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Rambling thoughts about stimulating babies
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<blockquote data-quote="Martie" data-source="post: 24410" data-attributes="member: 284"><p>Fran,</p><p></p><p>I think the trend is clear: we did more with our kids than we did as babies and toddlers. Is it too much? It probably depends on neural predisposition but I also agree with Wendy that difficult child's have a readily available way to tell us when they have had enough--even if they haven't started yet.</p><p></p><p>I don't know what you had in mind when you were doing these things, but I had in mind a general level of exposure to many things to see where the kids gravitated. Perhaps it is because they were adopted, I had no preconceived notions, or because they were so obviously different form one another from the get-go.</p><p></p><p>However, today there is something that I think is very different going on than the slight historic trend to more activities for very young children: instead of focusing on process of experiencing whatever--the park, the children's, museum, the zoo, etc. there is the "build a better baby" phenomena in which each activity has a product "goal" to in some way improve the child. "Making baby smarter" is big business. It's weird to me but I can't tell you how many young mothers have asked me two things: First what type of "baby music" program did I provide to both kids; and second, ow old was ex-difficult child when he started music lessons--2, 3, 4???? The answers are: none (what's a baby music program?) and 7.5, after HE had begged for lessons for a year. These young mothers are SHOCKED--I guess I was negligent. If I had gotten him a baby music program or started piano lessons before he was out of diapers, he might have turned out talented. I'm being sarcastic but the whole idea of "creating" a better baby through commercial products creeps me out in a way that signing up for baby gym class (where interaction with parent was paramount) did not. I never felt when my kids were babies, that parents were at baby gym so their babies would be Olympic athletes--now I wonder if that is the "new" motivation for baby gym.</p><p></p><p>You raise some very interesting questions--I'm not sure what the answers are, but diagnosed disorders are increasing, and for the most part, no one knows why.</p><p></p><p>Martie</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Martie, post: 24410, member: 284"] Fran, I think the trend is clear: we did more with our kids than we did as babies and toddlers. Is it too much? It probably depends on neural predisposition but I also agree with Wendy that difficult child's have a readily available way to tell us when they have had enough--even if they haven't started yet. I don't know what you had in mind when you were doing these things, but I had in mind a general level of exposure to many things to see where the kids gravitated. Perhaps it is because they were adopted, I had no preconceived notions, or because they were so obviously different form one another from the get-go. However, today there is something that I think is very different going on than the slight historic trend to more activities for very young children: instead of focusing on process of experiencing whatever--the park, the children's, museum, the zoo, etc. there is the "build a better baby" phenomena in which each activity has a product "goal" to in some way improve the child. "Making baby smarter" is big business. It's weird to me but I can't tell you how many young mothers have asked me two things: First what type of "baby music" program did I provide to both kids; and second, ow old was ex-difficult child when he started music lessons--2, 3, 4???? The answers are: none (what's a baby music program?) and 7.5, after HE had begged for lessons for a year. These young mothers are SHOCKED--I guess I was negligent. If I had gotten him a baby music program or started piano lessons before he was out of diapers, he might have turned out talented. I'm being sarcastic but the whole idea of "creating" a better baby through commercial products creeps me out in a way that signing up for baby gym class (where interaction with parent was paramount) did not. I never felt when my kids were babies, that parents were at baby gym so their babies would be Olympic athletes--now I wonder if that is the "new" motivation for baby gym. You raise some very interesting questions--I'm not sure what the answers are, but diagnosed disorders are increasing, and for the most part, no one knows why. Martie [/QUOTE]
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