These “Baby Development” Videos Aren’t What They Claim

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks for watching. Did this information surprise you? Don't forget to get your free 0 - 12 months old developmental milestone chart here: brightestbeginning.com/checklist/

[@viselli236]

How about Miss Rachel she’s on TikTok like you

[@mayawinkler3756]

Hi! This was a big surprise, and made me spiral .I was watching a LOT of Tv wen I was a toddler , till the age of 7 .... However because of this at age 8 I was fluent in English,German , Spanish and had no issues with my native tongue (Romanian) .Now that I have a toddler I was using videos to teach her German .She understands about 100 words in German and Romanian .Now I do not know what to do ......she has 2h of screen time and I see results (she is 14 months) Is this study only on constrast videos, and baby shows , or also on educational videos ?

[@LunaBlitz]

Anytime I bring this up or share the video people always argue, but what about Miss Rachel? To me it's all screen time, but what do you think Emma? Thanks!

[@LunaBlitz]

@@viselli236 she's on KZbin too

[@jacquelineho248]

@@mayawinkler3756 ii h

[@Lilaliba88]

Thank you, Emma, for this video! My daughter is now 11 months old and I am guilty of occasionally putting her in front of a tablet for a couple of children's songs/nursery rhymes, just a few minutes a day, you know those with bright illustrations. Their effect was DEVASTATING, she got hooked in a minute and she requested us to show her more and more, she didn't want to play anymore (she loves to stand and cruise, is proficient in turning book pages and pointing on objects/animals we name, same with her toys and a lot of objects and laughs when we pretend-play etc.). She was basically dragging the tablet/phones any time she had the chance and was fussing all day long until we gave her the screen she wanted. Sure she found very entertaining what she heard and saw, but it was sad to see that she's coming to us climbing up on our legs only to get that damn tablet from the drawer/table. We had a couple of hard days distracting her so that now she doesn't want the devices anymore and happy to play and interact all day long again. We don't have a television (so no background TV either ) and we will try to avoid screens as much as possible because it's surely not beneficial for a baby/toddler to sit in front of them like a zombie and not want to do anything else.

[@AmericanAccentMastery]

Thanks for sharing your experience to help other parents! 💕

[@Lilaliba88]

@@AmericanAccentMastery you're welcome. I try to share as many real experiences if the topic is about this as I can.

[@remaininganonymous4129]

Exactly this! They are addictive. In my opinion it is freaky how it can cause addiction. It isn't called TV programming for nothing. There's science behind these things, they weren't invented with good intentions. Fair enough let them watch occasionally but if your child displays addictive behaviour towards it there is an issue. I've never liked TV, I don't like how mindless the majority become when watching.

[@sandysanchez7151]

I noticed the same behavior with my 16 month old- her grandparents began to show her videos 🤦🏽‍♀️ and now she's hooked! Is it maybe slightly better that she likes to watch her own home videos? (They're videos of herself playing)

[@weekendnomad5038]

My teenager played this for my newborn the other day and honestly I’d do anything to get him to stop crying and get sleep (he’s sick) he was entertained and fell asleep. It’s all about balance. I spend all my time with him.. most of the time I’m holding him but sometimes he gets the dancing fruit so that I can rest

[@anuzis]

For many parents, the question is not "Do these videos deliver the benefits they promise?" The pressing question is: "Are these videos safe to keep baby entertained?" Or more specifically in our case, with two parents working remotely from home full time, the question is "At times when we need to work, educational video designed for babies are clearly effective at reducing crying and keeping our 5-month old entertained. Is it really better for her to be in a rocker with minimal stimulation during times we must work?" We've been concerned about this, and your video raises more questions than it answers in how it differs from research we've reviewed. Parenting Science's article titled "The effects of television on speech development: Is it helpful or harmful?" which reviews related research from 2009-2021 includes this excerpt: "For example, in one study, Frederick Zimmerman and Dmitri Christakis tracked toddlers over time, and looked for links between early television viewing habits (before age 3) and later attention problems. The researchers found no attention problems associated with watching high-quality, age-appropriate educational content. But the situation was different for violent content, and for non-educational entertainment. If kids were in the habit of watching violent or non-educational television programs before the age of 3, they were more likely to experience attention problems at the age of 4 or 5." Intuitively, it's easy to see how the example clips in your video of over stimulation would not be helpful. However, there is still the question of whether there's a safe middle ground of content such as that seen on SuperSimple or Baby Learning with Ms Rachel, where videos are carefully edited with slow songs with demonstrations of the meanings of basic words. Even if it's too early to learn what a "dog" or "cat" are, if the baby enjoys them, the question most busy parents are concerned about is "Are these educational videos actively harmful?" According to the Parenting Science research, probably not, but we are interested in learning more. Specifically, it would be helpful to see a followup video addressing the nuances here, and potentially offering effective alternatives for parents who don't have the luxury of constant interaction and must at times allow the baby to learn on their own. Following your other advice on the channel we're aiming to approach 60 mins/day tummy time by month 6, but that leaves many hours of the day an open question mark for working parents. Appreciate any additional insights you can share.

[@kln9674]

👏 All of this! My husband works 2 jobs outside of the home. I work from home and sometimes I just really need to get some work done. Or cooking. Or cleaning. Or even a five minute mental break so I don’t have a mental breakdown. It’s hard enough to parent in an age and country where support systems are seriously lacking, let alone worrying that playing a video, even an educational one, will do irreparable damage to a young child’s brain.

[@kmoon33]

As times evolve there will always be critics against changes. There were people back in certain times that believed if you “spared the rod you would spoil the child”, in other word if you didn’t beat your kids your kids would turn out spoiled and rotten. They would send their kids outside unsupervised to get them out of their hair while they were busy but now both those things are argued against. It’s more about balance than anything else in my opinion. Like don’t prop them up in front of the tv all day long and hardly interact with them.

[@rhedded]

I was thinking the same thing because I just started showing my one year old Ms. Rachel and she's been learning a lot from her. We still play on the floor together but when I need to do something, she learns new gestures songs and words that we get to practice and sing together throughout the day.

