When we were pregnant with our little munchkin, I bought the entire Baby Einstein collection on DVD. Indulgent? Perhaps. I just assumed that my little munchkin was going to watch some television so I figured it would be best to let him watch something that would actually foster and enhance his learning and development.
And then I read this from the AAP after allowing our little munchkin to watch these videos pretty regularly. And I felt like a horrible mother. I told my husband that we needed to stop allowing him to watch any and all videos and keep the television turned off until he went to bed. That worked well…for about a week. And to be quite honest and real, television is a part of our daily lives. Even in my bed-bound months of pregnancy, I must admit, I was hooked on a few daytime shows! Now that we have our little munchkin our television habits have changed significantly and we try to avoid watching anything that is not child-friendly while our little one is awake.
But that didn’t solve the dilemma as to whether or not we should allow our son to watch carefully selected, age and developmentally appropriate videos. I make it a habit of watching every potential video in its entirety beforehand. When I revisited the Baby Einstein videos, I concluded that when used in the way that Julie Clark, founder of Baby Einstein, intended, these videos promote and enhance the learning and development that is taking place everyday with my son.
Baby Einstein encompasses a line of videos, CDs, toys, books, and Discovery Cards designed to promote discovery among babies and children through parent-child interaction…all from a child’s perspective. Music, art, language, science, and nature are brought together to give you and your child a unique interactive experience that introduces him/her to the world. So while it may seem like a great idea to put a video on for my little munchkin while mommy gets in a much needed shower, (ahem) that is not how Baby Einstein videos were meant to be used.
One of the videos my little munchkin and I are lovin’ is Baby’s First Moves. Baby Gap cuties, jump, twist, shake, and dance to the beat of Beethoven, Bach, Vivaldi, and Mozart. The Baby Einstein puppets make a game out of peek-a-boo while my little one squeals and laughs in delight, trying to decide who is funnier…mommy or the puppet. Your little one will see an elephant reach, a pony roll over, and a monkey clap…just like they do. My little boy’s favorite part of the video is the section entitled Let’s Play where we clap, touch our noses, play peek-a-boo, and sing If You’re Happy and You Know It. My son is very active and Baby’s First Moves hits the target for his developmental age and stage.
The videos are relatively short (about 30 minutes), taking into account a child’s attention span according to his/her age and developmental stage. They can be viewed in English, Spanish, and French. Included are several bonus features designed to enhance discovery and acquisition of developmental milestones. Moms will love Move With Me, where pilates instructor Michelle Dozois introduces strengthening exercises designed around everyday activities for mom and baby to bond and interact.
Win it! I have a brand new copy of Baby’s First Moves to give to one lucky reader, courtesy of Mom Central. To enter, please leave me a comment letting me know if you allow your child to watch television and one of the shows he/she watches. Also include another Baby Einstein video you’d like to watch with your child. Comments that do not include this information will not be counted. Comments are moderated. If you don’t see your comment in a reasonable amount of time, send me an email. 1 comment per person, please. Duplicates will be disqualified. Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. As usual, if you would like to be entered twice, blog about the contest and email me your link OR email 3 of your friends telling them about the contest and cc me on the email. One winner will be drawn on March 8, 2008 via random.org. I will accept comments until March 7, 2008 at 10 pm PST. I will be announcing the winner here on my blog and on Prizey.Fetch. I dislike spam just as much as you do so I’m going to leave it up to you as to whether or not you want to disclose your email address. Please note that the winner must respond within 48 hours of being announced or another winner will be drawn.
Caryn is a NICU nurse by day, blogger by night and mom 24/7. She savors the warm Southern California sun and loves to travel, shopping, baking, reading and frequenting her local tea room. Caryn created the column Lavishly Green for Peekaboo Picks Magazine to share her best tips for going green in style, she is the Former editor for Family Review Network, former OC Family Magazine online contributor, former Orange County Moms Blog contributor, former Evenflo Savvy Parent contributor, former member of the Totsy Advisory Board and former freelance writer for CBS Los Angeles.
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Hello, These DVD’s are fantastic! We enjoy the “Neighborhood Animals” right now! A few of the television show that are on in our home are ~
Clifford, Dora, and Bob the Builder.
Please enter me in your drawing. Thanks for a fun giveaway contest!
Cindi
jchoppes[at]hotmail[dot]com
I have three children, and yes, I let them watch TV. My sons are 5 & 4 and they watch shows like “Super Why” and “Word World” (spelling, learning to read shows) and Little Einsteins- they love Rocket.
