The Hurried Infant

You must listen to these two shows on CBC Ideas. Downloadable as Podcasts or MP3 files. Even if your kids are older it is very interesting.

The Hurried Infant – Part One
In 1981 a book called The Hurried Child warned us that children were being pushed too far, too fast. David Elkind’s book became an instant classic. Today it seems the process has only intensified. There are pre-natal stimulation kits to induce fetal learning. Baby Einstein toys. There is also much discussion of how to smart-wire baby’s brain to expand cognitive powers, foster language abilities and improve sleep patterns. IDEAS producer Mary O’Connell explores this new terrain of Super Babies.

Right click to Download The Hurried Infant – Part One
[mp3 file: runs 52:03]

The Hurried Infant – Part Two
In 1981 a book called The Hurried Child warned us that children were being pushed too far, too fast. David Elkind’s book became an instant classic. Today it seems the process has only intensified. There are pre-natal stimulation kits to induce fetal learning. Baby Einstein toys. There is also much discussion of how to smart-wire baby’s brain to expand cognitive powers, foster language abilities and improve sleep patterns. IDEAS producer Mary O’Connell explores this new terrain of Super Babies.

Right click to Download The Hurried Infant – Part Two
[mp3 file: runs 53:05]

Here is another related blog post on it at Mother By Nature

There is also another interesting feature on CBC IDEAS called The Brains of Babes.