Petition to: take urgent action to protect infants and their parents from television programmes that promote outdated and discredited parenting theories.

E-Petitions.

This petition is now closed, as its deadline has passed.

We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to take urgent action to protect infants and their parents from television programmes that promote outdated and discredited parenting theories. More details

Submitted by Clive Dorman of The Children's Project – Deadline to sign up by: 27 January 2008 – Signatures: 3,775

Petition update, 25 February 2008

You signed a petition asking the Prime Minister to "take urgent action to protect infants and their parents from television programmes that promote outdated and discredited parenting theories."

The Prime Minister's Office has responded to that petition and you can view it here:

http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page14696.asp

Prime Minister's Office

More details from petition creator

TV broadcasters seem unable to embrace current knowledge of early brain development and how babies form secure attachments.

Channel 4’s Bringing Up Baby explores three different parenting styles, most worryingly, Truby King. The programme showed seriously distressed infants, and sobbing parents being told to neglect their new baby as part of a routine (“it will soon stop”). It felt close to viewing child abuse. It is neglectful in 2007 to advise a new parent to bring baby home from hospital, shut them in their room at 7.00pm and leave them to cry.

The Children's Project, Unite/CPHVA and others wrote to Channel 4 / Silver River Productions. They refused to say who their experts are, yet feel confident they are protecting the best interests of infants.

BBC's Baby Borrowers removes infants from their parents so that teenagers can pretend to be parents. They too don’t see anything wrong.

This being the case, there is either an ignorance of the emotional needs of children, or no will to embrace current thinking. Whichever it is, there is an urgent need to regulate how babies and children (and their parents) can be portrayed in the media.

Current signatories

Because there are so many signatories, only the most recent 500 are shown on this page.