[@edinburghwalker5569]

What an incredibly idiotic comment. To insinuate your working from home life is too difficult to manage alongside a child shows 1. A lack of understanding of the entire of human history - in which no parent could shirk off their parenting responsibility to a screen and 2. A lack of priorities. If you can't work and look after your baby without a screen - reduce your work hours or quit it altogether. In a world where ADULTS struggle to get things done due to screen addiction, to even suggest it is okay to give screens to a child is absolutely disgusting.

[@xingxingcheng202]

We're working parents too so I get your strain. Honestly I think the answer may just be that it is probably not great long-term to work from home (WFH) without actual childcare. I get doing this during the lock-down when there weren't any options, and in that case you just gotta do whatever to get through the day. However, most of the research coming out during the pandemic era have shown negative effects on child development due to the lack of social interactions. Now regarding whether it's better to have a baby watch these videos or sit around : I'd probably opt for the latter. I'm reading Maria Montessori right now and she talks about how sense develop best when when distractions are eliminated (for instance, establishing total silence before playing notes on a piano). That's the problem with these videos: there's too much stuff going on and too many distractions. So if you give her some objects with different textures and colors that she can look at and play, she will get to exercise her senses (vision, touch) and fine motor skills. Give her audio books with nursery rhymes and songs so she can exercise listening to speech, and turn up your meeting call volume so she can eavesdrop. If you have an older baby or toddler, I think Emma made some videos about how to teach independent play.

[@wriggleandroll]

Thank you SO much for this video! My second child was born during lockdown and I was surprised whilst looking for interactive sensory resources for my young baby how the majority of what I found was this passive, high screen time videos and that is the EXACT reason I created my channel! Instead of songs that children passively watch, I am aiming to guide parents in how they can sing and interact with their babies- so that the parent follows me and the babies have all their attention focused on their parent and not the screen. There seems to be such a lack of resources in this area so I'm really hoping it can help parents that want this support in helping with their child development, and bonding without the screen time! As such an expert I would LOVE your opinion, really hope you like what I'm doing!

[@EmmaHubbard]

That's awesome! It's so great that you're showing us how to play and interact with our little ones through song. I hope your channel does well!

[@wriggleandroll]

@@EmmaHubbard Thank you so much Emma, that really means a lot to me! Your channel is certainly an inspiration!!!

[@ecidnac1988]

Thanks for sharing. I don't have kids (yet) but will definitely enjoy using some of your activities with my nieces and nephews. I see them at least weekly and I love playing with them 😁

[@Echoia]

I love this! I had twin girls in the middle of this mess, and that's exactly what I used KZbin baby videos for- my girls couldn't see the screen, but I would play videos that helped keep me going (because sometimes you can't think of even one more song to sing! having endless hours of videos that lead the way really helped) through the exhaustion of twin newborn and infant days.

[@wriggleandroll]

@@Echoia 100% agree! Just not having to think about what to sing next is a help in itself when we are already thinking about SO much!!!

[@nfelisshia]

My child watched these videos while I was right there explaining what he saw. When he hit 1, he knew how to say blue, red and yellow and how to make the a, b, and c letter sounds. He knew his shapes and learned about the world around him (he was an inside mostly pandemic infant) so the videos helped me show him a lot that he didn’t get to see outdoors. I timed each of his sessions and they were no more than 10-15 min spread out sporadically throughout the day while I talked to him about the video.

[@EmmaHubbard]

It's great that you were able to sit beside him and explain what he was seeing on the screen.

[@yro82]

As the babysitter for my nephew, tv time is enrichment time. I’ll sing, laugh, play and crawl/chase him around. He just turned 1 but I’ve been there since he was born, singing to him. When I turn on his programs, he screams with excitement and wiggles/jumps because he KNOWS it’s play time. He gets at least, 6 hours a week of complete 1 on 1 time with a caregiver.

[@tiffanynicole5920]

We just found out a couple months ago that my 21 month old is autistic. Literally the only thing that keeps her calm is watching stuff like Ms. Racheal and Cocomelon being her favorite. There’s also Super Simple and nursery rhymes. Her therapist actually recommends TV for her since she learns a little differently than other babies. She learns by the words on TV being repeated since she doesn’t really acknowledge anyone or anything else. But she’s currently in speech therapy and a few other things so we’re working on it. Don’t have mom guilt ladies. I do often but then I always know I’m doing my absolute best. I stay home with my 21 month old while my husband works 12 hours shifts. I also have a 11 and 13 year that still needs me more than ever and taking care of a baby with autism is a constant 24/7 nonstop going thing. I’m usually more wore out by the end of the day more than my husband is working all day 😂 So moms just know your doing your best and that’s ALL that matters!!

[@MB-ml8ti]

This is the same for my son. The things he was able to learn because he never looked to us.. she missed a whole population of people rather than thinking about it as a whole. My son is non verbal, level 3 and now 4yrs old he shows us with objects like puzzles and games on the tablet that he can count, do the alphabet, colour match, shape match etc etc. We do what we need to and we have both speech and OT involved and all have been impressed with the progress he has made and understand the need for other visuals. Always do whats best for you and not what this lady thinks is a one size fits all.

[@rhedded]

I've always been SUPER against cocomelon, but my little one just started watching Ms. Rachel not too long ago and she's actually learning new words and wants to play with her toys more after watching her. When she was a newborn, she watched music videos all day and I'm just now seeing this video like, "Oh...that's why she only just recently started walking......." Then again, her dad is autistic and I'm suspicious that I am too, so this might have been inevitable....(not that it makes it any better)

[@tiffanynicole5920]

@@rhedded My daughter has loved TV since she was just a few months old. Before we found out about her autism, we actually took away Cocomelon thinking that was the cause of her not talking but it was in fact the opposite. She can get overstimulated by watching certain Cocomelon songs but for the most part it’s how she learns and is recommended by her therapist. I was surprised by this too

[@tiffanynicole5920]

@@MB-ml8ti Yes exactly!!! Always do what best for YOUR child. Every child is different, therefore they learn differently. There is no right way to parenting. If there was then we would all do the same

[@bianka4001]

@@rhedded Our daughter is extremely active, she is hitting all milestones early despite us listening to music on the PC and her being used to the screen being on in the background because of it. She is actually not really interested in the screen though she loves bouncing to the music. My friends son was a very late crawler and walker despite not being a second in front of any screen. So don't worry about it.

