Baby Einstein…Important Research!

(RaisingX.com) Initially, the thought of allowing Xavier to watch television was repulsive, but as they grow older you begin to realize the only thing that keeps them entertained for 20 minutes is their favorite tv show. I am in no way advocating the use of television as a babysitter for your child, however, it can be the perfect solution when you need a little time to make dinner (and safer than letting them run around in the kitchen with the hot stove and sharp objects).

So if I was going to let her watch tv I wanted it to be the most educational show I could find; I wanted it to give her a head start. Of course the first thing you think of is Baby Einstein. From the moment I learned I was pregnant I was bombarded with ads and advice telling me that Baby Einstein was the best option available and that it would promote development (and may even make her smarter).

Fortunately, she never got into them. I bought about 6 dvds and I couldn’t get her to sit through 2 minutes of any of them. With the lack of dialog and moving characters people, they bored her. She likes action, singing, dancing, and laughing.

I say fortunately because I just read about Dr. Dimitri Christakis’s latest research. In this study, he surveyed parents to determine the most common words their infants and toddlers used as well as exposure to different type of developmental stimuli. It was reported that for every additional hour each day an infant/toddler watched Baby Einstein or Brainy Baby, they knew 6-8 fewer words than other children their age. Additionally, Dr. Dimitri Christakis found that the children with the most vocabulary were often told or read stories.

So the moral of the story is…don’t always believe the hype (it could do the exact opposite of what you think it will do) and READ TO YOUR CHILDREN!!!

Story Source: LATimes.com

Image Source: InkyCircus.com

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