Baby’s First Moves DVD
New Baby Einstein DVD Raises Questions about Infants and Television
The Baby Einstein Company has just released a new DVD for infants that features movement and dance while the AAP recommends no television viewing for babies and toddlers.
Most parents are familiar with the Baby Einstein Company. The founder, Julie Aigner-Clark, started with just a few videos she had developed in the hopes of exposing her baby to the arts. Today, it is a multi-million dollar company that produces toys and books in addition to a large DVD collection for babies. Baby Einstein was acquired by the Walt Disney Company in 2001 and this union led to the development of the Little Einsteins preschool television series.
The new Baby’s First Moves DVD has been designed to inspire babies to move and sing. I think the idea has merit, but I can’t help but wonder what happened to the days when parents just sat on the floor with baby, stacking blocks and singing the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” together. I long for the days when parents improvised with household items, putting socks on their hands to make puppets to surprise their curious infant. Do parents really need the help of a video? Or are they using the video as a way to keep baby occupied?
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no TV for children under the age of 2, but parents across the country continue to purchase DVD’s for infants and toddlers. The Baby Einstein Company’s website makes it very clear that its videos were designed to be a springboard for parent/child interaction. Parents are encouraged to watch along with their children, but unfortunately, I feel that this is not the reality for many families. While some parents may actually sit next to their infant during the program, it has been my experience that more parents use Baby Einstein DVD’s to keep baby entertained while they’re doing other things. When I worked full-time, I admit that I let my first child watch a Baby Einstein video while I prepared dinner on busy nights. While I know how hard it can be to juggle it all, I think it’s important for parents of infants and toddlers to keep television viewing to a minimum. Organizations like the National Institute on Media and the Family can help parents make informed decisions about the role television plays in their children’s lives.
Even in today’s modern world, traditional games like “Peek-a-boo” and “Pat-a-Cake” are big hits with my toddler . When given the choice between interacting with mommy and watching TV, Loralei will always choose to play with mommy. If I do choose to let her watch the new Baby’s First Moves DVD by Baby Einstein, I’ll be sure to join in the fun, singing and dancing right along with her.
Source: Baby Einstein Press Release (10/24/06)
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