[@lollnr3447]

For all the moms who may be battling some mom guilt around this- you're doing your best and your baby will be just fine! Parent with love and do what you need to do to get through the day- your little one will thrive ☺️

[@trichopython]

yes sometimes I think some things can be "overscienced" :D ;)

[@HarrietD-ph7bw]

Or maybe people feel guilt for a reason? Because things they know are harmful shouldn’t be minimized with “oh well I’m doing my best!”

[@remaininganonymous4129]

​@@HarrietD-ph7bw well said.

[@remaininganonymous4129]

The point of the video is literally telling us screens can actually be harmful. Babies don't need screens to be occupied.

[@MimiRAM0NE]

My grama's logic for giving us whiskey gums while teething 🙄

[@jinxywoo]

Please can you make a video with some suggestions for the parents that are using these videos to entertain their babies or find time for other tasks during the day? Little one is no longer napping as much and these really are a sanity saver when it buys you some time to get things done!

[@Neonleaf7]

I really like Caitlins classroom, Miss Moni, Miss Rachel, Paisley's corner, Eric carle animated stories (hungry caterpillar, papa please get the moon for me, the mixed up chameleon, the very quiet cricket)

[@jaybright87]

Miss Rachel is amazing! We watch for about 10-15 minutes during the weekday. Based on the research shared- I’ve concluded that it’s okay in small doses. Everything shared was about excessive screen time.

[@thiec.1513]

Hi Emma, thank you for educating us about these so-called beneficial baby videos. I’m guilty of letting my baby watch tv when I’m exhausted, needing to do something important, and also during Nappy changes because she absolutely HATES getting her bum changed so she always tries to crawl away 🥲😬.

[@Lilletia]

Thanks for making this video! I've heard a lot about screen time before 2 years old causing speech and language delays, but to hear actual numbers was really valuable

[@EmmaHubbard]

You're very welcome!

[@dianab3005]

I'll occasionally have nature documentaries playing on the TV for my one year old while she plays, but they're on mute so she doesn't just zone out in front of the TV. We do a few episodes of Bluey if I need to distract her, but otherwise I try and let her play or follow me around. It's ok to be bored! ❤️

[@Squishy876]

I don't know why these results always make it sound like the child is just watching TV and not being talked to or played with. I don't know any parent who's fine just letting them watch TV and not engaging with them ever

[@rhedded]

Yeah, I only use television to entertain my little one so I can clean or use the bathroom. This was impossible to explain to my mother in law. She loves TV AND books.

[@glowdielock8090]

This definitely gives me mom guilt. I work full time at home and take care of my 14th month old and ms. Rachel is literally how I get through the day. Sometimes she has to be on majority of the day with breaks and I feel so bad but I have to provide..

[@brankitsam]

Ms rachel is the best my little one is bilingual and he loves her . Learned so much from her too. So yes its allowed screen time and also hey duggee 🤣 You are doing great atleast your little one is learning something ❤

[@valeriahaze9509]

Hello, you don`t have to be sorry about it, just because some utube pediatr using 20 y.o. research trying to guilt trap you just for views and likes under her video. I`m in the similar situation and my 2 yo at the time was able to count to 20 and knew alphabet from those videos. Same our parents and granparents was told about tv and radio, books, electricity, etc. just ridiculous

[@SarahK86]

@@valeriahaze9509 Oh I didn't Know 2019 was 20 years ago. She mentioned Newer research.

[@valeriahaze9509]

@@SarahK86 check description box under the video, there is few studies, one is from 2004, 2009, 2016

[@valeriahaze9509]

@@SarahK86 2004 was 18 years ago, in case of what

[@anniemaunder2677]

Thank you so much for this video! My friends and family always think I am exaggerating or too strict with my baby because I don’t want her to watch TV. I’m glad more people will have access to this information thanks to your work!

[@EmmaHubbard]

You are so welcome!

[@moniquegarcia4957]

Same here!

[@wisdomofthewolf]

Agreed!!

[@natashap3583]

I've experienced the same. When my baby is looked after by her grandparents she watches videos constantly because "she likes it" and they think I'm exaggerating when I've asked them to play and read to her instead because it's not beneficial.

[@moniquegarcia4957]

What baffles me, it is that parents think that the baby is intelligent because use the remote control or do search in KZbin. That’s nothing! Compare the motor fine skills that they need with just scrolling on a screen 🤦‍♀️

[@chris-ryan]

Not just babies, I've lost hours spacing out distracted by these things

[@theimprobableone8635]

Yeah I don’t let my toddler watch tv or have any screen time. She has seen very few videos, like I can count on one hand how many short videos I’ve let her watch, and people are always commenting on how chill she is and how focused she is while reading books. Definitely going to stick with extremely limited screen time for all her childhood!

[@StephenFrysmanboobs]

Same we had a strict no cocomelon rule with our daughter and KZbin videos including sensory videos. Our family knew and understood. We played music for her a lot. Now everyone says she is so chill. So easy to hang out with. At her 18mo check up she was meeting the language and communication targets for a 2 and a 1/2yo.

