Get Ready, Next Week is Screen-Free Week! April 30-May 6

What is screen-free week?*

This is one week each year where many families commit to turning off all electronic entertainment for an entire week. That means televisions, computers, videos, and any other electronic devises your child may use. This also includes handheld devises and all of those new apps geared toward kids! This might seem very challenging to many of you (including myself) because we definitely live in a world full of technology. Screen-free week is only 7 days long; you can do it, and you might discover something wonderful in the process.

* Screen-Free week is sponsored by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood and is endorsed by hospitals, the Head Start program, the National WIC Association, and local health departments among other groups.

Why screen-free?
Excessive screen time has been linked to:

·        Childhood obesity

·        Poor school performance

·        Attention problems

·        Displacement of other important activities, such as physical activity and creative play

The stats and recommendations

·        Children in America age 2-6 spend an average of 4 hours watching TV per day.

·        According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 29% of children in America under the age of 2 have TVs in their rooms.

·        Preschoolers spend on average 32 hours of screen-time per week.

·        The current AAP recommendation is for children under age 2 to watch NO TV.

·        For older children, the AAP recommends 1-2 hours of supervised TV time per day, and that the programs are educational and non-violent.

·        For a recent post about new recommendations for media use and babies, click here: Baby Behavior in the News: AAP Releases ANew Policy Statement on Media Use and Babies

Alternatives to screen-time
Explore other ways to play and connect with your baby and other children. Here are a few of our past posts that can help you do exactly that.

1. Baby Talk and the Adult Brain Learn about how talking to your baby actually changes the language centers of your brain, especially for mothers.

2. Entertaining Your Baby WithoutBreaking the Bank This post provides some alternative, cost-friendly activities for you and your baby.

3. For Babies, A Little Playtime is aGreat Workout! Read about the importance of “exercise” for babies every day!

4. Babies’ Emotional Development: SocialReferencing (2 part series) Babies learn by looking at and interacting with YOU.

5. Too Much Fun: Preventing Overstimulation in Infants and Toddlers Don’t forget to give your baby breaks from all of this fun play time!

6. Choosing the Right Gift for Baby Learn about toys specific for your baby’s personality.


7. Barriers to Building Relationships with Babies: Marketing and the Perfect Parent Learn about “The Case Against Baby Einstein” (and other videos targeted to infants).

Ideas for the Long Term (Adapted from “What parents can do to guide and reduce screen-time” by The Early Years Institute)

·        Limit hours of TV per day or week

·        Limit screen-time to specific times or days of the week

·        Balance screen-time with playtime

·        Turn off TV during meals

·        Watch appropriate shows together; ask questions about what is happening in the show; talk about the characters’ feelings and decisions.

·        For older kids, talk about the difference between commercials and the regular show. Most kids don’t know the difference.

Technology can be a wonderful thing. Screen-free week is all about discovering alternatives to technology and finding a balance between play time and screen-time, not cutting out all technology for the rest of your life. We know that screen-free time is impossible to follow during the work day, since many of us work on computers. Instead, promote scree-free time at home with your family after work hours and on the weekend. Participate in screen-free week with other friends or family you know; it might make it a little easier! Good luck and know that we are taking the pledge with our own children for no screen-time this next week as well! Tell us your stories of how it goes!

References and Resources

Screen Time FactSheet and Parent Tips (The Early Years Institute)

Official Sitefor Screen-Free Week 2012

AAPRecommendations for TV Viewing

Barriers to Building Relationships with Babies: Marketing and the Perfect Parent

More than 4 million babies are born each year in the United States, millions more are born in other countries around the world. For companies selling goods and services to new parents, these babies represent a perpetual marketing opportunity for an enormous array of products that seem to make it possible to be a “perfect, confident, and carefree” parent. Unfortunately, such marketing may result in desperate parents spending money on things that they don’t need and don’t work. Even worse, some of these products may interfere directly with parents’ relationships with their babies.

Lot’s of Choices, Lot’s of Money

A quick look at baby products listed on a popular discount store website revealed 234 different products intended to help you keep your baby occupied including more than 50 baby gyms, 23 baby swings, and 54 bouncers and “entertainers.” These products ranged in price from about $20 to more than $200 each. The time and costs involved in finding and buying the "best" bouncer or the "perfect" swing must seem staggering to new parents. In addition to the expense, there is another downfall to having so many gizmos available for today’s baby. Much of this baby “gear” (as it is called on the websites) is meant to keep babies quiet and distracted and away from their parents. As you know by now, we emphasize the need to look at your baby, to watch for cues, and to respond. All of these actions build trust and give your baby the best start for future relationships. We’ve also told you how talking to your baby helps your baby build language skills. All the “gear” in the world cannot replace your vital role in your baby’s life. Now, we’re not saying that you shouldn’t have or use any of these products but their overuse can be harmful and you certainly don’t need to have any of them to help your baby grow and develop.

The Case Against Baby Einstein (and other videos targeted to infants)

Over the last few years, videos targeted for infants have also grown in popularity. Many of the manufacturers imply that watching the images and listening to the music on these videos results in enhanced development, increased intelligence, and early school readiness. One of the most well-known of these products in the US is sold under the brand name of “Baby Einstein.” Last October, the Disney Company, the current owner the brand, offered purchasers refunds on the DVDs because of a growing concern that the advertising claims for the videos were not supported by research. In fact, some of the research had indicated that viewing videos at very young ages (6 to 16 months) had actually been associated with temporary delays in language development. Other researchers have found that having a television on in the room mesmerizes babies and reduces their interactions with their caregivers. For young babies, it may not be possible to pay attention to both the images and the sound on videos, limiting their ability learn words associated with the pictures that they see. Babies’ brains are not hardwired to watch and learn from video images, they are hardwired to watch and learn from you! We don’t want you to panic if you’ve been using baby videos to keep your baby occupied during the day. The researchers report that these potential negative effects of video exposure disappear as babies get older. But, you should realize that TV is not a reliable or trustworthy babysitter and lots of TV isn’t good for anyone. The American Academy of Pediatrics has solid evidence behind their recommendation that babies under 2 should not watch TV or videos.

The Good News and the Bad News

The good news is that you really don’t need any of the baby entertainment products to be a wonderful parent. The most valuable entertainer, teacher, and soother for your baby is you. Nothing extra needs to be purchased. The bad news is that your baby really needs your time and energy, just when you might think you don’t have any left to give. Human babies need human beings to comfort, teach, hold, and talk to them.

A large number of you probably just said (maybe out loud) “Get real! How am I supposed to cook dinner, pay the bills, get ready for work, or even take a shower without the swing/cradle/bouncer/baby gym/video products?” You probably think I’ve forgotten about how hard it is to be a parent AND live a life with moments and responsibilities that don’t involve wipees. You might be partially right; it is amazing how the rough parts of parenting fade away with time. Fortunately, I am surrounded by women in the "trenches" ready to share their tips about how they managed to get things done and get through the day without $1400 worth of products or baby videos.

Next time: Some tips for entertaining your busy baby without breaking the bank.