Baby Einstein Videos: Why I Let My Children Watch Them

Although there is no firm evidence that Baby Einstein Videos hurt or help babies or their development, I let my twin boys watch them starting when they were a few months old.

One study, printed in The Journal of Pediatrics, conducted by the University of Washington in 2007 indicated that babies who watch TV may be at risk of slower development. However, once the data from the study was provided to Baby Einstein founders Bill and Julie Clark in 2011, irregularities in the data/ study were discovered.

In 2008, The Journal Pediatrics released another study by the Center on Media and Child Health (Children’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard University), showed that television viewing is, “neither beneficial nor deleterious to child cognitive and language abilities” for children under 2.

At the same time, when you search for Baby Einstein videos on Amazon, you will see most of the videos have very positive reviews by parents. Many parents made statements that their babies “loved” the videos.

I researched child development and TV watching to make sure I was making a good decision as a parent. Admittedly, with some guilt, I made the decision to use Baby Einstein videos to keep two baby boys still while they drank their bottles.

When I sang and interacted with my babies during the videos, some magic happened. They absolutely loved many (not all) of the videos. They react to the music and love the puppet scenes. Every time I put a video on, both boys would get so excited—smiling and kicking their legs. Over time, I’ve watched the boys reach new milestones. At 11 months, they are starting to get the humor and mimic some of the motions and dancing.

I suggest that you try the Baby Einstein videos. I would limit the time your baby watches the videos each day. Most importantly, parents should watch the video with their baby. They should make it a developmental activity. When I watch the videos with my boys, we have a great time. We sign, move and learn with each video. I find myself laughing and enjoying the music along with them. Surprisingly, I don’t get bored watching them over and over!

Our favorite Baby Einstein videos, right now, in order of enjoyment:

Baby Neptune – The puppet scenes are adorable.

Neighborhood Animals – “Old MacDonald Has a Farm…” So much fun.

On The Go – We love “Wheels on the Bus” song and the puppets.

Wild Animal Safari – I personally like this one also.

World of Rhythm – The boys didn’t like this one until about 10 months. Now they love it.

Baby DaVinci – This video helped me teach the boys where their eyes, ears, nose and mouth were located.

First Signs – They love learn sign language. Studies show that signing can help alleviate frustration as babies learn to speak.

My twin boys also enjoy the Sesame Beginnings video series, especially the Make Music Together video.

I cannot stress enough that watching the videos with your babies is a must. It will help with your baby’s development and it is a special bonding opportunity.