[@ashleyb.5846]

Meh, sometimes it’s just a personality type. I get compliments on how chill my 2 year old is and how great she plays independently, focuses on tasks like story time or coloring (really just scribbling at her age) etc. I get similar comments about my 14 year old, while my 4 year old is a much more high strung personality completely. I have always used screens with my kids without guilt or hesitation, whenever I needed to. 2 out of my 3 are the chill type, and the not so chill type is that way because of spd and other things, not screen time. Not saying screens 24/7 is great. Just that if you have more kids, don’t be surprised if they are not the same personality, even if they get the same lack of screens. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[@Beachandpool]

​@@ashleyb.5846 Well said!👍

[@mf1193]

I love this! I originally learned a whole lot about this after seeing the TEDtalk by Dimitri Christakis and referred to a lot of that information when talking with the parents of my preschool students in regards to responsible monitoring and limiting screen time/television use - but I enjoyed your version as well, very concise and informative with better approaches with infants and very young children!

[@hansta2040]

I have to disagree with those study. When I was a baby, parents did let me watch a lot of Disney movies. (When I was about 7 months old, I turned on VHS by myself.) At school a good/very good pupil. Now also I have no problems, I speak four languages.

[@kmoon33]

Agreed, I think it’s more about having a good balance and also depending on what you let the kids watch. My son began to speak clear words at 11 months old and I occasionally let him watch videos

[@rhedded]

Reading comments like these are making me feel better lol. I was thinking about how I started showing my little one Ms. Rachel and she's been learning new words and songs. Sometimes, even when the TV is off, she'll just start singing and dancing and she tries her new words while playing with her blocks. You also reminded me that I was a TV kid and I still am a TV kid lol. I don't speak four languages but I am a social butterfly

[@Ginger_Spicy_Candor]

You being an exception to the general rule does not negate the study. You are one person. And likely had parents who were still speaking with you despite watching vhs. I treat patients everyday who are not verbal and whose parents are literally just throwing them in front of screens.

[@melissabrock4114]

So? You're the exception, the results of the study are still relevant

[@azucaviper]

Exactly if you play whit your child and you put the videos when youre busy, don’t have to be bad

[@a.h.9637]

What about more "interactive" shows like Ms Rachel? I don`t do screentime with my 7 month old at all currently, but I watched a Ms Rachel video and I imagine it could actually help speech development in toddlers when used in combination with other tools (reading, conversation). Although personally, I do find her videos to be very long, no way would I put my toddler in front of the TV for an entire hour.

[@swiftla]

I was thinking this. My son watches ms Rachel (he is 13 months) but I find he watches for around 15-20 minutes, then the rest of the time hes walking around/playing with toys.. and it just comes under the category of 'TV in the background' which, as Emma points out, has negative affects. So I guess il only have it on when he is paying attention and I'm with him watching it

[@celinapofahl3527]

I’d love to know too! Ms Rachel is how I cook breakfast and dinner. Other than that me and my one year old read and play all day.

[@Sunnykiwi07]

I'm wondering the same thing. My baby is 11 months old. I only let her watch about five minutes of a Ms Rachel video a day and it's usually with me copying the hand movements or singing along but now I'm wondering if even that's damaging.

[@jaybright87]

@@Sunnykiwi07 we do the same! I kinda doubt it though because all the research shared was about excessive (more than an hour) of screen time. I’d love to see research on screen time that’s 15 minutes or less.

[@rebeccad7044]

I started mrs Rachel a couple weeks ago in the mornings and my baby started zoning out, even looking at my face with eyes dazed. We stopped three days ago and thankfully she hasn’t done it since! She is 16 months so I think I will wait a little longer to introduce screen time again.

[@marinak433]

What about showing baby videos of themselves? I show my 15 month old videos that I record of him and he loves it. He’s very attentive while watching and smiles and laughs at some parts. That’s the only screen time he gets : )

[@Toughmittens]

I never thought these videos were educational. It was only used for my son to distract him as he is extremely hyperactive and never let me have a moments peace constantly wanting stimulation and never taking any naps. These let me take a break but I could tell that these are the equivalent of staring at a lava lamp.

[@Russiageek]

Though I do understand what is being said in this video, I find that watching tv actually helps my toddler’s language development. My little girl is now 23 months old and she speaks in full sentences, is conjugating verbs and using prepositions. At daycare they often tell us how advanced her language is. She is also hitting all of her milestones for motor skills early and is very close to being potty trained. She has never watched those sensory videos though. We let her watch age appropriate shows, like Bing or Bluey. She especially loves Bing, because it is all very relatable to her.

[@bootedbuilds]

Thank you very much for this video. I already knew that 'screen time' didn't enhance a baby's development, but I wasn't aware of how much damage it actually did. But it's definitely true that I'm less verbal when there's background noise. No more 'background TV' while eating for us! Got any tips to get my son (15 months) to eat without the TV distracting him? He slaps away/throws away the food unless there's something to distract him. I'm using a variety of tricks: background TV, playing with food (spoon = airplane, but also duplo blocks, wood puzzles, and anything, basically), reading books and so forth. But the main reason I was using the TV was because I was getting a bit tired of getting food all over the toys and books. Also, what about background music? I've always enjoyed having some music play in the background, just for the sound of it, and my son seems to rather like it. He's very "sound focused". Similarly, do you have any tips or tricks to recover from speech delay? I'm not worrying, yet, but it's a fact that my son's speech development is on the slow side. I'm a single mom, not used to talking for the sake of talking, my son doesn't seem to be enjoying me reading him books at all (he just pushes them away and either starts crying or goes off to play), and I've been told that singing also doesn't help much because it doesn't help him "understand" the words... I'm trying to verbalize whatever I'm doing at that point in time, but I don't think I'm hitting those 1000 words per hour, simply because it doesn't come naturally to me.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Background tv can be very distracting during mealtimes and also make the mealtime drag on, as the little ones often become distracted by the tv and stop focusing on the mealtime.

[@littlevalleyhomestead]

My daughter loves them. She watches these in the car (1-2x a week) and usually falls asleep to them. She's 9 months old.

[@durkadurk1383]

We watch one hey bear video a day on the computer. My son's eyes are glued to the screen. He has torticollis and I swivel on the chair slowly the entire time so he is looking forward then looking to the right. It is helping him in that way.

