Educators have their doubts. “I’d be very skeptical of the educational claims of a TV show or video aimed for children under 2,” says University of Massachusetts professor Daniel Anderson, who has studied kids’ TV habits as well as helping develop “Blue’s Clues” and other education-based shows for older children. The American Academy of Pediatrics also urges parents to keep kids under 2 away from the TV.
There’s no doubt that “Baby Einstein,” which bills itself as the top-selling infant video-DVD line (with titles including “Baby Beethoven” and “Baby Van Gogh”), is better than “Baywatch.” But not if it’s replacing time spent playing with parents or learning through hands-on activities, says Anderson. “Becoming reading ready and developing motor skills is absolutely important in this age range, whether it’s rearranging Cheerios on their tray or playing with blocks and having parents interact with them,” he says. “If media is crowding that out, then parents need to make some changes.”
