I tend to refrain from linking readers to YouTube-type videos like "See my cat do the Cha Cha," and I share this one with some misgivings. But take a look at this video about a motorized baby chair and tell us what you think.
After viewing the video, scroll to the bottom of this page, click on the "Comment on this article" button and share your reactions to this product.
In the last decade there has been a revolution in our understanding of the minds of infants and young children. We used to believe that babies were irrational, and that their thinking and experience were limited. Now Alison Gopnik — a leading psychologist and philosopher, as well as a mother — explains the cutting-edge scientific and psychological research that has revealed that babies learn more, create more, care more, and experience more than we could ever have imagined.
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Comments (331)
Displaying 5 of 331 Comments [ View all ]Comprehensive Child Development
Long Beach, CA, United States
Dr. Vishton's motorized baby chair could probably be used in a lab setting for 20 minutes with no negative consequences. That being said, there are too many people willing to take advantage of a commercial opportunity and then nobody will have a way of limiting the use to 20 minutes. i'm glad to see from his letter that Dr. Vishton has removed the commercial option.
EHS NRC
Conifer, CO, United States
There is a similar product that has been developed for infants with severe motor disabilities. It is meant to be used after a child has discovered the concept of cause and effect and I think it could be wonderful for that small number of babies who will never achieve locomotion on their own.
Australia
My goodness, how about allowing the child to develop its natural motor skills with adult encouragement? Don't we have enough problems with childhood obesity already???
United States
Babies need to crawl, explore, feel their surroundings and build their muscles. I don't know how that can be accomplished when the baby sits on the motor chair. Unfortunately, some parents are willing to spend a lot of money on gadgets that look "cool".
Early Care and Education Consultant
Urbana, IL, United States
This is horrifying.
It deprives the child of essential motor and perceptual growth and development.
It has the potential for danger...if the chair would reach stairs, open doors, etc...OMG!
If this is a research project to 'see if something would work'...WELL it does. Go on to something else.
If Vichon and company seek to patent, manufacture or market this muscle atrophier and death trap, I urge all government agencies and companies to decline.
'Just because a child CAN do something, does not mean the child SHOULD do it'.
Go to Vichon's web site. Why so many positions in 7 years?
If the College of William and Mary permits this line of research to pass its Committee on Reserach on Human Subjects, it should be investigated by Federal Agencies that support research.
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