Raising a smart & happy baby

Rogers recently announced a new channel joining their lineup, called BabyTV
http://www.shoprogers.com/store/cable/ptv/programming/baby_tv.asp

This is not good. TV for babies/toddlers is harmful for a child under three's development and general well being. The only defense of programming geared for babies/toddlers is that since some parents are letting their kids watch TV anyways, lets at least give them the right content. But I think parents are being tricked into thinking they are helping their baby with "educational" DVDs or programs. They read the false marketing and don't realize they're being tricked when they buy that "Baby Einstein" dvd.

The American Academy of Pediatrics clearly states that

Children of all ages are constantly learning new things. The first 2 years of life are especially important in the growth and development of your child's brain. During this time, children need good, positive interaction with other children and adults. Too much television can negatively affect early brain development. This is especially true at younger ages, when learning to talk and play with others is so important.

Until more research is done about the effects of TV on very young children, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend television for children age 2 or younger.

How does TV hurt your baby? It's taking away the precious time a baby has that could be used in interacting with people and/or it's environment. There are even studies linking ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) to TV watching for toddlers. But parents are caught between...

1. needing some available time to do household chores or simply some "away" time from babywatching
2. believing the promotional advertising that baby video/tv programs do to falsely promote the benefits of their products

...so they buy into the idea that some "educational" TV watching is good.

http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2006/05/11/baby-tv.html

http://www.sovereignty.org.uk/features/eco/tvdanger.html

http://www.commercialexploitation.org/news/canadababytv.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/20/AR2006032001801.html