Winnie,
I, too, came away from this program with a great deal of distress over the
emotional and psychological health of the babies involved. And I fear it will
only get worse, as they bring on the toddlers next week. Here is a news
release from Zero to Three which I received the day of the program:
Kathy Parkes, BSPsy, RN, IBCLC, RLC
ZERO TO THREE Statement Regarding NBC's Reality Series "Baby Borrowers"
“It’s not TV, it’s birth control” is how NBC promotes its new reality
series “Baby Borrowers.” On June 25th, the show will be launched on national
television as an “intriguing new social experiment that asks five diverse
teenage couples to fast-track to adulthood by setting up a home, getting a job and
becoming caring parents.” Unfortunately, the NBC series exploits very young
children in the pursuit of entertainment.
The babies and toddlers participating in this series will be separated from
their parents and caregivers for three days. Unfamiliar teenagers will take
care of them during this time. This setup can be very harmful for the babies
and toddlers involved. For the past 80 years, many studies have shown
unequivocally that babies and toddlers suffer when they are exposed to this kind of
prolonged separation from family and left with people that they do not know or
love. As all parents know, babies and toddlers are very distressed by
separation. They cry, cling, and search for their parents. The longer the
separation, the more upset they become. Some children are unable to sleep and refuse t
o eat. The responses routinely last long past the child’s reunion with the
parent. Prolonged separations heighten young children’s separation anxiety and
damage their trust that their parents will be available to protect and care
for them. Children can become angry and rejecting of their parents after being
reunited with them, damaging the fabric of the child-parent relationship.
These findings have become the basis for a new science of early childhood. A
robust body of early childhood development and brain research clearly
confirms the critical nature of early development. It is a time when young children
form attachments with parents and caregivers, develop security and a sense
of self, and learn what to expect from the world around them. Studies show
that babies and toddlers need to feel safe and secure in order to form a
positive sense of self, to form healthy relationships, and to feel confident to
explore their world. This sense of security is dependent on the availability and
stability of their trusted primary caregivers. Being separated for a
three-day period from a parent or trusted, familiar adult, and being thrust
into the care of a total stranger who has no experience with the child—how he
or she is comforted, likes to be fed, held, etc.—and who has no experience
caring for young children at all, can be very stressful for the child.
As a “safeguard,” NBC has hired a nanny to be nearby in case there are
concerns. However the nanny is no more familiar to that child than the two
strangers who will be caring for him for three days. The nanny does not know him
or what his signals
mean—such as what he needs when he cries out in the middle of the night, or
how he shows he is hungry, tired, or is overwhelmed and needs a break from
play. Moreover, even though the parents of these young children are watching
via closed-circuit television, the babies are not aware of that and have no way
of knowing how long the parents will be gone.
Legitimate social experiments are not conducted on national television or on
reality shows. "Baby Borrowers" may have a catchy theme, but it exploits
young children with potential harmful consequences. This is no social
experiment. It is an extremely misguided endeavor that puts at risk our most vulnerable
citizens, young children who need our love and protection.
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