Does anyone subscribe to BabyFirst TV?

OH YES! We've had BabyTV ever since the channel became available. I highly recommend it. My Joshie would watch it all day if I let him; I do let him watch it when I'm like cooking dinner or cleaning. They teach sign language, Spanish....stuff like that. And I even watch some of the programs, like Tec the Tractor and Harry the Bunny. At night they show shows conducive for sleep, like water gently lapping at an oceanic shore, or colors swirling together with really soft music. I also love watching the sandman draw different things. It is well worth the money! Blessings, Michelle

Kelcee really enjoyed when we had it.

after 8pm it's free (but it's only lullaby music, but still colorful)

We have it and even at 9 months, our son is drawn to alot of the programs. I watch with him sometimes (I love the sand drawings!); but other times he is content to watch as we are doing something else in the room. There are some that I think are a little corny; but for only $5 a month, it's a good deal.

I subscribe to it and I think it's such a great station. My best friend told me about it because she said it stimulated her daughter better than the Baby Einstein DVDs... I agree that's true! Besides, those Baby Einstein DVDs cost an arm and a leg!! I don't need to use it just yet, but I thought I'd subscribe to it just to see if it was worth using for Lori. :)

Okay, I'm going to be the wet blanket. :) I'm an elementary school teacher and I've done a lot of research on the effects of media on kids. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends NO screen time before age 2 AT ALL. Because it can damage the developing brain by getting it used to unnaturally high levels of stimulation. According to a study done by the Child Health Institute at the University of Washington, every hour per day of screen time that a child under 3 gets increases the chances of developing attention problems by 10%. There is no evidence that children benefit from Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby or other "educational" TV for infants or toddlers under 3. In fact, in 2006, Harvard Medical School and Boston Children's Hospital filed an FTC complaint against both Baby Einstein and Brainy Baby for false and deceptive advertising. A 2005 study of 1,200 children published in the Archives of Pediatrics showed that children who watch TV before age 3 have lower cognitive scores at age 7. A 2006 study published in Pediatrics showed that the more TV children under 5 watch, the less likely they are to engage in creative play. A 2007 study showed that infants understood 6-8 fewer words for every hour per day spent watching TV or videos. I wouldn't get it!

I don't know about this study or that study, but I let my now 11 y.o. watch stuff like Sesame Street and Teletubbies and his IQ at this age is 130 (we had him tested). So far my 12 month old knows, understands, and can say approximately 25-30 words. I think it depends on the kid. I watch some of the BabyTV too and like with the Spanish shows and the sign language...we use Spanish and sign language with Joshie. He is starting to sign some things like bottle and banana. I understand that as a teacher you are concerned about the educational aspects and you have a right to your own opinion, but I'm not changing my opinion that it is a great channel. Blessings, Michelle

It is a great channel and I get it too. I think those studys reflect people who depended on those videos to teach their babies. TV is great, but like everything else it should be used in moderation. It is highly unlikely that any of these mother who posted are the type that use TV as an electronic baby sitter. As long as you engage with creative play, teachng and interaction, these babies with these babies, theres no problem. EZ

Actually, the studies all just looked at whether and how much children were exposed to "screen time" - not how parents used it - and it looked at large numbers of children. Obviously, within that group, you will have children who watch a lot of TV and are fine and children who watch no TV and have issues. But what is relevant is how children in general are affected. The American Academy of Pediatrics and a lot of other reputable groups say it's bad for babies, and that's good enough for me. But you're right - we all have to make the choice for ourselves. As parents we have to make hundreds of decisions about our own children. What are we going to feed our children? Cribs or co-sleeping? Do we pick them up right away or let them "cry it out" sometimes? What kinds of toys do they play with? No one can make those decisions for us and we all do the best we can. I have no doubt that everyone here is a conscientious parent with their children's best interests at heart. Peace, Shannon