Parenting & Family

Baby Einstein dvd and audi cds for Newborns???

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  • Apr 17th, 2008 9:49 am
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Banned
Feb 18, 2008
51 posts

Baby Einstein dvd and audi cds for Newborns???

Those that have used these, do you mind recommending dvds and audio tapes suited for newly born babies that aren't even up to 1 month yet?
19 replies
Sr. Member
Jun 27, 2004
861 posts
41 upvotes
Kitchener
Before plunking down any cash for these things, google "Baby Einstein Univeristy of Washington study". The folks claim kids watching the Baby Einstein series (and probably any other series) wind up worse off in relation to language development then the kids who are not exposed to the series; I believe the ages studied where 2-24 months...

Obviously, you should draw your own conclusions... Disney, naturally, is pissed!
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Jun 9, 2003
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im a b@stard...i downloaded it off the net.

we only show our little one twice daily...for 25mins each time only...right when it's feeding time.

it's great...she doesnt move around much while eating ;)
Deal Guru
Dec 31, 2005
13306 posts
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just use regular CD's, pick some classical music....no need to pay a premium for baby einstein....

Don't bother with the DVDs

....rarely let our son watch TV. He watches a half hour or so maybe twice a week. Instead, he reads--at 4 he now can read books on his own (a hundred or more words on sight and can sound out many more).
Deal Guru
Dec 31, 2005
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just use regular CD's, pick some classical music....no need to pay a premium for baby einstein....

Don't bother with the DVDs

....rarely let our son watch TV. He watches a half hour or so maybe twice a week. Instead, he reads--at 4 he now can read books on his own (a hundred or more words on sight and can sound out many more).
Member
Aug 16, 2007
228 posts
47 upvotes
I think the following needs to be shouted:

The American Association of Pediatricians says:

NO TELEVISION AT ALL FOR KIDS UNDER 2 YEARS OF AGE. Period.

So take all that baby einstein crap and other DVD junk and get rid of it all. Wikipedia has info linking baby einstein videos to language delays and other problems - go check it out.
Sr. Member
Jun 27, 2004
861 posts
41 upvotes
Kitchener
frogblender wrote: I think the following needs to be shouted:
The American Association of Pediatricians says:
NO TELEVISION AT ALL FOR KIDS UNDER 2 YEARS OF AGE. Period.
So take all that baby einstein crap and other DVD junk and get rid of it all. Wikipedia has info linking baby einstein videos to language delays and other problems - go check it out.
While I also mentioned the studies, you have to read exactly what they are saying; I'd be cautious before completely disregarding them. While I also agree that TV is a negative, we do let our daughter watch "books" on TV - there is a series of books that are still images with a narrator, somewhat like reading. She greatly prefers books, but these videos are easy when travelling - and we get them from the library (ie, no DVD charges, just your yearly library card fees)!
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Dec 31, 2005
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brendonp wrote: While I also mentioned the studies, you have to read exactly what they are saying; I'd be cautious before completely disregarding them. While I also agree that TV is a negative, we do let our daughter watch "books" on TV - there is a series of books that are still images with a narrator, somewhat like reading. She greatly prefers books, but these videos are easy when travelling - and we get them from the library (ie, no DVD charges, just your yearly library card fees)!
Get the books on CD from Scholastic. Our son loved them....no need for a TV.
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Aug 19, 2007
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frogblender wrote: I think the following needs to be shouted:

The American Association of Pediatricians says:

NO TELEVISION AT ALL FOR KIDS UNDER 2 YEARS OF AGE. Period.
I doubt they used that font.
.
yao416 wrote: Dont want to ruin our neighborship, but if I have to, I will! :evil:
gmark2000 wrote: Are you inventing words to compensate for your limited vocabulary and grammar?
robertalan wrote: "Neighborship" (or "neighbourship") is a real word, it's in my Oxford dictionary, and also online at Dictionary.com - so someone is indeed compensating for their limited vocabulary, but it ain't yao416!
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Jan 18, 2004
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Canada
I think the study about Baby Einstein wasn't about just the usage..
It was about using it as a replacement for other activities.
So instead of interacting with the infants, the parents just left them in front of the TV.