My daughter is 15 months old and she is not too into TV but I do let her watch Baby Mozart, Baby Beethoven and Baby Noah. I would like to watch the baby moves dvd with her or the animal ones. Those look good!
I have a 5 year old and a 1 year old. My oldest gets to watch some television each day after school and when everything is finished that she needs to do. She usually chooses to watch Disney or we love PBS for clifford. We also have noggin that she is in love with.
tonyamike at charter dot net.
The girls love Fraggle Rock, but in limited doses. We like to watch Baby Einstein together and I would love to see Baby Beethoven.
I must admit, that I do let my kids watch tv! The current fave right now from Baby Einstein is Baby Mozart!
Thanks for the chance!
dansan826 at yahoo
My son and I watch the Baby Einstein, first instruments, galileo, and language nursery. What a cute idea for Baby’s first moves!! Thanks! Melissa
melissaroehl at yahoo dot com
i have 3 ages 3,1, and 3 months
yes they can watch tv. they love to watch dora the explorer and go diego go. we watch baby bethoven. they’d love to watch this one and they’ve been wanting the animal sounds
[email protected]
Oh, I started out saying NO TV and then his bewitching hour started forming (5:30 – 6:30pm) and we threw on a Sesame Street we’d taped “just in case” and it worked!! He loves singing and so anything with music (Wiggles, Backyardigans) he just is fascinated and will laugh and throw his arms around.
I love the Baby MacDonald-Life on the Farm video. What kids don’t like animals!
nateandjakesmom at gmail dot com
My 5yo gets to pick out one movie a day after she finishes her homework (we homeschool).
My almost 2yo isn’t allowed to watch TV yet. She will be 2 on 3/8 and we will start her off with something educational but fun.
Yes I allow my daughter to watch tv, but 1 show or movie per day is enough. She likes Dora the Explorer the most. I would also like to see the baby einsteins babys first signs dvd. blogged ya:
http://mommyland512.blogspot.com/2008/03/win-copy-of-baby-einsteins-babys-first.html
Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
hellomary018 AT yahoo DOT com
–Mary @ Adventures in Mommyland
mommyland512.blogspot.com
I do let my daughter watch some TV such as Dora, Sesame Street, and Ni Hao Kai-Lan and I don’t think it harms her. Everything in moderation…
I thought the DVD about Baby’s First Places in the neighborhood seemed interesting.
Thanks for the chance.
Lisa
hianded[at]earthlink.net
I have four children so each of them has different favorites. My older two (8,6) love SuperWhy and World World on PBS and Spongebob on Nick. My three year old loves Blues Clues and Diego. My four month old won’t be watching tv for awhile. 🙂
I’ve put Baby Sign videos and some Scholastic animated DVDs on for my 11-month-old but she doesn’t watch them for more than a couple of minutes. I’d love to give Baby Einstein a try, because there are times that it would be nice if she’d just stay in one place for a little while. I’d also like to watch Van Gogh’s World of Color with her.
We do allow our children to watch television, but only in two or three 30-minute increments in one day. Our oldest has progressed to LITTLE Einsteins (on Disney channel), but our littlest still loves Baby Einstein DVDs. Her current fave is “Meet the Orchestra.” Thanks for the contest! – Megret ( [email protected] )
No, not yet. My kiddo hasn’t yet shown much of a fascination for TV, so he hasn’t yet developd any faves. But I’d love to start his addiction with this dvd. Count us in!
We enjoy Little Einstein’s on tv, Baby Mozart on DVD, but in general try not to watch too much each day. sarah – sarah2405 at hotmail dot com. thanks!
I let my daughter watch tv but she doesnt seem really interested right now usually I just pop in a winnie the pooh movie for her and she will watch that I would really like to get her the baby einstein- baby neptune movie
chickeedee_2002(at)yahoo.com
While I don’t have children of my own, as a nanny I do let children watch some television, but usually less than their parents do. Sesame street is an all-time winner in my book, and almost every child I’ve ever cared for has loved it. I usually limit kids to an episode of Sesame Street and one video a day, but not back to back. Instead of TV we turn on some music and dance, have “circle time” with songs, finger plays and stories, and make age-appropriate crafts. I admit that I’ve been known to let the kids watch more TV when I’m having trouble getting lunch fixed, the dishes washed, the laundry folded, etc. Baby Einstein and Little Einstein videos are ones I feel I can always trust–thanks for the offer!
can’t go wrong with Sesame Street. =)
We let our two year old watch TV. Before having kids I swore I’d never let them watch TV… now it’s my handy helper when I want to get stuff done and keep her out of trouble. I guess I could just stick her in a playpen by herself while I get my stuff done like a few childless friends suggested. I don’t see the harm in letting her dance to the Wiggles or sit down and watch Elmo while I clean up or shower.
