Ubalblog

[  Mood: Fed Up WIth Life ]
[  Currently: Listening to CBC Radio ]
So I was listening to the CBC show Q, and they had an interview with a woman who had developed a physical activity program for young babies. Her premise is that this will encourage physical activity in children and combat obesity.

And as the interview went on, I began to shake my head. I saw this as just another attempt to cater to the parents who want to give their child every advantage and push their children ahead. The problem is most of these "programs" are not based on any kind of valid research.

One of the things the woman being interviewed (Doreen Bolhuis – who bears more than a passing resemblance to Sue Sylvester) claimed is that we containerized babies more than we did twenty years ago. To this, I strongly disagree. Twenty years ago, babies were placed in play-pens, strollers, cribs, jolly jumpers and the like far more. Mostly so mothers could get housework done.

Doreen

Sue

Now we live in a different world. We have playmats and bombo seats. My mother-in-law was horrified that I didn’t follow her practice and use a playyard to contain my son while cleaned the house to Martha Stewart standards. I used my playyard only as a crib when I was travelling. The rest of the time my son was free to play on the floor.

I fear this baby gym craze is the same thing as Baby Einstein, a system to assuage the guilt of modern parents. And it will be disproved just as the "make your baby a genius" products. Unfortunately, some parents will be hoodwinked into spending more money on useless products and babies will be sat in front of a TV in order to be "improved".

I say, let your baby crawl instead, wiggle and roll. And keep them away from processed foods like those silly ready made meals, choosing instead to addict them to fruits and vegetables and you will have a healthy, happy child. Better yet, do this with them, and your health might improve. Mine has!