Baby Einstein Videos

My 8 month old son has never been placed in front of a tv to "watch" a show. He keeps himself busy with toys, and if he fusses he gets a new toy or a change of environment. This has worked for us and he keeps himself entertained with toys and people. Ohhh how he loves playing with uncles aunts, kids etc.

I was a nanny for triplets and their mother had those videos, I think they're very good. She would let them watch for 15-20 mins. to help her. I never liked the idea of using a TV but these videos were very good. I sat with the children and it kind of gave me a relaxing time.

I love the baby einstein videos. I had a lot of them, I suggest getting them off ebay to get them cheaper. But very good for the 30 minutes you need to wash the dishes or something.

This is probably no help, but here's my opinion, just for fun. I have never watched the Baby Einstein videos.. so I can't comment on them specifically. BUT, just remember that once you introduce TV to your little one, it can be very addictive to them. My son never watched anything on t.v. until he was about one.. even then he didn't have a lot of interest. I didn't let him watch any t.v. programming, just started out with Winnie the Pooh (the original). Eventually, he would be still enough to watch more than 2 minutes of it. But when he became ill w/stomach bug (rotovirus I think) it was a Godsend. We could lie on the sofa together and the music is so soothing, and the movement is slow (not the quick images that so much tv has that adds to attention deficit issues, imho), and he would doze off. He then became more attached to the characters and they were soothing on their own (stuffed animals). He really didn't begin to enjoy watching stuff until he was closer to 2. Around 2 1/2 he began watching a cartoon called Franklin (about a little turtle and his woodland friends) and of course, grew from there (he is now almost 10). (and I still love Franklin!)
I would say to stick with toys and musical books and things like that. He is not old enough to be watching ANYTHING on tv. He needs to learn through tactile play... (touching things, not watching images)
It can be hard to "keep them entertained", especially if you are home all day alone with him. So try to DO more (not try harder at the same stuff-YOU'll be bored)... take a walk around the block, or go to the mall and take a walk from end to end.. get a pretzel while you're there and let him smell the salt on it, walk around in your backyard and talk about the flowers and butterflies, if you live near the beach... go there! You don't have to pitch a blanket or anything.. just park and take a walk for a little ways on the sand (or boardwalk) and then leave. The ocean sounds and smells will stimulate his brain (and maybe relax yours too!) You could even walk out into the garage during a rainstorm and let him hear it/smell it (it IS different)...
I stayed inside a lot b/c I was new to the breastfeeding thing and I was nervous about it, but there are SO many accommodations for moms now, and you don't have to go very far to just get out of the house. Just the new sights, sounds, smells will tire out baby, and it'll be more peaceful for you both while you're out and after you are home.

I would try to hold off on using the TV for a while longer... especially since you have a boy. They are more prone to NOT sitting still very long anyway.. and while it might seem like you are teaching him to do just that, actually, his eyes are watching quickly moving images that teach his brain to crave that visual stimulation. Get leapfrog interactive toys instead.

Babies get plenty of stimulation just by exploring their natural world! Try to imagine if you were from another planet and just got to earth 3 months and 3 weeks ago... what might you find interesting?? (The dirt, the wind, shadows, cats/dogs, flowers, sounds outside, water, sand, grass, reflections, etc)

I had a couple Baby Einstein videos and I would put them in for my boys, but they never showed any interest in TV at ALL. If he will sit and watch and let you do other things, count your belssings and enjoy!

The videos should be used for entertainment only. They are not to be thought of as a teaching tool or a substitute for one on one learning time with your child. Babies do not learn language or any other skill from TV. They are too young for that yet. That being said, my son LOVES to watch the Baby Einstein videos. When he was about your son's age I started putting him in his bouncer, turn on a video, and he would smile and bounce with delight. As he got older I moved him into a stationary play toy (jumperoo or saucer) and he would watch from there. Now that he's a 12 month old, he likes to stand in front of the TV (holding on to his toy box) and watch. I don't always play the whole thing, sometimes just 10 or 15 minutes, but he is mesmerized the whole time it's on. It's great to use if you need to make lunch/dinner, give him medication, or when you just need a few minutes break. As long as he is still getting quality time with mom I don't see it as a problem. In fact, if you have to choose between a BE video or a TV program, go with the video. At this age, children should watch shows in their entirety (no commercials) so as not to promote short attention spans. They should also not watch more than 30 minutes of TV per day for the same reason.