I believe light usage of educational videos are good.
Baby einstein isn't that great. I thought it would be more "educational" but it seems to be more patterns with some voice... almost like they are trying to brainwash them into buying Baby Einstein products...
Deal Fanatic
Jan 18, 2004
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Oh also this whole thing about watching tv..

my daughter watches tv. not regularly or that often.. but more than 30mins a day.
She's 14months old and her vocabulary is well over 300 words.
She spoken words is around 40 although they are not perfect in sound.
She knows sign language and can do signs for a lot of words also.
eg water, tree, caterpillar, chicken, dog, bath, potty/toilet, and many more

So it's all about balance in activity.
We read to her a lot. We have her point and direct us in the book and we say what she points to.
She now recognizing letters and numbers and somewhat seeing words.

All this and she watches the evil tv...
She knows go diego go, 4 squares, roll play, all the treehouse shows and knows the beat and song. I always watched with her and made the shows interactive by pointing to the images and making the big motions in roll play.

Tv is not that bad.. it's like any other thing people see (images)...
It's just people get tempted to use it as a babysitter and leave the child there unattended.
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May 1, 2003
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Our kid became entranced by the TV just after a year old. We unplugged it and have canceled our cable service. No one in the house has watched any TV since New Years. We'll wait until the baby is a few years old before turning on the TV again. Amazingly niether the wife or I miss the TV, and we save a bunch of money to boot.
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Jan 16, 2008
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we got the einstein when our 3 yr old was born...probably cause we were new parents. we did use them at the beginning, but at that age the attention span wasn't quite there...didn't use it much and then not at all...plus, it was more fun making funny sounds while feeding to keep their attention...we still have them...but don't use them. in fact we let our cousin burn them...lol. not sure if they used them.
now they are just collecting dust..and space as our daughter likes the disney movies, etc. and since our son is just 1, it's like he has a preference yet...except to bother her while she's watching..lol
Jr. Member
Mar 5, 2005
155 posts
1 upvote
Well I work for a cable company and I'm trying to keep my job and feed my family.

Repeat after me - You need TV ... You need TV :cheesygri
bionicbadger wrote: Our kid became entranced by the TV just after a year old. We unplugged it and have canceled our cable service. No one in the house has watched any TV since New Years. We'll wait until the baby is a few years old before turning on the TV again. Amazingly niether the wife or I miss the TV, and we save a bunch of money to boot.
Deal Addict
Aug 19, 2007
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canadiankorean wrote: Oh also this whole thing about watching tv..

my daughter watches tv. not regularly or that often.. but more than 30mins a day.
She's 14months old and her vocabulary is well over 300 words.
She spoken words is around 40 although they are not perfect in sound.
She knows sign language and can do signs for a lot of words also.
eg water, tree, caterpillar, chicken, dog, bath, potty/toilet, and many more

So it's all about balance in activity.
We read to her a lot. We have her point and direct us in the book and we say what she points to.
She now recognizing letters and numbers and somewhat seeing words.

All this and she watches the evil tv...
She knows go diego go, 4 squares, roll play, all the treehouse shows and knows the beat and song. I always watched with her and made the shows interactive by pointing to the images and making the big motions in roll play.