Zenon Hannick
ray holden
Jo Rideout
sarah perkins
Fraser McKay
Dee Hayward
michelle morrow
Barbara Cobbold
Gabriella Casula
Julie Clarke
Christine Bethlehem
Olive Hodge
Deborah Espinosa
Cathy Dalton
Julie Medhurst
Deirdre Fowler
Annabel Sampson
Dorothy Gunn
Anthea Connolly
Rachel Hadley
Jacqueline Burke
Lynne Wilson
amelia whitehouse
Kathleen Toussaint
Polly Pearshouse
Fiona Berry
christine sellers
Jenny Hogan
Mandy Brookes
Dr Stephen Westgarth - Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist
Dr Julia Clark
anja boelkow
Terry Davey
Fiona Ballantine
Korinna Hedinger-Farrell
vicky goldin
tricia martin
Clare Cremona
Lis Fields
Cathy Davidoff
Carrie Jarvis
Kay Douglas
Heather Wood
Jill Miller
Kirsten Forrester-Paton
jill powell
Ann-marie Kelly
Tracey Taylor
Nicola Dean
Tracy Meneilly
lisa connell
Paula Trudgill
alison neall
Carmel Huck
Hannah Mackie
cleo hart
Caalie Ellis
Sharon Ellis
Craig Strachan
saradadevii Hull-Jurkovic
Peter Darby
Lawrence Welch
christina saltmarsh
Adam Rose
Laura O'Hagan
joanne booth
Lynn Phipps
Claire Elcock
emma harrison
Vicky Abbott
Mrs Carolyn Davis
Paula Glenister
Sarah-Anne Devaney
Adele Browne
Gitte Lindberg
Joanne King
Jayne Walker
Amy Semple
Casey-Jane Rand
Donna Cole
Sarah Fisher
Emma Sharp
Richard Antcliff
Maura Clark
Kirstie Moar
Val Willcox
lizzie palmer
Laura Beaton
A Simmons
Mariana Foucher
Sid Cumberland
Karen Barrass
Samantha Chawner
Anna Dawson-Jones
Ness Churn
Hanne Maier
Dr Sarah Rushton
Susan Ing-Simmons
leanne thandy
Tamsin Arthurs; Qualified Nanny and B.Ed Early Years Teacher
Anna Louw
Liz Yates
Kay Capon
Gina Lowdon
Rachel Harrison-Smith
Jane Ashwell
Kate Ramsay
Jenny Kenwright
Linda Cass
Inderjit Dhaliwal
Joanne Wall
Nicola Currie
Rachael Pearce
Helen Day
Vanessa Holleley-wood
Chris Moss
Kate Hawkins
Fleur Sandler
elspeth pontin
Angela Leylandv
RJ Webb
Viv Owen
Jo Gibson
Katherine Male
zoe sargent
Hazel Buckley
Mhairi Penny
Helen McCann
Stephen Martinez
Chloe White
Jo Barlow
A Blunt
Jayne McCoy
Fran Wadephul
Sarah Field
Hayley mancini
Harriet Easton
Carolyn Davidson
Sarah Lake
lucy knight
Jeannette Rendell
patricia rayment
Ann Barter
Karen Temple
Helen Parton
Lucy Nicholls
Sandra Woods (Midwife)
Anna Guest
Harriet Harris
S Barton
Kate Silk
Sara Burdett
Suzanne Cohen
C Pooley
Louise Collis
Victoria Snelling
Dr Nicola Shelton
Alison Say
Linda Bassett
Mark Hutchinson
Rachel Houlcroft
Sibel Keefe
Marianne Hunt
Bethan Morgan
Toireasa McCann
Susan McDowell
Diane Kearsey
Lesley Benton
Emma Atkinson
Laura Treacher
Adam Treacher
June Rogers
Charlotte Broadhead
Jane Tomlinson
Anna Main
Lucy Best
Marilyn Hill, Psychotherapist
Bryon C. Smith
Louisa de Beaufort
Rachel Hadfield
Rose Horley
karen lake
Elaine O'Prey
Dr Sue Jones
Mrs Tracy Rogers
Pat Torngren, Childbirth and Family Life Educator
Helen Williams (NCT antenatal teacher)
Suzann Wadcock
Catriona Hooper
deborah thorp
Janet Baker-Pigram
Linda Newton
Paula Simcoe
Ann Watts
Catherine Gulati
katy jane rothwell
Fiona Glenn
Clare Wilson
Lisa Juliet Ethridge
Joski Cottee
Rebecca Maiden
Rachel Shanks
Ashley Aitken :)
Clare Lambie
Sarah Watson
Mrs Nicola Orr
Rachel Lawlor
River Brown
Wynne and Karen Rees
Evelyn Ainsley
Megan Stephenson
Kellie Preston
Cara McKee
Claire Anderson
Elizabeth Muhamedi
Diane Spurdens
Liz Lowton
Debbie Hughes, speech and language therapist
Carolyn Torkington
Val Elderkin
Clare Smith
Chris Southern
Dr Michael Statham
Jane Cooper
Amanda Garside
Louise Betley
Janet Bradley
The National Childbirth Trust
Richard Meier
Yvonne Gailey
Patricia Price-Tomes
Belinda Phipps
Leoni Freeman-Donaldson
Angela Trevithick
Jana Jablonska
Jacqui Roberts
Angela Haste
Julie Hodgins
Barbara Skilton
claire clothier
Barbara Evans
Alison Radevsky
Sarah Childs
Monique hannay
Daisy Radevsky
Carolyn Westwood
Ian Chandler
Rose McDermott
maureen eyers
Jan Holden
Kay Goddard
Julia Lawrence
Linda Kampjes
Dr Katharine Alcock, Clinical Psychologist (children and families)
margaret collins
Mark Monument
Tasha Hack
margot Sunderland