I’d like to watch the Numbers Nursery video (I should see if our library has it as they rent out DVDs and have a lot of the Baby Einstein ones), since we are slowly working on learning to count
My 17 month old watches Baby Einstein, Sesame Street, Barney and the Wiggles. I usually watch with him and talk about what we’re watching… but c’mon it also keeps him happy so I can take a shower. I’m comforable with Baby Einstein because it isn’t over stimulating. I’d love to win Baby’s First Moves and I’m planning to buy Baby’s Favorite Places – First Words Around Town.
Thanks, Terri
txterri[at]aol[dot]com
I’d like to see Baby Mozart!
We watch stuff like Dora the Explorer and some cartoons
BAby Mozart. Dora rules in our home.
my son loves Jetix and my daughter loves strawberry shortcake
I have 3 children. Yes, I allow them to watch tv, but I limit it to what shows. A favorite of ours is blue and dora. Thanks for the giveway.
I would like Baby Mozart. I think some people use the tv has a baby sitter. It’s okay for a little while but not all day.
at 4 months old we have not watched any tv yet but he will i am sure.i would like baby mozart.
My daughter is 13 months old and loves the Baby Channel. She has certain “shows” that she prefers. It is so funny–she can hear a certain tune start playing from a few of her “faves” and begins laughing and clapping. She prefers Harry the Bunny, Peek-a-boo, and Musti. Oh wait..and the Wheel of Fortune! She is still enjoy the sounds of the season video from baby einstein.
Tonya williams
Fins2thrite at aol dot com
My daughter is 1,5 years old and she likes the Teletubbies.
We´d like to watch Neighborhood Animals
My my child watches Baby Einstein, Sesame Street, Barney and the Wiggles. i love all these shows they are good and educational
dora the explorer is a big hit here right now.
also, baby mozart is our favorite thus far!
thanks 🙂
My girls love to watch Dora, The Backyardigans, Peep and the Big Wide World, and Super Why. We enjoy several of the Baby Einstein DVDs – I think that Baby MacDonald is probably their favorite so far. 🙂
he watches semame street little einsteins the rocket
we limit TV time-but they enjoy Dora and blue’s clues. the Baby Einstein world animals – a musical safari sounds real cute
tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com
My 5 year old watches Super Why! and some other shows.
My toddler isn’t too interested, but he will watch Baby Neptune or another show for a couple of minutes.
I don’t let my kids watch tv shows, but I will put on a video from time to time to free some time up for me and hopefully educate them. Typically they watch Backyardigans, Dora, and Bob the Builder. I’m interested in seeing My First Signs… I hear it’s pretty useful for moms.
Thanks,
Marissa 🙂
md-sweeps (at) hotmail (d0t) com
My son loves Sesame Street and Dora and Diego. I think he would also love to see the Baby McDonald – he loves animals!
Television is a great teaching resource. I get tired of hearing from these anti-tv snobs! Kids watch Dora and Diego!
My nephew likes watching Handy Manny
My kids have always benefited from watching some tv. The older two are in school and are in advanced classes so go figure 🙂
I don’t let her watch alot of tv. but when she does she loves Miss Spider
We allow our 20 month old grandaughter to watch a little tv. She really likes Sesame Street,Veggietales, and the Backyardigans. I would like to watch Baby Noah Animal Expedition with her.
I think children’s TV is great
I do let my children watch TV. My 5 year old loves Noggin (Blues Clues, etc). My older son also likes to watch these shows because he likes to think he is smart. I have not watched any of the Little Einstien movies, but I think the kids would enjoy them.
Connor watches Seaseme Street and Baby Can Read every day..
Connor would love a new DVD For his collection! 🙂
I blogged you too
http://www.prizeatron.com
Baby Einstein is my kids favorite and they would love to see Baby Beethoven.
We probably watch too much TV. One of my daughter’s favorites is “Charlie ans Lola”
With the exception of a few shows, our children watch the shows on PBS Kids. We especially like “Miffy”.
Count me in !
