So for a long time I thought Portia’s drooling was just cause she was a baby…well, it may have a different cause…BABY EINSTEIN!
Apparently, the videos I have long thought to be intellectual development tools for early baby education and super intelligence have been exposed as the mindless videos they are. For some reason, although TV has long been thought of as a no-no for babies, toddlers and anyone else who is trying to expand their brain, the Baby Einstein brand has been largely exempt from criticism for their line of DVDs.
I must admit, I fell into their marketing scheme and was more than pleasantly surprised when gifted with a Baby’s First Moves DVD. I thought that as smart as Portia clearly was already (with parents like us), she is going to be gifted beyond reproach with the help of this DVD.
Well, much like when I ask her why she has so much gas, she stared blankly at the screen as the colours and shapes danced before her eyes. Even then, I was convinced that she is subliminally learning something to delight us with at a slightly older age.
Then, I read this…
Apparently, the claims of higher intelligence are “misleading” and “exaggerated”, and NO TV is good for kids under two years. So along with Baby Einstein, I guess there will be no more Sid the Science Kid, Super Why or Curious George for Portia. And when she is old enough and asks me about what she used to do for fun when she was a baby, I will say “You played with clay” and completely ignore all references to the bad mom I have been for letting her indulge in TV.
So, for those of you in the US (which does not include me), who would like to be insignificantly compensated for the months of believing your child would be the one to solve world hunger, you can now return your DVDs (up to a maximum of four) and receive a refund of $15.99 each.
And in six to eight weeks, when your refund cheque arrives, you can take that money and apply it to something to counteract the effects of those DVDs…lots of bibs!