Babies need time, books and love, not genius gear

By Barbara Kantrowitz (taken from an article from

Newsweek magazine April 23, 2007)

You see them everywhere: harried parents hauling

their little ones off to classes in Mandarin, gymnastics or
classical violin. At home, they’re filling nurseries with
‘educational’ rattles and mobiles. It’s all for a worthy
goal: making the most of the first three years of life,
when critical changes in brain structure determine
whether little Madison or Matthew will one day enter
the Ivy League. At least that is what a growing number
of parents have been led to believe. Sadly, it may all be a
waste of time and money.
Thanks to what journalist Susan Gregory Thomas
calls the “toddler-industrial complex”, parents have
become suckers for toys with ‘Einstein’ or ‘genius’ in
their names. In her new book, ‘Buy Buy Baby’, Thomas
explains how a well-meaning 1994 report by the
Carnegie Corporation led to the creation of a vast
marketing effort aimed at parents of young children.
The report, called ‘Starting Points’, used neuro-science
to make the case for more federally funded services for
infants and toddlers by proclaiming that brain
development in the womb and during the first year of
life “is more rapid and extensive than we previously
realized.” Although the science was actually quite
limited –and there was certainly no proof that toys or
videos could make babies smarter- the report helped
focus national attention on the early years.
 It also inspired an unlikely player, actor-director
Rob Reiner, who launched a campaign to convince
parents and policymakers that more money should go
to nurturing development during the early years. Reiner
argued that focusing on ‘the prism of zero to 3” could
solve a vast range of societal ills: teen pregnancy, drug
abuse, crime. He found an eager ally in Hillary Clinton,
who convened the 1997 White House Conference on
Early Childhood Development and Learning. Before the
conference, both Time and Newsweek published major
stories on the topic and ABC ran a prime-time special.
The highly publicized conference, Thomas writes,
played a major role in popularizing the idea of a critical
‘window’ that would slam shut on the third birthday.
And it persuaded states and the federal government to
spend millions on new programs for babies and
toddlers.
By the time, eager entrepreneurs had also spotted a
unique opportunity. Companies with names like Baby
Einstein, Brainy Baby, Baby Prodigy and Baby Genius
became part of an industry that Thomas estimates now
represents about 20 billion a year. Sara Mead, a senior
policy analyst at Education Sector, a nonprofit tank,
argues that these companies cleverly tapped into
“parental’ angst”. In her new report on ‘Million Dollar
Babies: Why Infants Can’t Be Hardwired for Success,”
Mead contends that parents began to believe that if you
skip baby water aerobics, ‘you can say goodbye to
college’. “This threat leads parents to waste billions of
dollars every year,” Mead writes. “The money spent on
these educational toys might be better off in a college
savings account.” Mead points out that recent neuro-
science research indicates that the brain continues to
grow and develop ‘well into old age’ – debunking the
notion of a rigid zero-to-3 window. The most
compelling science concerns the negative effects of
early deprivation on very young children. On the other
hand, overstimulation makes babies (and adults)
anxious.
Instead of Mandarin lessons, researchers say
parents would be better off spending more time talking,
singing, reading and playing with their babies and
toddlers. No special equipment is required. Affectionate
interaction helps kids develop language and social
skills. And here’s some encouraging news. A University
of Maryland study found that today’s mothers actually
spend more hours focused on their children than their
mothers did 40 years ago. Fathers are also spending
more time with their children. It may not be a ticket to
Harvard, but it’s certainly a great start.

The Best Way to Help your Baby

1) Listen: When your baby makes babbling
noises, pay attention and make eye contact.
Respond with real words such as “ I agree”.
That teaches her that conversation is
reciprocal.
2) Let the baby lead: Talk and play as long as
he is engaged, but don’t prolong it. If he
 cries or turns away, take it as a signal that
he has had enough.
3) Speak clearly: Instead of baby talk, use
simple sentences like ‘Here’s your toy’.
4) Speak softly: Researchers call it
‘parentese,’ a soft high-pitched, loving tone
that babies understand more easily.
5) Be musical: Playing music and singing with
babies and toddlers helps them develop
listening skills.
6) Read to your child: Bring out the books as
soon as your baby is old enough to sit
upright in your lap. It’s a great way to bond
and it helps her develop her listening ability
and her vocabulary.