Part One Guest Interview:

Gloria DeGaetano, founder The Parent Coaching Institute, talks with Dr. Jane Healy, expert in media and children and award winning author of several books including the international best seller, Your Child’s Growing Mind, about why experts do not recommend screen entertainment or screen education for babies and young children.

What can happen to the brains of young children with too much exposure to screen technologies? The answer isn’t pretty. In this conversation, Dr. Jane Healy, who was twice named “Educator of the Year” by Delta Kappa Gamma shares important new brain research that supports with certainty the claim: Early exposure to screens puts youngsters at risk for all sorts of learning problems and disadvantages such as hyperactivity, aggression, and attention porblems. Early exposure also reduces a child’s ability to be empathetic to others. Dr.Healy has decades of experience helping parents with media issues. Her book, Endangered Minds, is a classic in the field. Dr. Healy explains the negative effects of early exposure to screen technologies in clear terms, while offering parents many practical ideas for supporting optimal brain development.

This podcast sheds important light on the dark places of confusion for many young parents, given they are bombarded with new digital products aimed at youngsters at every turn—first the I-Potty and now Fischer-Price has come out this holiday season with its horrendous Newborn-to-Toddler Apptivity™ Seat foriPad® Device which provides a way to lock an i-pad in place so baby has its constant display in his/her visual field. This is so dangerous for young brains. Why?

Because young brains are easily conditioned. That’s the key concept Jane and Gloria would like parents to understand and take to heart when listening to this podcast. There is never a more crucial time for brain development than in the first few years of life. This podcast reminds parents of young children of the fragility of the young brain and gives parents solid, scientific reasons to limit screens as much as possible for babies and toddlers. That’s the best way to give them the best chance for optimal brain growth now and in their future.

Parent Two: The Parent Coaching Corner™

The Parent Coaching Corner will resume with the January 13, 2014 podcast.