Say No to Baby TV

08/14/2009

Great teams hold each other accountable, not to rules, but to a standard of excellence.
Jon Gordon, Author and motivational speaker

Common Sense Media is dedicated to improving the media and entertainment lives of kids and families. Among other things this organization provides handouts for parents on the impact of the media on children that can be downloaded for free. In the handout:

61% of babies under 2 years old spend time in front of a screen (and 14% of babies are in front of a television or computer for two or more hours a day).
19% of children 1 year or younger have a TV in the bedroom.
Each hour of viewing baby DVDs/videos is associated with lower vocabulary development for infants.

The handout's introduction points out:

"The programming is adorable. The packaging conjures up famous thinkers and composers. All of this baby media is part of a multimillion-dollar business — a good thing to think about when tempted to buy or use them. After all, you are your baby’s best teacher. So when it comes to trying new ways to help your child think, you may want to start by putting that baby program on pause.

Being with Babies: Understanding and Responding to the Infants in Your Care

Exchange is proud of its book, Being with Babies, a great resource for both beginning and experienced caregivers. Each chapter describes an issue that caregivers face daily, offers scenarios that illustrate the challenge, suggests solutions caregivers can use to address the issue, and concludes with a review of key points. Being with Babies teaches caregivers how to handle everyday challenges while learning about developmental stages. This hands-on resource is perfect for caregivers of children 6 weeks to 18 months old, as well as for staff development and resource libraries. Chapters include information on:

Developing relationships with babies
Using observation to understand babies
Communicating with babies
Selecting appropriate toys
Setting up safe and effective learning environments for babies

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For more information about Exchange's magazine, books, and other products pertaining to ECE, go to www.ccie.com.