1. Listen to what children are telling you!

Too many times through out the show the Baudelaire children encounter Count Olaf in one of his many disguises. When the children try to inform the closest adult, the adult does not believe them. Because disguised Olaf is granted more credibility for merely being an adult.

This even scared me as a child watching the 2004 movie starring Jim Carrey as Count Olaf. I always wondered why the adults wouldn't listen to the kids, which at the time Violet and Klaus were older than me. I also wondered if I ever encountered such a drastic situation, what adult would trust and BELIEVE me should something bad ever happen.

Please listen to children when they confide in you. Create a trusting environment where they feel comfortable to talk to you.

2. Children are smarter than what you think!

While the "average" young adult and/or child would not encounter these types of situations, children are a lot smarter than what we give them credit for. While most kids also don't have a photographic memory similar to Klaus, the Baudelaires seem to get themselves out of every hardship faced, to be smacked with the next unlucky event.

I think this really exemplifies how much young adults and children do understand the world and what adults are telling them. They don't need to be talked down upon to understand what the adults are saying. When provided opportunities, kids can really think outside of the box. Not to mention these specific kids had educated and wealthy parents to give their children a good education.

Always nurture and support developing young adults and kids, they need it.

3. Social workers are NOT bad people.

While Mr. Poe is a banker in the stories, he is acting as the children's social worker. He is trying his best to find the children a good home. Poe is also guilty like the other adults for not listening to the children when they try to tell him that Olaf is after them. However, as soon as he discovers the truth, that it is Count Olaf, he defends the children and tries to relocate them to what he believes is a safer place.

This does not of course include Mr. Poe's behavior in the "Vile Village" where he supports the town's decisions to punish the Baudelaires by being burned at the stake. These two episodes of the "Vile Village" change Violet, Klaus, and Sunny's reputation into criminals. Now instead of being pushed from location to location to meet their new families, they are now on the run and undercover at different points like so many other characters. With these two episodes, Mr. Poe is no longer acting as the children's social worker.