Never let your awake baby stay in a car seat that is not attached to a car for longer than a few minutes at a time. For one thing, babies need to be carried in your arms to get the body-to-body and eye contact they need to enhance their social and overall development. Second, babies left for long periods in car seats that are sitting on the floor miss out on crucial interactive learning time if no one is sitting close by and interacting with them. Of course, babies and young children should always ride in a car seat in a car.
Contrary to popular belief, TV, videos, DVDs, and computer games—even if they are all designed for kids--are not good for your children. In fact, there is mounting and compelling evidence that they are detrimental to your child’s early development and later performance in school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children under 2 years of age have no TV, video, DVD, or computer time. For preschool children, it should be limited to no more than 30 minutes per day. School-age children should have limits on their time, as well. (NOTE: Please resist the urge to put a TV in your young child's bedroom. This is possibly one of the worst gifts you could ever give to your child.)
Don’t be fooled. All those fancy electronic toys that talk to your child and are supposed to teach the ABC’s and 123’s are a poor substitution for the real thing—learning them from you or another human being. No matter how sophisticated the interactive toy is, it can’t compete with real-live human interaction.
For the birth to three crowd, other toys are better. Pick toys like:
Klaras Children’s Center ECI www.kcceci.org
copyright 2006