[@nicolefisher4779]

I am so surprised you didn’t know of these videos especially since you’re on KZbin. I can’t believe some parents think these videos are helping their baby. I very rarely put on Hey Bear and when i do I always dance with my baby so she is engaging with me rather than staring at the screen. What about content like Ms. Rachel or Sesame Street? She’s 11 months. She “talks” a lot. And we talk to her all day long. I really enjoy your content btw.

[@rosebaby808]

We don't watch tv, but I do like to have the radio on during the day. Sometimes it's talk radio. Sometimes it's music. Could having the radio on in the background rather than tv also reduce the number of words a parent says to a baby and delay speech development?

[@rachelle2227]

I only let my baby watch the tiniest amount of screen time (usually 5 minutes or less) so I can cut her nails (if nothing else will distract her), to use the nose aspirator, or if nothing else will entertain her if I’m using the bathroom. I do keep KZbin videos on in the background sometimes during the day, but on my tablet out of her view, so it doesn’t distract her at all, and I still talk to her all the time. This keeps my sanity as a SAHM. I make the effort to talk to her as much as I can, and at almost 10 months old, she’s definitely starting to use sounds and baby sign language in communication.

[@Blueocean143]

With the baby senserory, I found that my baby was stimulated very quickly, which resulted in shutting off. For several days and weeks to eventually, I stopped the videos for very long periods of time. It's important to pay attention to any sign you baby has had enough and try to end anything on good notes to maintain their natural abilities, not to "numb" everything. Interactive videos with mom and baby while having breakfast seem to be beneficial and enjoyable time together.

[@Ilovechickpeas]

People think it’s so strange that I don’t let my 6 month old watch tv. I want keep her screen free until 2-3. She will have years to stare at a screen. I want her to play and interact with me, not zone out. Yes it’s hard - I have a clingy baby but it’s important to me.

[@Seinneka83]

If your baby has watched some tv already is it too late for them to not have development delays and attention issues? My Grandson is 7 months old and his mom frequently has Cocomelon playing for him and I see him staring at the tv often like he's in a trance.

[@KelseyAlexandrea]

The best time to stop is now. Especially Cocomelon. It's terrible for babies

[@sofiabravo1994]

@@KelseyAlexandrea it’s modern mk ultra

[@KelseyAlexandrea]

@@sofiabravo1994 100%

[@emilycurtis4398]

The clips are reminding me of the Baby Einstein video craze. That being said, I'll put on Ms Rachel/ Songs for Littles as needed. I have to get better about not having the TV on for background noise. I usually can focus with some music on in the background, but now I worry he's a little delayed in his language development.

[@viennamoegi3929]

This video has just earned you a new subscriber. Thank you for this video. My son is 4 weeks old and I always come to your page for tips but never subscribed. This video proves am here to stay. Much love from a Kenyan 🇰🇪 living in Qatar 🇶🇦

[@livyyybbyyy]

I’m curious of your opinion of something like Ms. Rachel, which is “intended” for interaction and learning.

[@Mamahand]

I’m super aware of how much time I let my baby consume tv, 30 minutes a day unless he’s super fussy and nothing will calm him down! But like so many others have said it’s about balance. I use hey bear as a tool not as a babysitter!

[@MsNathaliabello]

I wonder if the issues with the watching tv parents is that they were not spending time talking and playing with their kids and that’s why the kids didn’t learn as much as fast, and not the watching tv by itself. I watch tv and my baby is usually with me because he will cry 90% of time I’m not holding him( he is almost 3 months). So sometimes he watches tv because that’s what I’m doing. But I also play and talk with him and he seems to be developing fine, he motions like crawling when doing tummy time, he likes watching people doing stuff, shows his tongue when I show mine, smiles when I send kisses to him, babbles a lot, loves books. So I think personally that spending lots of time only watching tv is def not good but it’s not terrible if a baby watches a video or two during the day so the parents can do something else that is not caring for the baby.

[@sandraa.8704]

I loved the hey bear videos ! Btw my child doesn't really watch tv, she just never had the patience to sit and watch. However.. for stimuling her at few months old, to keep her head up whilest tummy time, it did wonders. Also the hey bear relaxing luna videos were the only sounds that would make my daughter fall asleep when she was really upset or overstimulated. She's 13 months now and luna video is still my emergency go to.

[@o0KugelkaktuS0o]

i don't know why the algorithm recommended this to me, since I don't have children, but damn is this important information! I was unsurprised by the uselessnes of baby sensory TV, but I had no clue about how negatively this affects child development.

[@MB-ml8ti]

It's very beneficial for those of us with autistic children that wont look at us. They can learn quite well especially if you can try interacting with that. She has only looked at possibles and not a full population which is sad.

[@qpixelthree80]

Wish I could blame tv for my adhd.. we didn’t even have a tv until I was 6 🙈 still ended up with adhd and only started passing/meeting my language levels after age 10 when I started reading more

[@kathleenruss940]

Thank you for this video. I often wondered what TV, videos were helping my grandson or not. After this video I know. Thank you, I can tell you love your job.

[@serenade6408]

Hi Emma, I like how you explain it.... my son is 28 yo and he is eating spoon-feed while watching video... I'm desperately to make him eat enough, his diets only rice soup, crunchy snacks, nuts, papaya. Sometimes he wants noodle / bread. He hates meats and eggs. He's not drink enough, often constipated, I used to spoon milk & water to make sure he's hydrated during the day, I've offer straw & glass, he's capable but he only takes 2-3 sips even he's after running around. I've tried to let him self-feed, the way he is refuse foods, the portion too small so he can't gain weight... I tried also distracted feeding by his toys, but he's often spit out foods even he likes it, because he doesn't spit it out if self feed. He keeps asking to reduce the amount of food on the spoon. I think he has sensory + oromotor issue, but my town doesn't have any therapist / pediatric that concern about it. So What do you think better ?

[@katieloveridge5882]

Can I ask what you think about the 'Songs for littles' videos? The lady who makes them does seem to be qualified in this area?

