Teletubbies : Not for Toddlers (Continued)       

© 1998 Jeanne Beckman 

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I realize that many parents are in a bind when they must do work that requires great concentration.  Sometimes, parents can save this kind of work for periods when their child is napping or short periods where the child is playing on the floor or in a playpen with toys.  If this does not work, most parents have found that alternate caregiver arrangements must be arranged.  Even though some parents feel guilty about such child care arrangements, they should know that utilizing a human babysitter or childcare center at least provides your child with an opportunity to interact with humans that no television program can provide.
Hearing a nursery rhyme repeated in a robotic voice from a "voice trumpet" on TV's Teletubbies cannot ever compare with sitting in the lap of a human, hearing a nursery rhyme, story, or song chosen by your child.
I encourage parents to trust their instincts about their children.  Your young child adores you and wants to be right there with you.  Bring your infant with you when you move from room to room.  When your child calls out to you, call back, sing back, or recite some of those nursery rhymes permanently etched in your brain.  Passive babies are not healthy babies.  Babies learn by interacting with others and by acting on their world, not by passively watching television.        END

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