Many of you have heard me say, “I like good old fashioned floor time,” and “Let your child figure it out himself.” Many parents today want to speed up their baby’s development to show how “smart” their baby is. They buy videos and CDs that are supposed to increase their baby’s intelligence. But these things are not necessary. There is a reliable pattern to the why, how and when developmental advances occur. Your baby is hardwired to advance along these normal lines. For proper brain development what your infant needs most, other than your loving care and assurance that his needs will get met, is time to play on the floor and time to figure things out for himself.

Do not try to force your child’s development along or try to speed it up. Let your child work it out himself. A little “tummy time” on a blanket on the floor along with some colorful, interesting toys—just out of reach–will encourage infants to reach, grasp and eventually creep and crawl. Time to toss things off his or her high chair teaches your baby the interesting concept of cause and effect. Banging on pots and pans, supervised play in the bathtub, exploring the texture of food at mealtime are all ways to let your baby figure things out for himself.

Babies are laying down neuropathways in their brains through their play. Free play will help them with problem solving skills, reasoning abilities and self-confidence.

The same goes for children. They do not need constant input from “educational” video games and TV shows. Sure, some videos may have educational value to them, but the amount of information gained during free play time is really invaluable. Time spent scooping up sand in a sand box, watching ants the backyard, playing with puzzles, and building with blocks are some of the most “educational” times your child will spend.

Television can rob children of time they might otherwise spend in play, exploring and learning from their world. The American Academy of Pediatrics has come out with a statement encouraging “screen-free” play for children and particularly discourage any electronic media for children under 2 years old. But, let’s get real, sometimes parents need some down time, and TV can provide that. Therefore, limited, supervised TV time is probably just fine.

However, I do not condone televisions in children’s bedrooms. Studies show that children who have televisions in their bedrooms score lower on school tests, and are more likely to have sleep problems. Additionally, parents are less able to monitor what and how much TV their children are watching. Other than a CD player for soft music, the bedroom should be an electronic free zone: no computers, cell phones, TVs or video games (sorry teenagers). The bedroom is a place to sleep, rest and let the brain unwind.

So, keep it simple, save your money, and enjoy watching your baby and child learn as they play and explore!