i shouldn't think it's so amusing, but i can't help but feel vindicated. i've had one too many peers who have snickered down their noses at me for not "educating" my smocklings at terribly early ages with under-studied but over-hyped baby einstein and the like. i've always maintained that a fool and her money are soon parted when it comes to so-called educational videos for babies. and guess what! according to the latest research, babies basically zone out while watching these videos (not unlike their older siblings who stand agog in front of the television).
well, believe it or not, as researcher frederick zimmerman told science, these videos are little more than "empty calories for the mind." it has also been found that for every daily hour a baby spent watching baby einstein, the child understood an average of seven fewer words than babies who didn't watch the videos. imagine the chagrin of the countless alpha mommies who've dumped hundreds of millions of dollars into the "brainy baby" biz.
but, as the attachment parenting professionals have been telling us for decades, babies and toddlers learn from interacting with people. i wouldn't go so far as to agree with zimmerman that it's likely better for a child to watch american idol on a parent's lap than to be parked alone in front of a video that claims to be teaching baby timmy mathematics ... well, maybe if they were watching re-runs of frasier...
there's more at this time article: "baby einsteins: not so smart after all"
I agree with you 100%
I'm not sure that TV itself is the problem, but rather what kids AREN'T doing when they watch TV. They aren't interacting, they aren't experimenting, and they aren't playing. They are passive.
And it does make me feel better about limiting screen time.
I never really *got* the baby einstein videos. But we have a CD that the kids enjoy listening to that one of them was gifted once. We're big fans of Blues clues around here, though lately it's CINDERELLA everyday. And? Leap Frog Letter Factory.
anything as insanely trippy as baby einstein simply cannot be healthy
blues clues rocks. but only with steve.