Baby Einstein Videos

In 1997, a stay-at-home mom in Colorado started a company to produce videos geared towards infants.  As I write this, I truly can’t believe any of us thought this was a good idea.  It’s absurd.  Since the dawn of time, infants have been developing into full-grown successful adults without classical music videos featuring toys.

That said, by the time my boys were born in the early 2000’s, this was all the rage.  Will didn’t really watch them as an infant, but when Mikey was on the way and Will had already tried to give up his daily nap (while also not sleeping through the night), I thought this sounded like the perfect solution.  I bought the DVDs.  I would sit with Will and maybe even get to close my eyes for a minute while he watched. Once Mikey came along, they were on in the background often while the kids played.

Will, as a typically developing kid, was interested in these videos when he was one and quickly moved on to other, more exciting things, some TV-related, others not.  Mikey, on the other hand, was hooked!  He still watches Baby Einstein movies now.  Not every once in a blue moon… most days he watches one or more.

I would count this as a parenting mistake on my part, but one that didn’t cause any major damage (except to my own sanity as I have now also been participating in the Baby Einstein world for over two decades – natural consequences for being gullible). Although I wish I had never turned on a Baby Einstein video in my home, Mikey does like them and this falls within one of my big parenting rules: if my child likes something and it isn’t hurting anyone else, I’m not fighting that battle.

Mikey may watch Baby Einstein until he is old and gray – okay, buddy…they are pretty soothing and the music is nice.  Have fun!