Time Magazines Report on Baby Einstein Learning Videos Biased

Not long ago, Time Magazine ran a story titled; "Baby Einstein: Not So Smart After All" by Alice Park. The article is centered on a study conducted by researchers at the University of Washington and published online by the Journal of Pediatrics. Researchers concluded that time spent in front of a television is detrimental to the development of children. The study warns parents that a child who spends time watching television, rather than interacting with parents, may have delayed language development. This is not new information. The medical community has been howling about the perils of children and t.v. for years.

The research is sound but the delivery of it is questionable. Park's review of the study is misleading at best. Though it references other videos, the article is peppered with the insinuation that the research is based on the Baby Einstein products alone. The article opens with: "The claim always seemed too good to be true: park your infant in front of a video and, in no time, he or she will be talking and getting smarter than the neighbor's kid." From insinuation to fabrication, Time travels the road well by printing a report that misleads the public with a one-sided view peddled as research fact.

The truth of the matter is that, yes, watching too much television isn't good for children. It's not good for anyone. There is a huge deluge of research to back this up which leaves me to wonder why research funding is being poured into a study of which the end result is already known. Parents are well aware that excessive television watching will not get their children into Harvard. However, there are times when a video is not only harmless to the child but provides a benefit that cannot be measured.

To say the family unit has evolved since the invention of t.v. is akin to saying the Grand Canyon is merely a hole in the ground. Today's families often have grandparents pulling double duty being both parent and grandparent. If single parent homes were a disease our country would be beyond the epidemic stage. When a child is fortunate enough to have both parents in the home they are usually working parents. These circumstances, among others, leave families stressfully twisting in the wind. Caregivers need time to unwind and switch gears from the multiple roles they're forced to play. A Baby Einstein video grants the caregiver a much needed reprieve. The videos provide the peace of mind in knowing the kids aren't being subjected to violence or exploitation. With the child safely engaged, the caregiver has the opportunity to regroup trading in whatever hat they've worn all day for the one marked parent. This down time is absolutely essential. Emotionally healthy kids come from emotionally healthy caregivers. Shame on Time and Park,for playing on the guilt of caregivers by unbalanced reporting and obscuring facts. When kids grow up they'll have no unpleasant memories associated to watching a thirty minute educational video; they will however, remember an exhausted, overworked caregiver releasing anger and frustration upon them.

The founder of the Baby Einstein Company, Julie Aigner-Clark, intended the videos to be used as an educational tool. Through the use of puppets, colorful toys, lights and music, Aigner-Clark captured children's attention by looking at the world through their eyes. She offers suggestions to parents on how to maximize the full potential of the videos by watching and interacting with their children.

Baby Einstein rounds out their collection by offering toys from the videos, books and other educational items. The success of the company caught the attention of Disney who eventually purchased it. Ownership changed but product quality and educational standards did not. An informational video about Baby Einstein products and company intent can be viewed on their website www.babyeinstein.com . Throughout the video it is repeatedly stated that products are to be used in conjunction with parental interaction. As recited on the website the purpose of the Baby Einstein company is "to provide a unique way to encourage parents to interact with their children." What you will not find is encouragement to "park your infant in front of a video," as the Time article states.

I'm not a reporter for Time, a pediatrician or an affiliate of Disney or Baby Einstein. My credentials are much higher. I am a mom. I parent five boys, two of them being special needs. My perspective and intellect on the effect these videos have on children isn't gained by observing them in a science experiment or by how many magazines I can sell. I am a mother who values education and is committed to providing children every learning opportunity available. My report comes to you from the front lines of the educational war.

My youngest son, DJ, is a special needs child. At age 2 he had the abilities of a newborn. Few, in the medical community believed he'd survive and even less thought him capable of learning. When DJ received the Baby Mozart video as a gift I was unsure what to make of it. I wasn't familiar with the company or their products. The video burst to life with lights, music and eye-catching toys that calmed and engaged DJ in a way we'd never seen. Our love affair with Baby Einstein had begun.

For the next few years DJ's life was saturated with videos and toys from the Baby Einstein collection. Though he was still very sick and doctors still doubted his learning ability, his response to the videos was undeniable. Through the Baby EinsteinCompany I at last had an opportunity to interact with him. The window to his mind had been breached. The crack created by a learning video has turned into a wide-open swinging door that continues to grow and learn.

There are no words to describe the complete metamorphosis DJ has undergone. No, Baby Einstein videos didn't cure him. They did something far greater than that. They calmed an incredibly ill child therefore allowing the mother-son bond that illness had robbed us of. When a child cries inconsolably, non-stop for hours it's difficult to bond. Holding him and talking softly about what he sees on the video continues to be a calming mechanism six years later.

DJ currently favors his latest DVD Baby McDonald. As we'd previously had videos I was delighted to find a repeat play option on the DVD. This too can be an instrument for learning. DJ first watches the DVD then I join him on the repeat play. With unadulterated glee he points out his favorite parts. He hands me the remote gesturing for me to pause it so he can put my finger directly on the screen so I'm sure about what he likes. DJ vocalizes but due to language apraxia, he isn't often understood. His excitement is evident as he jabbers in a dialect only he understands. In typical little boy fashion, he was sharing with his mommy what he enjoyed.

Taking advantage of his enthusiasm for Baby McDonald I used a puzzle of farm animals as we watched. As animals came up on the screen I paused the DVD and requested DJ find the puzzle piece of the same animal. To help him learn to chew I placed apples before him and cut them as the video shows. Because the apples were associated with the video he began to attempt to bite into them. The video brought out the boy in him as he took an intense interest in trucks and farm equipment, especially tractors. His love for tractors prompted my sister to buy him a tractor for Christmas. We took DJ to a couple different stores allowing him to look at them and determine which he liked best. He left no doubt in our minds as to his favorite. Sitting in the shopping cart, DJ watched as my sister loaded the largest toy tractor I've ever seen into the cart behind him. His face lit up, he clapped his hands and yelled, "I got it. I got it!." precious words for a mother who was told never to expect to hear his voice.

Contrary to popular belief doctors are not always right. Placing an across the board standard for children is never a good idea. Kids are different, living in different circumstances; not everything applies to everyone. Caregivers should not hold to what someone else who doesn't know their child determines is right. Regardless of who you are or who you're raising, the most precious thing you can ever give a child is the gift of security that can only come from a peaceful home.