Sarahkka

Very interesting new research that seems to refute any claims made by Baby Einstein that the videos actually improve brain or language development in children.
http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/200...abyvideos.html
It seems that nothing can replace interaction with another human being for cognitive learning.
I'm glad to hear that there is now scientific evidence for this. I've never been very convinced of all the Baby Einstein hype - it just seems counterintuitive that a child would learn better from a TV screen than its parents.
Does anyone use these videos and do they seem to engage baby? I'm curious.

Elli21

I dont use things like that, i believe in them learning from books, toys and creative things like play doh and sand...Good old fashioned running around in the garden and playing with eachother.
Tbh, i think every kid is different though and some things work for some kids and some things dont.

Shri

It makes absolute sense to me that things like baby einstein might delay development. For one thing, I feel our culture over-stimulates little ones with 'virtual' interaction and learning ( tv etc) and that this inhibits their very innocent and natural capacities to explore and be curious not only about the things around them but their relationships and interactions with others. I guess they have their place, but I don't think anything can come close to some attentive interaction and some freedom to explore and learn for oneself.
I haven't noticed any difference between kids raised with this or not. The most marked difference in how bright and happy a child is, comes irrevocably from the kind of presence the adults around that children have. Sometimes parents can be so 'full on' about development that they don't see the child's natural and unique way of learning about the world they are in.

People always marvel about how kids will play for hours on end with a cardboard box or a few old yogurt pots. It is sooooo true! We as adults often inadvertently teach children to be bored or restless by constantly shoving big bright things at them. The world is already full of bright, fascinating, wonderful things and cognative development, as far as I am concerned, is primarily about feeling ones own place in that world.

We are constantly orientating ourselves and we revise what we have learned accordingly. It amazes me how, in the midst of a maths based class, a child will come up to me and tell me that they got a new puppy or something like that. It doesn't mean they aren't absorbing the maths, but it is a wonderful example of the fact that their developing minds link everything together, and that having that attentive interaction is very fulfilling to them.

With baby einstein - they don't get to 'give' any information back so it is, in itself sort of stunted.
When it comes to babies, it is the same thing. If you keep presenting something to them that they are overstimulated by, or bored by, you are over riding their cognitive processes in order to fulfill your own ambition. It's kind of crazy.

CHILLbilly

I am sure the woman who came up with the idea is happy she sold it to Disney for millions!!!
haha
I saw her on Oprah last year sometime.

LaDY

Hmm this is interesting...i was actually thinking of buying these dvds...x

clairebear

i think everything in moderation is fine as long as u dont replace the dvd's with urtime then i dont think it matters.

Linzi

Yep I agree. I was going to try these DVDs soon though.

xxx

Chris77

Wow, that's interesting!

Vickie

I agree with some of the others, done in moderation I see no problem with it.

princess_bump

i agree with the others, everything in moderation