A colleague of mine talked with Julie Aigner-Clark, a former literature and art teacher, two years after she started The Baby Einstein Company. They chatted about how she had created her very first Baby Einstein video, specifically for her newborn daughter, in her basement with borrowed equipment and black drop cloths, and edited them on her home computer. She aimed to create an interactive, hands-free way to play with her baby: in essence bringing a board book to life on the screen. At the time she had no idea that her project would ever develop into the Baby Einstein phenomena that it is today.
Now, ten years later, Baby Einstein has gone through its own stages of maturing, including the addition of more than 25 videos, an expansion into infant books, interactive toys and baby gear, a sale to The Walt Disney Company in 2001, and being caught in the midst of the debate surrounding babies and television/DVD viewing. On the one hand, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends absolutely no television for children under the age of two. On the other hand, I find myself hard-pressed to come up with more than a handful of Moms I know who ban TV entirely until age two. In fact, I’d say that all of the Moms I know feel quite capable of making their own decisions about “appropriate” television and DVD viewing for their family.
This debate has led The Baby Einstein Company to take a long, hard look at not only how we Moms use its products, but at how to get back to what Baby Einstein DVDs have always been about from the very beginning - an interactive tool that provides parents with a connective, hands-free way to engage their baby and create moments of discovery together.
The Baby Einstein Company has posted their official perspective on the issue of children and television viewing on their Web site at www.babyeinstein.com, but a few excerpts that I thought were worth noting follow:
“The Baby Einstein Company believes that when used properly, developmentally appropriate video content can be a useful tool for parents and little ones to enjoy together.
Key to our perspective is our belief that parents/caregivers play a critical role in defining the ‘appropriate use of television.’ Alternatively, we believe in the power of parents/caregivers to make decisions on what they feel is appropriate for their children - and that includes whether or not they choose to use television, how much television their child is allowed to watch, what they are allowed to watch, etc.”
In response to the thousands of emails Baby Einstein receives from Moms on a regular basis about how they use Baby Einstein product, and in an effort to re-focus the conversation on what is truly important - spending quality time with your children - Baby Einstein is kicking off a Parent-Child Interaction campaign. The initiative will engage parents and provide them with tips and insights regarding how to turn everyday moments into meaningful moments full of interaction and discovery with their baby. Visit www.BabyEinstein.com for more details on Baby Einstein’s meaningful philosophy.