Tv is not that bad.. it's like any other thing people see (images)...
It's just people get tempted to use it as a babysitter and leave the child there unattended.
+1

Very sensible approach. There is some amazingly high quality programming available for young children nowadays.
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yao416 wrote: Dont want to ruin our neighborship, but if I have to, I will! :evil:
gmark2000 wrote: Are you inventing words to compensate for your limited vocabulary and grammar?
robertalan wrote: "Neighborship" (or "neighbourship") is a real word, it's in my Oxford dictionary, and also online at Dictionary.com - so someone is indeed compensating for their limited vocabulary, but it ain't yao416!
Sr. Member
May 18, 2006
997 posts
24 upvotes
canadiankorean wrote: Oh also this whole thing about watching tv..

my daughter watches tv. not regularly or that often.. but more than 30mins a day.
She's 14months old and her vocabulary is well over 300 words.
She spoken words is around 40 although they are not perfect in sound.
She knows sign language and can do signs for a lot of words also.
eg water, tree, caterpillar, chicken, dog, bath, potty/toilet, and many more

So it's all about balance in activity.
We read to her a lot. We have her point and direct us in the book and we say what she points to.
She now recognizing letters and numbers and somewhat seeing words.

All this and she watches the evil tv...
She knows go diego go, 4 squares, roll play, all the treehouse shows and knows the beat and song. I always watched with her and made the shows interactive by pointing to the images and making the big motions in roll play.

Tv is not that bad.. it's like any other thing people see (images)...
It's just people get tempted to use it as a babysitter and leave the child there unattended.
robertalan wrote: +1

Very sensible approach. There is some amazingly high quality programming available for young children nowadays.
I think there are two streams of consciousness here. Some people are talking about the QUALITY of the programming for infants, but some of these studies are talking about the actual physiological effects of television images and they way they are produced, on the developing brains of infants under the age of 2. Without being able to quote, I remember reading some different things about the flickering images and bombardment of visual stimulation (colours, movement, etc.) interfering with how well ganglions(?) in the infant brain build their bridges. It is these brain connections going on at such a hyper level that allow for the largest window of learning opportunity, for things like languages, in babies. I saw Dr. Jean Clinton speak, and she quoted research that showed that by the age of 9 months, infants have already lost close to 50% of their ability to distinguish different and particular language sounds.

That being said, we do allow limited viewing of Treehouse shows :o that are slow-paced and story/lesson/morality based..............
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Dec 19, 2001
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Fernando Poo
TV is generally a bad idea at any age. It will rot your brain and you'll soon be voting for Harper.
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Oct 29, 2004
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hagbard wrote: TV is generally a bad idea at any age. It will rot your brain and you'll soon be voting for Harper.
The proof is in your posts! :D
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Aug 19, 2007
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inntents wrote: I think there are two streams of consciousness here. Some people are talking about the QUALITY of the programming for infants, but some of these studies are talking about the actual physiological effects of television images and they way they are produced, on the developing brains of infants under the age of 2. Without being able to quote, I remember reading some different things about the flickering images and bombardment of visual stimulation (colours, movement, etc.) interfering with how well ganglions(?) in the infant brain build their bridges. It is these brain connections going on at such a hyper level that allow for the largest window of learning opportunity, for things like languages, in babies. I saw Dr. Jean Clinton speak, and she quoted research that showed that by the age of 9 months, infants have already lost close to 50% of their ability to distinguish different and particular language sounds.

That being said, we do allow limited viewing of Treehouse shows :o that are slow-paced and story/lesson/morality based..............
Not to put too fine a point on it - but that sounds like bull.



(...and I'm a lifelong supporter of the scientific method.)
.
yao416 wrote: Dont want to ruin our neighborship, but if I have to, I will! :evil:
gmark2000 wrote: Are you inventing words to compensate for your limited vocabulary and grammar?
robertalan wrote: "Neighborship" (or "neighbourship") is a real word, it's in my Oxford dictionary, and also online at Dictionary.com - so someone is indeed compensating for their limited vocabulary, but it ain't yao416!
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Oct 9, 2007
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Toronto, ON
We don't have TV and no cable tv @ home cuz of the shows being aired mainly cuz we like to spend time with our kids.

But the days that they do watch - Baby Einstein are a few that they do watch.

My son is now just under 3 years old and he was expose to several of the BE dvd's - quite frankly he's still into in. Seeing it and repeating what he says. I've seen it a few times and it's really relaxing too.
One of the happiest moments in life . . .
"is when you find the courage to let go of what you can't change"
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