[@mouselovemakesmehapy]

What are your thoughts on Ms. Rachel for toddlers?

[@jammies8075]

KZbin Kids is the devil, seriously. Theres on tons of videos ON KZbin ITSELF, about the harmful NFSW content the just autoplays and gets worse because the algorithm makes certain videos pop up that is disguised as kids content. It's creepy. A lot of parents still use that app, so just spread awareness please.

[@BrianWader]

I refer to this channel "the british lady emma hubbard" (Just occurred to me she more likely to be Australian or from New Zealand from the red nose Australia references) We believe ms rachel helped us to practice clapping and started she waving recently. I learned some sign language. It will be hard to limit tv time for our 1 year old as she loves yo gabba gabba, ms rachel, and blues clues, and trying to get chores and work around house done. Goal will be to turn the tv off more often and let her play and especially if i have time to lay on the floor with her , to turn tv off. Its not a good distraction. Shes so glued to ms rachel she ignores us standing or sitting there in pen too often. So i will try turn tv off and get more quality time in after learning of these statistics and studies. I get tired of the baby shows repetition and need a break from "hiiii. Hellllo! Can you say mama?", so i turn tv off when i am off work watching her to feed her her milk. Kitchen is easy solid foods its dogs bumming and opportunists for baby dropping food or dog licks. I Still have hold her with both hands to get her to drink her milk. My one hand behind head and neck and other on bottle holding up and shes sitting in my lap one leg crossed over baby on my leg.

[@ap3008]

That’s why when I’ll have a baby, I won’t let him or her watch TV or videos since 2 years old at least. I read an article also. I know watching TV and engaging with my phone affects even me as an adult, I am thinking it probably would affect them more as their brain is in developmental stage…

[@meghancooley9306]

Wowee Emma what another interesting video. I did not expect tv and technology had that great of an impact. I definitely will be backing off screen time with my two kids. Thanks Emma 👏👍

[@EmmaHubbard]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Dana-mb1hd]

Now I feel guilty but it’s a good thing! THANK you Emma for opening my eyes💖

[@EmmaHubbard]

Don't feel guilty. It's really common for people to have tv playing in the background or letting their little one watch tv while they get things done. I am glad though that you found this video helpful.

[@alexaonther0x]

@@EmmaHubbard is having the TV on in the background ok? My baby's nurse actually suggested I do this

[@krissybee2484]

No it’s not a good thing.

[@Amanda-zt7fu]

Okay but what about Mrs Rachel?

[@phindilesibiya1635]

Thank you Emma. I am guilty of this. My baby would watch 6+ hours of videos a day, and now he has been diagnosed with ASD. He is 3 years but he's unable to speak properly. Now we have to spend lots of money going to therapists and this could have been avoided. I have a 7 months old now, and I want to do things differently with her. Thanks again Emma for this informative video.

[@ntmn8444]

Get a second opinion. Your baby might be fine, boys just develop differently than girls. Definitely no screen time. Have you looked into Montessori or Waldorf? I highly recommend a book I’m reading called The Way of Boys by Anthony Rao. He’s a renowned child psychologist. Don’t just settle with the first diagnosis. ASD, ADHD, etc these are all grossly misdiagnosed, especially in boys.

[@phindilesibiya1635]

@@ntmn8444 thank you so much. We'll look into a second opinion. And also the book you recommended.

[@whitney6641]

Why would you ever let a baby watch 6+ hours of screentime? That's so far beyond excessive! It's something you should really get in check. Soon that will lead to your child being raised by screens. You will never be able to monitor everything they're being programed with. Between school and screens you will have basically no influence in raising your child!

[@BatteredWing]

I'm wondering with ND families & kids how these stats would change. We are all neurodivergent in our family, including the kids.

[@LornaKelso]

I know it's not good for my child's development (she's 21 months old), but could you please address what we can do to keep them busy while we do essential stuff like cooking dinner, getting ready for the day etc? I haven't found anything else that distracts her long enough so that she doesn't come to me crying and asking to held so that I can't do anything that I need to do. She mostly watches Ms Rachel (I try to lean her towards this channel as she interacts with it the most - speaking back and moving around) and Super Simple Songs. If we are in the room we will put on movies like Disney. She gets bored with the Baby Sensory channel so I don't use that one anymore. I don't like that she asks for TV constantly now, but I don't know what else to do. And she absolutely will not let me cut her nails any other way than giving her my phone with one of these two channels on.

[@alexandrastr8878]

Have you tried letting her explore some child save drawers, do pretend cooking or maybe she can "help" by sorting some stuff into small containers etc. When I cook, I let my little one play with stuff from the kitchen. Or a book shelf really helped us to where she can grab books by herself.

[@LornaKelso]

@@alexandrastr8878 I appreciate your suggestion, I just don't have time to supervise her while I'm trying to get dinner sorted. It's a narrow kitchen and she gets underfoot if she's in there. I've trapped her hand in drawers more than once. It's safer for her and me if she's not in the room when I cook

[@shaneecechetty5826]

Please help me find an alternative to keep one twin busy while I'm busy with the other one. At the moment, those sensory videos are the only thing that keeps my 5 month old twins occupied long enough for me to finish feeding the other.

[@PinkandPurpleBullets]

Thanks for the video I didn't even realize they made claims like that.. I do feel guilty now for letting mine watch too much.. 😫

[@danicalang4663]

Can the effects of TV on development be reversed?

[@csk3540]

Thank you so much for summarising and collecting the evidences which prove my feelings: screens are not for babys. How about listening radio? Is it not disturbing to hear voices without the person appearence? (Especially foreign language radio...)

[@allyoucaneat1234]

Does playing non-verbal music (classical, movie ost, etc) in the background while the children play negatively impact them?

[@joslindacruz89]

Thanks alot, great video, I'll reduce TV time for my little one...

[@a.g.5838]

I don't use baby television or set them where they're able to watch the television but I'm notorious for leaving the television/ radio on in the background. 🤦‍♂️

[@sh3ll3y1990]

Perfect timing! I was wondering what age I should start letting my little one watch TV. Good to know the impact of having it on in the background too. Would it be OK to have music on in the background instead?

