I have been seeing a lot of articles online and in the news lately about Toddler DVDs like Baby Einstein, Baby Genius, and others coming under attack for not being as educational as previously suggested. While I am not a childhood education professional, I am a parent of two toddler/preschool age children, so I would like to propose that anyone who purchases or registers for DVDs for their children honestly thinking it will make them smarter is just fooling themselves.
An article on Reuters today (link below) highlighted a recent study focusing on formal production features (rhyming, music, toddler-friendly zooming) used to create DVDs, which asserted Toddler DVDs are poorly designed and present little if no educational value. The founder of Baby Einstein, Julie Clark, in the article commented in response to the findings that the study was poorly designed. She however suggested that babies and moms both need downtime now and again so there is no harm in putting on age-appropriate shows every once in a while.
Toddler DVDs do serve a purpose—to entertain. You probably have your own favorite TV shows. So it’s OK for children to watch shows within reason. Especially for stay-at-home moms, you need a break sometimes to get things done or just to relax. I even have it on good advice from our local School District Parents as Teachers advocate that it’s OK to put a DVD on when you immediately get home from work and/or when you need to make dinner. Kids who are in daycare need the down time when they return home just like you do; they need to unwind for a few minutes, so putting on a DVD is a good way to allow yourself time to make dinner and/or go through the mail.
Just like health articles online are not meant to be a replacement for discussing issues of concern with your personal doctor, DVDs should not replace good parenting. It is advisable to sit and watch a DVD with your child to ensure they understand what is going on, or you can let a preschool aged child watch it while you tend to a necessary chore close by in the house, and later ask them questions about what they saw to reinforce ideas presented (assuming you’ve watched the DVD in the past, it can make for some good discussion with your toddler).
DVDs geared toward toddlers and preschool-age children often include elements of repetition, memory, presenting new ideas, and possibly introducing your child to music. These all are aspects of education, but they will not wholly make your child more intelligent—that comes from parenting. These vehicles are good for parents who may have difficulty knowing what concepts to teach their children, and can be a good springboard for working with your child. But how much is too much? We look for signals from our children such as when they are difficult to get to bed because they are over-stimulated, or when they are blinking abnormally, or when they throw a fit when we turn the TV off and suggest a different activity. Those are our clues they've been watching too much lately.
Bottomline … we know we need to personally interact with our children for them to learn about their world, be it sitting with them while viewing the DVD, or taking ideas presented in the DVD and transferring them to things in our house. So if you are putting on a DVD with the intention of educating your child, then perhaps you need to take a step back and give a hard look at your parenting skills, instead of asking Ms. Clark for a rebate.
It is not uncommon for one of our sons to sing a song he heard on a DVD, or to talk about something he saw in a DVD, so I know he is absorbing content. He also can recite books we read regularly from memory almost verbatim. Does that mean that he’s smarter than other kids? I think it just means that he has favorites, and we think it’s great. I imagine next week his favorite will be something else, and that too is OK with us.
Resource:
“DVDs For Toddles Poorly Designed: Study,” by Megan Brooks, Reuters
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091209/hl_nm/us_dvds_toddlers
Christine Jeffries is a writer/editor for work and at heart, and lives in a home of testosterone with her husband and two sons. She started a women’s group, The Wo-Hoo! Society, in the interests of friendship, networking, and philanthropy. The group meets separately on a monthly basis in the Phoenix and Kansas City areas. Christine is interested in women’s health and promoting strong women.