The video may be called Baby Einstein, but it’s not going to make your child a genius. That’s why Disney is giving your money back.

Owners of Baby Einstein videos purchased between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009 are entitled to get their money back. Baby Einstein DVDs can also be traded in for a Baby Einstein book or CD. Another option is a 25 percent discount on future Baby Einstein purchases. The Disney Company offer is good up to March 4, 2010.

This move from Disney stems from pressure exerted by the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood (CCFC) – a parent’s group that says their mission is to “reclaim childhood from corporate marketers.” The CCFC believes the sellers of the videos misled parents to believe that the Baby Einstein DVD series can make babies smarter.

The parents group filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission back in 2006, claiming that Disney used false and deceptive advertising in promoting the videos as educational. The CCFC cited that the American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) does not recommend television for children under age 2 – even if the content is educational.

As featured in a previous post, experts say babies up to 2 years cannot learn language passively in front of a screen. They can only learn through human interaction. That is, by parents and other caregivers talking, interacting and playing with them.

The CCFC goes further in its complaint that Baby Einstein videos can even set back learning, as it takes time away from a baby’s interaction with his caregivers.

A University of Washington Study does point out that children sampled via research do have more limited vocabularies, the more they watched these educational videos. Other studies suggest that babies who watched television before age 2 also have a tendency to develop attention problems around the age of 7.

So I think it’s best to stick to the AAP recommendation of no TV until after age 2. In the mean time, what do you do to keep baby occupied while fixing dinner if no one else is around – and the electronic baby sitter is not an option?

Babies can also learn by exploring books and toys on his own. If you need to get some work done in the kitchen, leave him in a safely enclosed play area with stimulating toys, books or other safe-to-play-with objects that interest him. Make sure the play pen is nearby – within earshot and eye’s view. This is a good alternative to putting him in front of the TV.

See, typical babies also need (and enjoy) time alone to explore their world. This “exploring and processing time” also helps make your baby smarter. Ditch the DVD for now, and let baby exercise his own imagination!

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