Baby Einstein finally DEBUNKED!
click below to read article...
"Disney Expands Refunds for Baby Einstein Videos" by Wendy Mitchell
I remember when Awsumb was just a couple weeks old a friend brought over some of these videos and suggested since her baby liked them my baby would. I remember thinking she was totally nuts. First of all, why would I put a few week old baby in front of the TV? And did people really think these videos would give their children a head start?
My child had a lifetime to discover the screen and I did not feel any urgency to make that introduction. I felt validated in my opinion when I read this article, "Babes in TV Land" by Chris Beam which states the AAP recommends NO TV under 2 years of age.
Later I learned that the creator of these videos was just a mother, who noticed her baby loved to watch interesting objects. She also knew how important it was to read to a child and that hearing language pattern from other languages was benificial. So she took her home video camera, recorded some interesting children's toys like a mobile, etc. and hoped it would be something she could market. And there you have it, an entire line of products (eventually the name was bought by Disney) with absolutely no research behind them, making parents believe they would really give their kids an edge... or at least enterain them long enough to take a shower!
Later as Awsumb grew into a toddler I remember parents bragging that their child knew how to put in a DVD and start a movie. I would silently roll my eyes... As if my child was going to be behind because I didn't let him at the DVD player. Plus some of these same friends also shared the typical "child put toast in the DVD player story" during other conversations. For me that was just another reason to keep my child away from the DVD player. Now that Awsumb is 8 he has shown to be just as proficient with DVD players and toasters, without leaving crumbs in the living room.
I feel that I successfuly limited screen time with my child. Although he probably saw more decorating and news shows that he needed to I rarely put children's shows on for him. And if we watched a movie, we sat down to watch a movie. Start to finish... no starting a movie just to keep him busy for 20 minutes and then letting is play in the background while he became interested in other things. I am not sure if that helped his attention span or if he was just born with a longer attention span. Studies suggest that in any case, children's TV only damages attention spans.
Sure, there was plently of Bob the Builder and a couple other shows at our house. But Daddy usually put them on in the morning for a bit and then the TV was turned off the rest of the day. Awsumb never really asked to watch TV and to this day didn't realize certain shows came on at certain times. This is probably because we mostly took advantage of the DVR, recording only select shows we thought appropriate. So there was no full days of whatever was on PBS or Nick Jr.
Now that Awsumb is in 2nd grade, he has occasionally comes home and talks about shows he has never seen. If it weren't for his Father he probably wouldn't even know about the select shows he does know about, as they have a few different super hero cartoons they watch together.
THIS study found babies who watched these types of videos might even learn fewer words! Babies require face to face interaction. And that's the worst part. These DVD's were just another way to separate child from parent.
What I find sad about this is how once again, mothers flocked to buy something that might even be more damaging in the long run, when really their own instincts should have given them the right tools. To sing and read to your child, to carry your child, to talk to your child, to let your child lay under a tree and watch the leaves blow in the wind... interact with your child, play with your child, imagine and dream with your child.. these are the things that will really give your child and edge and you don't even need your debit card!
I am proud to say I voted with my dollar on this one! I have not spent one penny on this line of products, nor anything that simply carried the label.
Check back later for my comments about why LYING is a developmental milestone.
click below to read article...
"Disney Expands Refunds for Baby Einstein Videos" by Wendy Mitchell
I remember when Awsumb was just a couple weeks old a friend brought over some of these videos and suggested since her baby liked them my baby would. I remember thinking she was totally nuts. First of all, why would I put a few week old baby in front of the TV? And did people really think these videos would give their children a head start?
My child had a lifetime to discover the screen and I did not feel any urgency to make that introduction. I felt validated in my opinion when I read this article, "Babes in TV Land" by Chris Beam which states the AAP recommends NO TV under 2 years of age.
Later I learned that the creator of these videos was just a mother, who noticed her baby loved to watch interesting objects. She also knew how important it was to read to a child and that hearing language pattern from other languages was benificial. So she took her home video camera, recorded some interesting children's toys like a mobile, etc. and hoped it would be something she could market. And there you have it, an entire line of products (eventually the name was bought by Disney) with absolutely no research behind them, making parents believe they would really give their kids an edge... or at least enterain them long enough to take a shower!
Later as Awsumb grew into a toddler I remember parents bragging that their child knew how to put in a DVD and start a movie. I would silently roll my eyes... As if my child was going to be behind because I didn't let him at the DVD player. Plus some of these same friends also shared the typical "child put toast in the DVD player story" during other conversations. For me that was just another reason to keep my child away from the DVD player. Now that Awsumb is 8 he has shown to be just as proficient with DVD players and toasters, without leaving crumbs in the living room.
I feel that I successfuly limited screen time with my child. Although he probably saw more decorating and news shows that he needed to I rarely put children's shows on for him. And if we watched a movie, we sat down to watch a movie. Start to finish... no starting a movie just to keep him busy for 20 minutes and then letting is play in the background while he became interested in other things. I am not sure if that helped his attention span or if he was just born with a longer attention span. Studies suggest that in any case, children's TV only damages attention spans.
Sure, there was plently of Bob the Builder and a couple other shows at our house. But Daddy usually put them on in the morning for a bit and then the TV was turned off the rest of the day. Awsumb never really asked to watch TV and to this day didn't realize certain shows came on at certain times. This is probably because we mostly took advantage of the DVR, recording only select shows we thought appropriate. So there was no full days of whatever was on PBS or Nick Jr.
Now that Awsumb is in 2nd grade, he has occasionally comes home and talks about shows he has never seen. If it weren't for his Father he probably wouldn't even know about the select shows he does know about, as they have a few different super hero cartoons they watch together.
THIS study found babies who watched these types of videos might even learn fewer words! Babies require face to face interaction. And that's the worst part. These DVD's were just another way to separate child from parent.
What I find sad about this is how once again, mothers flocked to buy something that might even be more damaging in the long run, when really their own instincts should have given them the right tools. To sing and read to your child, to carry your child, to talk to your child, to let your child lay under a tree and watch the leaves blow in the wind... interact with your child, play with your child, imagine and dream with your child.. these are the things that will really give your child and edge and you don't even need your debit card!
I am proud to say I voted with my dollar on this one! I have not spent one penny on this line of products, nor anything that simply carried the label.
Check back later for my comments about why LYING is a developmental milestone.