Jessica Wyer
Rachael Gilmour
Glynys Sykes
Janine McGregor
Caroline Mellors
Sarah Charlton
Rowan Davies
Emma Shearer, RMN, DipHE BSc (hons) Mental Health of Young People, Cert CBT (CAMH)
Emma Blakely
Sabrina Fox
Ayse Gurpinar
carol zollo
Helen Fallows
Bev Jervis
Mike Butcher
Zoe Cox
Tara Tindal
Dr Emma Greatbatch - Clinical Psychologist (children and families)
Donna Whetter
Kathy Evans
Sarah Howells
valerie smith
Barbara Wyant
Rae Hanbury
Judith Thorp
Sarah Clarke
kate rodgers
Morag Hill
FIONA LYNDLEY
Louise cowling
Emily Steedman
Simon Newton
Julie Leopold
Rosemarie White
Harriet Walker
Dr Emma Dixon
carole pickburn
Sheena Speirs
nishma shah
J OBrien
C OBrien
Emma Cordery
Libby Barnardo, Clinical psychologist
Pernilla Andersson
Rebecca Benson
Cam Field, Psychotherapist
Karen Kruzycka
sylvia godfrey
Sadia Salman
Dr Emma Hutchinson Early Years Mental Health Psychologist
Jasbinder Rooprah
Robert Hines
Janet Harrison
Lindsay Lee
jacqueline reynolds
Carrie-ann Rapson
Kris Phillips
Joel Rickett
Tom Adams
Susie Steiner
Ali Fogg
Sue Preston
Laura Stevenson, speech and language therapist
Rachel Saint
yvonne burt
Joanna Hawthorne
Elizabeth Kirk
Margaret Burgess
Jan Dunwoodie
Simone Schlagman
Liz Ersoy
victoria downham
Vicky Spink
Elizabeth Martch-Harry
Sandy Ruxton
Kate Callaghan
L Davidson
natalie davis
Abi Kingston
Mary White
Stephanie Ward
Charlotte Lockerbie
nicoletta zambon
VICTORIA DRURY - Social Worker (Children and Families)
sarah mckelvie
Madeline Harte
Ashlee Baker
Lynne James
Maggie Harris
Sherie Deen-Ellis
Hannah Willis
Anna-Marie Cassiede
Mick Martin
Lisa Barnes
Mrs C Halfpenny-Steel
Julie Margereson
Carrie Butler
Maureen Barron
Pat Everett, Children's Centre Manager
Cassie Hinkly
Emma Smith
Claudia Mills Butler
Elinor Pepperell, Speech & Language Therapist
Liz Greenlaw
Cheryl Brown
Sarah Sawyers
L. Frank
naomi whitty
lynne pollard
Nora Hornyak Royles
Moira Challen, Educational Psychologist
Heidi Samson
Ryan Twaits
Wendy Davies
Annette Kimber
Joanne Daly
Denise Meyer, Counselling Psychologist
Caroline Vans
Linnet McMahon
Michaeal Göpfert
Lucy Chapman
Jane Winson RNC
Emma Hiscutt
COLETTE MCKEVITT
Tony Shannon
Joan Arthurs
susan ewan
Karen Felton-Progremme Area Leader- child health and Education studies
Caroline Molesworth
Ailsa Grant-Turton
Carrie Brentnall
Sarah Catmur
kelly burge
Jennifer Rigby
Sonia Hurren
Nicola Spence
Abdullah Rhodes-Taylor
Ada Robb
fiona huffer
Josie Lloyd
Natasha Brett
eleanor bailey
Sharron Carle
Yvonne Reid
P Thomas
emma darkin
melanie pringle kelly gill
Bernadette Houten
B Douglas
Penni Taylor
E Meredith
Claire M Thorpe
Michelle Holmes
Penny Davidson
Souad Guemghar
Anne Fox
Phoebe Mortimer
Heather Aylett
Stephanie Pollard
Oli Parker
Jennifer Beckles
Tracy Curle
Lee Seekings-Norman
Alistair Ewen
Gillian Gray
Alison Andrew
Pauline Sykes
Jacqueline Needham
Rosaleen
Sarah Bowsher
Elizabeth Hume
Sarah Fielding
carolyn taylor
Clare Darrall
Catherine Wands
Pamela Fenton
Liz Lawrence
Sarah Iles
Alison Drugan
Jill Alderton
Linda Hinchliffe
Abigail Salehi
Ali Salehi
Chris Murphy
Kerry Collins
Kathrin Zein
Elizabeth Harvey
Susan Fogarty
Angela Hobson
Lianne Elliott
Nikki Thomson
Lynn Catto
Kerry Noble
Nicola Pitts
Georgina Jury
clare brutton
HelenOldale
Linda Bora
Jane Pointon
julie golder
Bruno Edwards
Fiona Clark
Tracey Birch
Flora Rees
Alison Bate-health visitor,RGN,BA,BSc(Hons)
Beth Langridge
Shelley du feu
Carol Downey
Louise Thomas
Fiona Binnie
catherine gow
Suzanne Alford
Margaret Fulke
Sarah Dooley
Kate Hunter
Helen dodds
Lorrraine Galbraith
Lesley Wall , Health Visitor
cathleen McAulay
Kim Shepherd
Lisa Logan
John Logan
Debbie Farrall
Sue Rainey
Cindy Murray
Geraldine Keogh
Gudrun Gilbert
juliette Grassby-Lewis
Maureen Simpson
martin cook
Mului Mpopo
FionaAshman
Emma Brady-Picone
Adrianne Monroe
Audrey Wallace
JASMEET SACHAR
Stephen Parsk
Stuart Leather
helen subden
Alison Coates
Clifford David Hayward
Ali Edgley

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