspondent and anchor at NBC and ABC. In the YouTube clip below at 2:41 you can watch a typical Ellerbee anchor introduction.

"And so it goes."

Tune in to Tell Me More on Monday to hear Linda Ellerbee's conversation with Jennifer Ludden — the two discuss how kids are coping with foreclosures, sparse economic resources and dwindling self-esteem in family members due to unemployment