How was Eebees created? Were you inspired by anyone?
A few years back, I decided to take a closer look at all of the “brainy” videos for babies that were flooding the market. I was amazed at how they didn’t reflect the way babies learn…through experience and play, the essential social nature of learning (babies need grown ups to help to scaffold play and learning and to add the language that describes what’s going on), or that screen-based media, when informed by the research on imitation, memory, and attention and general developmental milestones, can inspire active engagement and play-along, play-before and play after behaviors.
My business partner, Don Burton, a dad of three ranging in age from 1 to 7, set out to create what the press now refers to as “the un-Baby Einstein” option for parents which is all about play, exploring new behaviors, and discovery…in a real world, with real objects, and real people who make things happen. Our goal was not to be “brainy,” but rather to engage babies with new ideas through play and parents with new ideas about play and development…in a playful and practical way.
Do you have children, and if so, did they watch TV?
I do not have kids…eebee’s my baby…. I’m trained as a developmental psychologist and spent the early part of my career as an elementary school teacher. My first job out of graduate school was as a researcher at Sesame Street. I learned early on that the issues surrounding kids and TV are all about content, moderation, and parental involvement. Don and Tish (Don’s wife) allow their kids to watch TV, but with limits on which shows, when and how often.
We live in a media-centric world….one in which screens are becoming more and more central to everything we do. We believe that today’s parents understand that it’s about balance, moderation, and the quality of content that kids are exposed to on TV.
Why do you think there is the controversy of young children watching television?
The controversy about young kids and TV surfaced back in 1999 when the American Academy of Pediatricians made a recommendation for no TV under the age of 2. Their concern was that TV time would take away from the critical time a baby needs to interact with real people and real objects in the real world. The AAP was also concerned that there was not very much research about the impact of TV on early development. Since that caution was released, the good news is that there’s a growing body of research that, essentially, ranges from “no negative effects” to positive learning when the CONTENT of the shows is part of the research question. Perhaps that’s the most important piece of news we have about this question…the fact of the matter, and to parents this won’t be a surprise, is that CONTENT MATTERS. What your child watches can make a difference.
And finally, I understand you worked closely with several aspects of Sesame Street, do you have a favorite character?
As tough as this is to answer, as each character strikes a different chord, I’m a real Grover fan… true blue (actually very blue), imaginative, curious, innocent, up for a challenge, good friend, funny…and pretty cute, too.
We were able to try out 3
DVD’s.
Figuring Things Out – This was Pea’s favorite DVD! Pea is at that stage where she’s trying to “figure things out”! Knocking over towers that Johnny builds to jumping on pillows on the floor…she’s always doing this! There was a section called “The
Lightbulb Goes On”, and right away she picked recognized the flashlight. She was on a mission to find Johnny’s flashlight and she did! It’s fun to see her connect with what is happening on the DVD.
Exploring Real Stuff – e
ebee and his friends play with everyday things to find out what they are like. Balls, paper, rice and cereal. Sure, it’s the same old thing for us, but for little ones, it’s something new. A new texture, the weight of a object, pouring in and out, the sound it makes. It’s easy to interact with your child while watching. Divided into three subjects, Brimming with Ideas, Out of the Box and On a Roll, your child will love to laugh and play with
eebee!
All In A Day’s Play – This DVD just reiterates that there is so much to learn! It’s the simple things, every day things that your child can play with and have fun! From banging on a pot to shaking a rattle. It’s fun to make noise! Again, the opportunity to play with Pea during the DVD made watching it even more special. I came away with great ideas to incorporate in our daily
playtimes.
Recently, there have been
articles published about the effects of babies and toddlers and TV watching. It seems that the verdict changes all the time. With
eebee’s adventures it’s so much more than just watching the television.
Buy it! Save 10% on any purchase from the
eebee’s shop by using the coupon code:
eebees at checkout!
{ 4 comments }
Great post, thanks for sharing. We love Eebee in our house too!
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It sounds like my little one would love eebee’s adventures!
I’ve recently been introduced to Ebee as well, we love Ebee’s adventures here!
Very cool! I like the if the SHAPE FITS eebee, I’ll have to bookmark them for her birthday.