I read the following article from TimesOnline and it caught my attention:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6891273.ece

I knew of Baby Einstein long before my daughter. I think I first saw their videos when I was in High School and baby sitting. All I knew was that infants/toddlers seemed memorized by what an adult would consider an overly simplistic arrangement of everyday toys and props set rhythmically to classical background music.

The article talks about Disney announcing a refund for false marketing. Did parents really think these videos would make their children more intelligent?

On the other hand...it does make a point that some are targeting children under the age of 1, which is now considered too young to be watching the "idiot box" as my mother used to call it. I do know...that Baby Einstein certainly found their spot in the market. It doesn't stop at videos. They now have toys and gadgets that young children seem drawn to.  We have the Baby Einstein play saucer. Why did I choose this one? It had one of the best parent reviews. Her favorite toy on it...used to be the Dragon-Puppet that is one of Baby Einstein's main characters.

I did borrow a friend's Baby Einstein DVD to try out. It didn't hold Abigail's interest very long...but also haven't tried recently, and to be honest, she doesn't watch TV most days. Maybe 3 times a week I'll play her Baby Signing Time DVD...which holds her attention for about 10 minutes but that's about it. Our TV is also not in a very accessible location for daily chores/routines. It's in the den which works out well when my husband and I chill out before bed at the end of the day. However I can't get much done if I'm in there with the TV on. The location is somewhat a blessing too...which is why we put it where it is.

I think any parent who is home with their children all day long...has those moments they need a reprieve. I am lucky that my daughter usually takes 2 good naps a day...but not everyone has the same schedule...and we all know there are days when something comes up...someone feels ill...there is an issue that must be addressed..and they need to buy a little extra time to get that done.

The article says that Disney will reimburse up to 4 DVDs. I do think that is more than fair. If a parent bought more than 4...it was either a gift...or hopefully their children liked them so they added to their collection. 

Either way, the maker and their partners did one heck of a marketing plan...as it took on a life of it's own considering it was bought out by none other but Disney.

Coming from someone with an entrepreneurial  mind set...I hate to say it...but the creator of this was an genius...whether you approve or not. Is that too bold to say?