So, give yourself a break and let the little guy be entertained by a video!

Hi S.,

Here's what the American Academy of Pediatrics has to say:

It may be tempting to put your infant or toddler in front of the television, especially to watch shows created just for children under age two. But the American Academy of Pediatrics says: Don't do it! These early years are crucial in a child's development. The Academy is concerned about the impact of television programming intended for children younger than age two and how it could affect your child's development. Pediatricians strongly oppose targeted programming, especially when it's used to market toys, games, dolls, unhealthy food and other products to toddlers. Any positive effect of television on infants and toddlers is still open to question, but the benefits of parent-child interactions are proven. Under age two, talking, singing, reading, listening to music or playing are far more important to a child's development than any TV show. For more information on your child's health, visit www.aap.org.

Here's a good article on babyzone:

http://www.babyzone.com/loadpage/article.asp?contentid=2218

Hope this helps!

At our house we found that it really depends on the child. My son absolutely loved the videos. It was the only way I could sweep and mop or clean anything without him underfoot so I would put one on when I needed to get something done. My daughter was born 18 months later and would not watch them at all.

Our library in Ocala also has them for checkout so the library close to you might be worth a try. Then you don't have to pay anything just to try one.

Hey S.,

Congratulation on your beautiful baby. I struggled with this same question when my first was born. I hated the idea of her watchin TV. I even found an article in the newspaper that condemed TV watching for children under 2. Needless to say in the end, TV, movies and computer games have become everyday parts of our lives. I did use Baby Einstein for my first daughter when she was about 3 1/2 months old. It was so cute to see her focus on them. I didn't let her watch more than one at a time and usualy just occasionally. I think there were benefits for her because the music was stimulating and the visuals engaging. The sad thing is when she was about 22 months we moved to Whidbey Island WA and TV became very important in our lives. It was rainy and grey every day and there was little else we could do. I hated it! The good news is my second is now 10 months and she has no intrest in TV. I tried to get her to watch a baby Einstein but she crawled away to play with her toys. That worked for me. This is one of the big issues that I swore as a parent I would never let my kids watch TV but I crossed that off my list but good.

I LOVE the Baby Einstein!!! Both of my children watched them and it was such a relief to be able to put them in the bouncy seat, put it on, and get 30 min. of cleaning done. Once they were in the excer-saucer they didn't even watch what was on the screen, it was just the music that soothed them. They both started watching them at about 3 or 4 months. I don't think there is anything wrong with children watching in moderation!! I'm sorry, but I really don't care what the American academy of pediatrics says... I'm going to do what I think is best for MY baby... not what "they" say. As long as you are fine with your child watching just a little a day, it's not going to hurt them. Both of my children have VERY active imaginations and most of the day is "free play" in their own little world. But I can't tell you how much they have learned from watching one episode of Dora a day! Do what YOU feel is best!!

My 20 month old son has Baby Einstein videos and loves them, but the whole family likes the Brainy Baby ones even better. My husband swears he is learning his letters through the repetition on the videos, but I know my daughter and I work with him on them as well- so it must be a combination of both. As for the American Academy of Pediatrics, I take everything "they" say with a grain of salt, and I read carefully at what they are actually saying. Accoring to the other poster who quoted them, Baby Einstein type videos don't really fit into the category they are referring to-- they are not really trying to "sell" the parents/toddlers on anything or promote unhealthy eating or other habits. Yes, you can buy more B E products with the characters in the videos, but that isn't the purpose of them since they are educational (as opposed to say Transformer cartoons for older kids that are really a 30 minute commercial to get the kids to want the toys!!) As long as you use TV in moderation and you interact with your child on a regular basis, they not only aren't going to harm them, but they will really learn a ton from them, including vocabulary, colors, letters, etc. I don't, however, recommend TV before bedtime. I know the music may be soothing, but the digital moving pictures actually stimulate the brain and makes it a tad harder for the brain cells to settle down for a good night's rest. Maybe just a CD would be better before bedtime.