[@EmmaHubbard]

It is surprising the impact background tv can have on our interactions. But music on the background should be fine, as we are less distracted by the music (unless the songs distract you from interacting with your little one) and continue to play and talk to our little ones.

[@nicolereadstarot]

My boys are 2 now and they STILL watch these dancing veggies and dance to it. Don't care. They love it

[@Sharanya-km7rr]

Hi Emma! I am from India. Seems you are right in my case. My 4 yr 3 months old baby girl has speech delay and behavioral issues.. We have stopped tv and mobile from past 5 months and now she is able to repeat words. Earlier she was completely non verbal. Could you please suggest how to make her normal and verbal? We are scared that it could be autism and would she be able to lead normal life. Your suggestions help me a lot. She even had birth dyslexia but other developments were done with a bit of delay. She walked at 1 yr 4 months..

[@kon2dago]

I feel like such a bad parent. I am a 1st time father, and so I thought these sensory videos helped. Is there a way to undo the mistakes I’ve made with these videos?

[@EmmaHubbard]

I have no doubt you’re a great parent Ken. 🙂. None of us are perfect, and the fact you’re looking to educate yourself more speaks volumes about how good you are. Just minimising screen time under 18 months is the message here. So if you can cut it back, that’s what I recommend. I totally understand there’s a need to use it as a distraction / entertainment occasionally and I don’t want parents to feel guilty about that at all either 🙂

[@wasanaranaweeraarachchige]

Can you please do a video on how to reduce screen time (TV, mobile phone) in a toddler who is already used to watching them ?

[@robfut9954]

Dancing fruit don’t teach babies anything? Not shocking

[@ladylight007]

👌 Ok. What about Ms.Rachel or Monica Sutton who does preschool

[@biquanluo548]

Thank you so much for the video! One question: we have some toys that read stories to the baby. Does it have the same effect as having TV in the background?

[@nadiadputranti2856]

Hi Emma, thanks for the video, i was relying on screen to distract my son so he would eat every feeding time since he was 8 months old, and yes he's developing less language skill than other child his age. He's 20 months old now, it's our first month without any screen, and he's shown great development in term of focus, but not so much in language skill.. it would help me so much if you can make a video about 'getting back on track after screen dependency'. Again, thank you for the informative video

[@4eveRFab]

I have such mixed feelings about this a little guilt yet still I’m optimistic. I’m here because I have a 12month old. However I also have a 9 year old who definitely has some attention challenges, but was just tested/accepted into the gifted and talented program at school. As a stay at home mom for both I have definitely allowed screen time to distract both kids at younger ages in order to complete a task or two. It was not ever the go to method. I would offer toys first then food and finally a “baby learning” show. 😬 My 9 year old is incredibly smart with an extensive vocabulary. My husband has a master’s degree and often jokes about needing to go back to college to keep up with him. I’m just wondering how much more advance he would have been. How in the world we would’ve managed?!! With all the information I’m honestly not sure what to do with the 12month old. 😂

[@Missmurder8905]

I am the same way. I have ADHD, and was in gifted and AP classes most of my life. There’s also a lot of good educational shows and documentaries out there. I’m a firm believer in raising your kid the way YOU see fit, as long as they’re not neglected or ab*sed that’s what matters.

[@Missmurder8905]

Not to mention, back in the day kids drank out of water hoses and bathed in dirt… but now that’s almost frowned upon.. but they had higher immune systems… life is about balance. Yes my baby/toddler watches her video. But she gets AT LEAST 1 (usually up to 3) hours of outside time a day (my older daughter likes taking her to the park, and we go for walks) and plenty of play time without screens.

[@judithakankwasa7337]

Thank you Emma, this is a life saver for me just when I had considered starting to play those vids for my baby

[@EmmaHubbard]

SO glad this video came at the right time for you and helped you make decide if you want to use this videos with your little one.

[@alexandriahalford]

If my 8 month baby does watch television with us it’s usually a Sermon or a touch lighter but we don’t watch it everyday so she’s not missing anything. She genuinely enjoys playing on the floor and looking for anything she can’t have to play with 🙃 lol. I’ve been playing hymns and Christian music with her since she was born so she enjoys hearing music. Other than that my husband and I have agreed that we will be teaching her Gods word at an early age

[@khadegasalih661]

I feel so bad now . My daughter is going to be 1 years old and I have been putting her in front of TV since she was 6 months to get things done. I will take the TV out but it’s so hard!

[@praisegod1062]

Thank you SO much for spreading the awareness of the harms of digital media with infants!

[@njclyne]

Hi Emma, My 10 month old will very often stop drinking from the bottle after about 130mls of the 240ml formula bottle. The only way to to get him to eat more is to distract him with a "Hey Bear sensory video" on our phone which is, I know, a terrible habit we've created. Is this a practice we should stop immediately or is it okay? Total screen time is probably 5-7mins per day at most. If we didn't persist he would have just approx 500 - 550mls of formula a day (4 bottle feeds). We're still doing spoon fed soft mashed foods with him which is very hit or miss too and I feel we probably should move onto a more self feeding / finger food approach

[@nicoleglass9741]

My 14 month old is like this with his food... won't eat unless there's something playing. We probably started doing that when he was around 10 months old. No idea how to stop it now.

[@Libzolibbylafalot]

What about video chatting with family?

[@ane-sarahmoss8739]

Emma Hubbard is it okay to have a movie or videos on while you’re breastfeeding? In the background?

[@_Becx]

Great video! Super interesting. What about using facetime? That's really the only time we let my 8 month old watch a screen actively is on facetime with family/friends. Is Ms Rachel in the same boat?