I have burned alot of the einstein CD’s for my son , he loves them it calms him down so much and he falls asleep. IT evenn calms me down.lol.
I am starting to get the DVD’s for him also I think it is very educational , if I am going to have my son in front of the TV I want him learning something.
So COUNT ME IN !
COUNT ME IN !
I have burned alot of the einstein CD’s for my 4 month old son , it calms him down and me also.lol.
I am starting to buy the DVD’s , I would rather my son watching something that is going to educate him then something else on TV you know , so COUNT ME IN !
My son rarely watches TV, but when he does it’s usually Handy Manny or Tigger and Pooh. I’d love to watch Baby Neptune. [email protected]
We have twin toddler boys who just LOVE the one Baby Einstein disc they have. I would love another so that *I* won’t get completely sick of watching the same one over and over! Its all they ask for!
yes they watch tv,dora the explorer.i would like baby mozart.
I have 2 boys, are 3yr old & a 9 mo old. All day long we switch off between sesame street & baby einstein. Their favorite baby einsten is baby noah & baby mozart.
I do let them watch limited amounts of tv and they always watch Sesame Street. I’d love the Baby Mozart DVD for them.
if im not to late to enter i would realy like this movie for my little one
thank you for the great contest
enter me please
pethof (at) gmail (dot) com
my 4 year old loves Sesame Street and Curiou George.
We also enjoy Baby Mozart and Baby Beethoven
we like farm animals and ocean wonders baby einstien
My daughter loves baby einstein
My little guy is allowed to watch TV for an hour in the morning. Since we don’t have cable, and actually get very few broadcast channels we are pretty limited but Alex doesn’t mind. He loves Sesame Street – especially cookie monster. He does have baby einstein at the farm and really enjoys that.
I let me kids watch TV. My 5 year old watches Arthur and Mr. Rogers, my 11 month old only likes the opening songs.
my kids are all grown up, but we watched Disneyland tv shows then
my little one watches dora, loves it!
I do allow limited TV,
Love the Einstein videos, including Baby Mozart and Neptune,
thanks for contest
mommysweeps at gmail dot com
The only Baby Einstein DVD that we have is Lullaby Time, and my kids love it.
For TV time the kids watch shows on PBS.
I have a 2 1/2 year old daughter and due with #2 next month. I let my daughter watch TV usually during the morning hours (she loves Mickey Mouse Club, Little Einsteins, Scooby Doo, Batman, and Superman) and before bedtime. She has actually been watching the Baby Einstein DVDs since she was 2 weeks old! Her favorite to this day is Baby Mozart, but still asks for E-I-E-I-O (Old MacDonald) or Baby Galileo too!
Needless to say, we love these videos!! We even have the lullaby CD that she HAS to listen to in order to fall asleep!
I let my children watch a little tv such as Dora The Explorer. Baby Mozart-Music Festival is another video.
I let my kids watch t.v., but I closely monitor what they watch. My younger kids watch Dora and Sesame Street regularly.
Barney seems OK when they watch it.
And I would like Baby’s Favorite Places – First Words Around Town.
Hi, I don’t have children of my own yet–but I’ve seen the Little Einsteins’ shows and they are so cute and it’s a brilliant show! If I had my own kids, they would def be limited in watching a certain amount of tv.
My son watches a video normally one 30 minute on per day. I love signing times but his favorite is dora.
In spite what the experts say I let my children watch television. One graduated at the top of the Defense Dept’s class fluent in Mandarin Chinese, the second was high sch0ll valedictorian from a prominent private school and Magna cum laude from an Ivy league school, the third had an ACT in the 30’s,was on the Dean’s List at a top 50 university consistently and the last who is in high school had the highest test scores in his high school class. I would like these Baby Einsteins for my grandchildren. A teacher once asked me how I got such smart kids. I said they watch a lot of TV. The third led his university to the Nationals in an advertising competition. They still maintained their creativity and personalities. They also were involved in sports, church, music, drama etc. Rosanne M, [email protected]
We do let our kids watch a little bit of t.v. They like Little Einsteins. We would also like to see the World Animals Baby Einstein video.
I would love to enter to win this for my nephew! His mom does let him watch t.v. He loves Noggin! He also loves his Baby Einstein like his big sister did when she was smaller. His favorite right now is Jack’s Big Music Show, he gets mad if the channel gets changed! I’m pretty sure one of the movies they don’t have and would probably like to see is “Meet the Orchestra”