Baby Einstein Question

[L'sMommy]

I know there is a lot of controversy about these videos and about children under 2 watching TV. We have decided not to let our 7 mo old watch any TV for as long as we can help it. However, it keeps getting suggested to me that I should let him watch baby einstein. This person is in child psychology so knows a bit about how kids learn, and is up on reserach, etc. Is there research out there showing that baby einstein is not necessarily helpful in geting your child to learn more quickly? Can you tell me where I can find this research - I want to send it to this person so they quit bugging me about it.

[TwinFoxes]

http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1650352,00.html

The highlight:

The claim always seemed too good to be true: park your infant in front of a video and, in no time, he or she will be talking and getting smarter than the neighbor's kid. In the latest study on the effects of popular videos such as the "Baby Einstein" and "Brainy Baby" series, researchers find that these products may be doing more harm than good. And they may actually delay language development in toddlers.



When you say this person is in child psychology, in what capacity I wonder? Seriously, there have been doubts about Baby Einstein for awhile. If this person is seeing your DC in a professional capacity you might want to rethink...I don't think s/he is up on the latest literature. You're doing the right thing mama! :)

[L'sMommy]

No, no, no.....this is a family member. I just didn't want to specify who the family member was. My Ds is not seeing this person in a professional capacity. This person works in a school as a psychologist and runs child study teams, or something like that. Not sure of details.

[DebbieJ]

Who cares about the research--those Baby Einstein videos are SO FRICKEN ANNOYING that *I* couldn't stand to listen to them! LOL!

[andbabymakes3]

I like to think of it this way: I had no Baby Einstein, Brainy Baby, or even preschool, and I have a doctorate level degree and like to think of myself as a fairly smart person! :wink2: I have a ridiculously smart 7-year old boy (way smarter than me!) and he basically watched no TV when he was little and watches very little now.

I think we ought to use these videos for what they're good for: a free 20 minutes or so when you are seriously desperate. As in, MUST return to food flaming on the stovetop and baby is freaking out and won't be put down. I recall one time when I was in this situation and I was crying too and I finally parked ds in front of a Baby Einstein video and he just shut it off. It was magic, and I'm forever grateful to that way too cute and filthy rich Julie whatever Clark. It was a total lifesaver, and I don't feel the least bit guilty about that. But otherwise we basically are a 1-hour a week on Sunday mornings TV family.

[AnnieW625]

I am a self professed media junkie who gets mad anytime I see one of those "Kill Your TV" bumper stickers! I love TV as a science, and as a source of entertainment but believe that everything in moderation including television can be good.

I am not 100% convinced Baby Einstein is bad for children or that it's good for children either. We had one BE video, the Mozart one and my DD has zero interest in it until recently when she asked me to put it on. I did put it on a few times before DD turned a year old and she had zero interest in it. She kind of liked the Snowman video which was no spoken word just music.

Our health insurance/HCP (Kaiser) has a huge campaign for no TV for children under 2, but they have TV monitors in their pediatric waiting rooms? How hippocritical or oxymoronish is that?

Now at 3 and this has been standard since DD started showing an interest in TV at about 2 years old was a little in the AM while DH and I get ready; and no more than an hour at night.

[L'sMommy]

DebbieJ - ITA, I find them to be extremely annoying and don't want my main TV taken over by BE videos!!

[andbabymakes3]

Agree with AnnieW about everything in moderation. I kind of think that the whole 'no TV for under 2' campaign is a little like 'no alcohol' campaigns--the problem is people can't self-limit, so it's easier to 'just say no'! No doctor wants to tell you that a little red wine might be good for you and then have you become an alcoholic. I think it's the same with TV. Kids watch so much TV/video/computer these days; too many parents use it as a crutch and can't self-limit.

[brittone2]

I think for parents that are going to do TV, they are probably a decent option. But I certainly don't think they are beneficial (and most research backs that up) and are purely entertainment. I would prefer my infant find entertainment other than that generated on a screen.

OP, since you don't really seem to want to do them, I wouldn't start. I don't think your friend's advice is up to date or backed by research. eta: Not saying those who use them are damaging their children...just pointing out that since the OP isn't particularly interested in starting TV in the first place, IMO it would make sense to just skip them since most research supports that they are not beneficial, even if one believes they aren't harmful.

[egoldber]

My kids liked them and enjoyed them and we had (have, Amy still likes them sometimes) several. But I had no illusions about them being "educational". They were entertainment and that was it.

[srkaplan]

The latest Harvard research has shown that infant TV exposure has no benefit, but also that it is not detrimental. I think, as PP's have mentioned, that in limited doses when you need a break, or need to have your hands free for a minute, it is ok.

[DebbieJ]

Just as an aside, my son enjoyed and learned from the Signing Time videos much much more than that crazy BE stuff.

[gatorsmom]

My kids liked them and enjoyed them and we had (have, Amy still likes them sometimes) several. But I had no illusions about them being "educational". They were entertainment and that was it.

:yeahthat: I"m ok with them watching this. I"ve noticed that my kids, if they are wound up from being inside too long or are tired and ornery and I'm just not able to put them to bed yet, will calm down when these videos go in. They LOVE the music (as a family we love classical music) and at least the images aren't flashed quickly across the screen (which totally annoys me). However, I'm not expecting the videos to do anything other than entertain, calm them down, and buy me a few extra minutes.

[TwinFoxes]

I"ve noticed that my kids, if they are wound up from being inside too long or are tired and ornery and I'm just not able to put them to bed yet, will calm down when these videos go in. They LOVE the music (as a family we love classical music) and at least the images aren't flashed quickly across the screen (which totally annoys me). However, I'm not expecting the videos to do anything other than entertain, calm them down, and buy me a few extra minutes.

Asked completely out of curiosity, do they calm down if you pop in a classical music CD? Or do they need the video part too?

I don't think TV is evil, I watch a LOT (when I was working it was kind of required, but now I'm just a junky!) But I think it's odd that the OP's family member is bugging her to buy Baby Einstein videos because they're supposedly good for her DC. That's been disproved, even if they aren't harmful. It'd be different if the OP was using them because she wants to, but to have someone act like her DC's SHOULD be watching them isn't right.

[Melbel]

My kids liked them and enjoyed them and we had (have, Amy still likes them sometimes) several. But I had no illusions about them being "educational". They were entertainment and that was it.

:yeahthat: I actually do not mind and find the classical music to be soothing in the background. They have been an absolute lifesaver in the car since I have little tolerance for a screaming baby in the car (not to mention the screaming/gulping air aggravated her reflux). If I need a few minutes to get dinner ready, DD2 also likes the Baby Genius clips on demand with nursery rhymes. She "sings", claps and dances and definitely has favorite songs (5 Little Monkeys, Yankee Doodle, etc.). Very cute. While TV in moderation works for us, the OP's family member should respect her wishes not to watch television if that is what she chooses for her family.

[pinkmomagain]

DD3 really loved the BE videos. She has moved on to bigger and better things (Backyardigans) but I do think that she really connected with the music. Maybe she was prewired to be musical and BE had nothing to do with it, but to this day she enjoys classical music. And she sings/hums along to instrumental music (I love this).

[maestramommy]

We have Baby Neptune, and the girls enjoy it every once in a while. I like the music, and that the images are in real time. I don't know that they're really educational though. Maybe to a 4 yo. For a baby? Not so much;)