[@EmmaHubbard]

Hi Rebecca, the AAP state that FaceTime is fine. This is because when you FaceTime the individual on the other end is often reacting to what the baby is doing (the sounds they are making and their facial expressions). It's the back and forth interaction that is important for language development and you get this when you FaceTime. In regards to Ms Rachel, unfortunately these videos would also be in the same boat. However these videos can be beneficial for your child, if they are over 18 months and you are sitting beside them and explaining what is happening in the video and then repeating these songs and concepts during your day. I hope that makes sense!

[@_Becx]

@@EmmaHubbard Definitely all makes sense, thank you for replying 😊

[@EmmaHubbard]

@@_Becx No worries at all!

[@hylear]

Hi Emma, thank you so much for talking about this topic. I've always felt that having my little one watching TV is counterintuitive to her development and I try to have nature documentaries for her to view the outside world. Would that help or is it still harmful in the long run?

[@EmmaHubbard]

High quality viewing is better than low quality viewing (like flashing images which don't have a story to it). To make it beneficial though you would need to sit with your little one and watch it, while explaining what is on the screen. In saying that the AAP and World Health Organisation recommend no screen time before the age of 18 months.

[@hylear]

@@EmmaHubbard thanks so much for the reply! I do take the time to point out the animals and describe the scenery to her while working, so that is good to know.

[@heather9130]

@@hylear I do the same thing now and then, particularly on days when we're both sick. For the most part my son ignores nature docs but what Emma said about them being distracting is true! He'll look up from time to time and forget what he was doing. I mute them now and then I can talk to him and make it interactive.

[@shacookiejohnson8068]

This helps me a lot my son is 2 and don’t talk . I can take accountability I always had a tablet in front him 😢I alway that it help

[@iskufilanj9785]

Thank you so much i watch every video you make it my baby boy is 7month with that 7month i say to you thank you👏👏🙌

[@Vora_Vixen]

It maybe depends on the content, my son watched lots of tv and started being able to say sentences early and even able to say words that just never came up in our day to day life that he only learned from situations that happend on screen. Though we did not keep the tv as a background and only when watching things, when playing and talking to him it was off, so I am thinking the problem is having it on all the time as a background noise.

[@kaylaberkley6490]

Love this video! Also, love the research behind your points.

[@EmmaHubbard]

Thanks Kayla!

[@pallavikumar9682]

Great videos 👍 Really find them useful and learnt so much. Keep up the great job!

[@EmmaHubbard]

Glad you like them!

[@clea7480]

Can you speak more to the background noise from the TV please? I had the TV on a lot while breastfeeding in the early weeks. Little one was not watching it but could hear. What is different about the TV compared to the radio/KZbin playing music or audio books? Music is encouraged, but if background noise is bad, where is the line? Maybe the question is what is the actual definition of background noise.

[@moniquecrawford6946]

If my son was over tired in the car he would just scream, so if there were more than 1 person in the car, someone would sit in the back with him and play hey bear sensory and it would immediately stop his crying and then he would also fall asleep. I have no regrets. My son also plays when he wants and watches the tv when he wants. I have Thomas and friends on right this second and he has pulled out a puzzle and is playing with that instead aha. I know these things are all averages and doesn't mean it's going to happen to every child because my boy definitely is the exception when it comes to these all :) hes 19 months now and the only "delay" he had was walking which he did at 16 months and that was a muscular issue.

[@cynthiyyah]

May i add a comment please. My 8 year old son learned the alphabet at 2 and spoke fluently english at 4 due to such videos. (We did exercise together while watching them together)He learned to read fluently at 6 due to some videos(little baby bum) (English is not his native language but showed preference to it) . Now he is 8 and speaks fluently romanian arabic and english. Maybe some videos helped him while others didn’t?

[@MimiRAM0NE]

People used to rub whiskey in their babies mouths because teething was just so bad and it "helped" calm babies down and take pressure off parents. My grandmother will defend this to this day as doing what she had to do. I get a lot of the same vibes from people defending fake educational zone out videos.

[@Lizzifer7]

God i haven't watched TV in nearly 2 years while my girl is awake 🤣 Also noticed how over stimulated my little girl was from any screen time as a baby (didn't even try until she was 4 Mo) However now that she a toddler 18 MO, We have a few cocomelon videos a day. But that's only cos we can do the actions together (eyes, ears n mouth n nose) and say some of the words / animal noises. Am glad to see my personal restraint has been beneficial for her.

[@jasmindrace]

I guess every parent needs to go cold turkey on the TV for the first 3 years of their bub’s life. It aint easy but necessary. Goodbye netflix lol😂

[@angrykasperle-johanna7006]

I use those videos while I brush my son`s theeth. It works fine like that. Before we had a screeming and kicking 12 months old in the bathroom everytime. However, I do not expect the videos to help with my son`s development.

[@sazzlepopz1553]

Is having the radio on in the background better than the TV or just the same.

[@Amanda-zt7fu]

Oh whoops… my baby is 7 months and love these videos 🥺

[@ali3237]

Emma - what about playing music in the background? Or games on a phone/tablet like squishing moving bugs? Thanks!

[@annabethsarskullflower9623]

My child watches these and I see no harm it think it's up to the parent!

[@fernandagutierrez6444]

Do you have any opinion on Ms. Rachel’s videos?

[@Beachandpool]

Why is it 'handheld'? TV is not handheld.

[@imsunnybaby]

need to spread out and get safe people to trade babies off to so that needs can be met best all around

[@trichopython]

I was actually sad to watch your take on these videos as we have had great effect with my son (16months now) - he has a couple of favorite ones - we point and use words to describe what is on the screen, and he enjoys them very much shown by laughing, clapping and pointing etc. - we watch the ones where there's music and objects that dance. In no way is he behind developmentally so I don't get it(?) I notice you use the words excessive screen time which might be the difference(?) - I think the videos are great and guess it depends on how you use them...

[@sarahjayne5219]

My daughter has language delays & I completely blame myself as I let her watch these videos as a baby (thinking they were beneficial at the time) and I always had the TV on in the background out of habit… I have since cut out TV (I only have it on when she is in bed) and am interacting with her as much as physically possible now, can these delays be “fixed”?