Baby Einstein

[daryn]

i believe that some people just have to accept the fact that their kid is dumb. nobody wants to do that though [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

[djames]

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i believe that some people just have to accept the fact that their kid is dumb. nobody wants to do that though [img]/images/graemlins/frown.gif[/img]

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Step 1 is to admit to themselves that they too are dumb.

The Baby Einstein music CDs are great for the car, but I agree there's no substitute for interacting with your child if the goal is to teach them stuff. A even better byproduct is that it encourages them to want to learn stuff since they think they are playing with mom & dad.

[Borodog]

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In the view of the EDF, what other things are widely regarded as beneficial now, which you believe in the future will be shown to be harmful or useless?

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Government.

Sorry. Couldn't help myself.

[Unoriginalname]

Walt Disney responds to the authors of the study with a letter.

"The Walt Disney Company stands by its request for Dr. Emmert and the University of Washington to retract what we believe to be an inflammatory and misleading press release, which was developed to gain media attention, and contradicts and distorts the study’s own carefully limited and hedged findings. The Walt Disney Company is currently exploring next steps in this matter."

[DrewDevil]

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The issue I have with baby einstein (and similar products) is that it is selling people this idea that if you don't provide your baby with such and such stimulation, then your baby will somehow be underdeveloped. Numerous studies have debunked that "90% of brain development occurs by age 2" crap.

I just had a baby (well, not me, wife did most of the work, OK, I only did 30-40 seconds of the work) and so have many of my friends. A number of them are completely sold on this crap. First off, you're better off taking the money you would spend on that nonsense and putting it away for college. Second off, the best thing you can do for your baby's development is <gasp> play with him/her!! Read, play, just talk to your baby. It doesn't even matter what. My daughter is 4 months old and tries like crazy to imitate our words.

Never seen her try to imitate TV.

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At first, I thought you were making an idiotic post, but now I think I agree with you.

The best thing for your baby's development is to interact with him, read to him, introduce new things, etc. Even TV is okay if you are interacting along with watching. But plopping the baby in front of the tube is not helpful.

However, if you DON'T interact with your baby, then he will not develop as well as if you did. There are "countless studies" proving that this type of interaction makes a gigantic difference, especially before the age of 2.

[SmokeyRidesAgain]

[ QUOTE ]
Walt Disney responds to the authors of the study with a letter.

"The Walt Disney Company stands by its request for Dr. Emmert and the University of Washington to retract what we believe to be an inflammatory and misleading press release, which was developed to gain media attention, and contradicts and distorts the study’s own carefully limited and hedged findings. The Walt Disney Company is currently exploring next steps in this matter."

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Disney are the most 1984 wannabe bastards ever!

[ike]

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In the view of the EDF, what other things are widely regarded as beneficial now, which you believe in the future will be shown to be harmful or useless?

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Cigarettes.

[disjunction]

Does anybody know what the name of the study was, and/or what journal it was in? (A quick google search of the Baby Einstein and the author, Dimitri Christakis, didn't pinpoint the specific article for me).

I'd love to see the methodology. One would think that stuff like this would be good in small doses, but not when the kid sits for long period of times. My niece used to want the TV on, just to have the TV on, but she'd watch it for 2 seconds and then do something else. And it would give her something to talk about with her parents and I can't see that being harmful at all.

I'm in the camp that mere exposure to words is what a kid needs, in any form as long as the words have their attention, so in that respect the study does seem to make sense.

[DING-DONG YO]

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Yeah, Baby Einstein is worthless, and may actually be bad for the child. Waste of money.

Anywho, another thing that fits (sorry to keep on the child thing) are those walkers where the kids hang in the air. Bad for a child's development. DDY is right on for what a baby needs. And tummy time...most kids get nowhere near enough of it.

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for real? The walkers/exersaucers are bad? linky?

I just started putting my daughter in one and she loves it. I would think those things are good because I can see her thinking and trying to figure out the toys in it.

However, I don't ever just leave her in it. I sit there with her and help her play.

[Big TR]

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for real? The walkers/exersaucers are bad? linky?


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Our pediatrician told us that they hinder the kid's balance and muscular development. This is because they don't have to try to stand on their own. It made perfect sense to us.

We limited the time in the saucer to those times where we had to cook dinner or something and needed our son to entertain himself for a bit.