Oh-- and if you have a DVD player in the car, once the child is in a forward facing seat, the DVDs are great for car rides!!

my daughter loved them started watching them at around 9 mos and she still loves them at 2 1/2. it is just a good way to entertain them for thirty minutes during the day and it will build on everything you teach them. i have to say the classical music is nice to have on in the background and it the least annoying show that they can be watching at this age.

I have several of the DVDs and my son loved them. He still watches one or two at 2.5 years old. Music or nursery rhyme DVDs is what he really loves now. I remember when he was little and he'd be in his bouncy chair and he'd just squeal with delight when I'd put one on.

This is what I learned after I had my daughter in front of the TV a little bit every day for her first 2 months, I wish I had known earlier, but I guess better now than never.. They say that TV for children under the age of 2 is not recommended, it causes ADHD. And for kids 2 and over just a couple of hours a day. It has to do with the fast bits of info that TV throws at you, as adults we can handle it. But for a growing brain, it rewires it. Even Baby Einstein was developed for toddlers, a more mature brain. Babies are fasinated with the brightness of TV and motion, so at last resort I sometimes use my computer with a picture of an animal or flower(from the internet) or just her own pic! and just leave it up for her to look at, and somtimes I'll do the slideshow on a very SLOW speed. She loves it!
This is just what I did. So whatever you decide that is best for your family, good Luck and enjoy your new baby boy!

Hi S., I am a grandmother and my 5 year old grandson watched the Baby Einstein videos each day and they helped him greatly. He has some speech and developmental delays and they really encouraged him to learn to say his letters and sounds and were very entertaining. I would highly recommend them for any child whether they have delays or not. He learned from them and I didn't see anything negative. There are many to choose from.

Hi my kids love them ..the music is soothing and the colors are bright and they really seem to stimulate them...

My daughter loved that video series (though she was around 6 months before she liked them). Baby Mozart and Baby Bach were the ones she liked first. I don't however believe that they are "educational". They gave me a chance to get some chores done. I would only allow 1 video a day unless we were traveling or she was sick. She would have watched them all day if I had allowed it.

Hi S.,

My son loves his Baby Einstein videos. He is almost 19 months and still watches them. They have really helped his speech development. They were developed by a stay at home mom. They are sold everywhere and have different ones for diffrent ages.

My child will be two on Wednesday and talks impressively well. He seemed to pick up on a lot from the Baby Einstein videos. He learned all of the words in them pretty quickly. Of course, as you said, moderation is important.

I have read that it isn't good to let a child so young watch tv. I waited a few months before I would let my sons look at the television. Of course sometimes it's impossible. I thing my oldest was about 5 mths when we bought a baby eistien movie. He loved it!! And we limited his watching, but a few times a week didn't seem to hurt him or his brother. Their favorite was old macdonalds farm.

Good morning,
I was given the whole series as a gift and was hesitant as well, not wanting to plop him in front of the TV. But they have been wonderful. My boy is a year and a half now and he absolutely loved the Baby Bach. It kept him entertained enough I could do homework with my oldest, or just go through the mail. The older ones teach shapes and sign language and although to me they are silly, they really held his attention. We try to limit tv or video watching to an hour a day. He is starting now into the Backyardigans and it is wonderful to see him laugh and dance. Bottom line is everything in moderation. I see no problem with keeping a baby entertained with something they enjoy for an hour.

Yes, we used the Baby Einstein videos with our now 23 mth old. They are great they really stimulate their little minds. She would kick and laugh everytime she watched them. We started with Baby Mozart (at 3 months old) and then Baby's first moves (which she still loves) She interacts with the video everytime she watches it. She does not watch a lot of tv, but she does have a few shows that she loves like Caillou (her favorite), Barney (of course,Curious George, and Little Einsteins. There is nothing wrong with a little tv. I truly believe they learn a lot from watching PBS. My baby is now 23 months old and she is using 3 and 4 word sentences. Good Luck K.

I tried the videos with my daughter and she responded particularly well to Baby Neptune but showed no interest in the others. It was nice seeing her watch and smile. I liked the Mommy and Me video better because it allowed me to dance and sing with her and she couldn't get enough of it. Hope that helps. K.

If your child likes them, there is no harm in 30 minutes a day. He is still fairly young, so he may not have interest yet. My daughter got into the einstein videos around the age of 9 months, but she loved the weather channel from birth on, the music and constant changing pictures interested her. Each child is different. Your son will not be damaged from small diversions.

I bought the complete dvd set (ebay) MUCH CHEAPER!! and I love them! My daughter has been watching them for a couple of weeks now and she just turned 3 months old. She LOVES them! They are great! I would definitly recommend them. They are about 1/2 hour each so in the mornings when she gets up i put a video on so I can get ready for the day. She watches the whole thing and laughs and smiles at it. They are GREAT for learning and keeping them entertained when you need to get something done or need a break.

Run and get them immediately they are the best things ever! They are just tapes of things like moving toys, candles, kites flying, etc and then they also have these little puppet shows in between. They learn from them and it is 30 minutes of time you can get to yourself! My daughter (now almost 4) loved them and it allowed me to get dinner started or take a shower or just sit there! My son is 1 and he doesn't sit still long enough to watch them, but my daughter started at about 3 months of age and she still watches them when I try to entertain her brother with them.

Yes Yes Yes! I have 2 small children and they both love the Einstein videos! They helped my son when he was fussy as a baby and now that he's older he learns all kinds of words from them! Yes TV is supposed to be evil but sometimes you just need piece and quiet and that is the easiest way to get it! Even my 13 month old daughter gets excited when I put one in now! When she was a baby she'd just stare at it and now she dances and claps and laughs! Great stuff! Don't worry about all the bad hype about TV. As long as they are glued to it 24/7 it's fine!

Hi, S.!
Check out www.BrainyBaby.com. They have wonderful dvds, toys, and books. I'm an early childhood and elementary educator, and I have a 15-month-old son. I recently finished a study using a Brainy Baby dvd, and the results were incredible! The thing that I like about them is that they specifically address the right and left brain (Right is creativity and left is logic), and the way that they present the material is wonderful and holds the children's interest. They definitely work, with the kids in the study and with my son.
L. W.

My son started watching the videos and listening to the music at a very early age. He even like to listen to the music while still in my tummy. I would get kicked if he couldn't hear it.
Check out the library for the videos and music so you know what he like before you buy it. The videos are colorful and have babies and toddlers in it so it captures their attention for a while. I recomend the Playbox CD to play music while your son plays on the floor by heself.
Classical music is a good way to start your little one out. This genre is dying out so I so glad this Mom that come out with Baby Einsteins did. My son is 28 mos old and still listens to this music at bedtime.

I never liked the idea of the TV being the baby sitter and feared when to introduce the TV and how much and what at first; but i have come to find that now with 3 children (ages 6,3,& 1) the baby einstein vids are a great relief for both you and baby (we have 6 of them). they are not overstimulating like so much of todays computer generated fast pace non-educational whiney garbage. there are times that days will go by and my children will not have noticed that they haven't watched TV and then suddenly they want to veg-out. and if your making dinner/cleaning/doing mom stuff is happening and a 1/2 hour is what you need for both of you to accomplish the needs at hand, then a bit of parent approved TV is not so bad. i know i have no time for TV anymore so every now and then its nice to veg out and watch them too.

A study recently released showed that kids that watched Baby Einstein videos were behind other children in terms of when they started speaking. Our kids watched videos sometimes when they were little (6 and 4 now) and we have tried to completely eliminate t.v. recently. The kids play really creatively instead and I feel really good about the decision.
Although, I don't know how we would have gotten by some days without a movie, I know for sure if I could turn back the clock I would never would have let them watch t.v. at a young age at all. I am sorry that I don't know the name of the study, but perhaps you could find it by Google.