Disney to Refund Baby Einstein DVDs

OK, this cracks me up.

Apparently there was a threat of a class-action lawsuit against Disney because the Baby Einstein videos claimed that they were educational. So they have decided to offer a refund of $15.99 per DVD purchased between June 5, 2004 and September 4, 2009. Of course, you have to have a receipt (because EVERY parent keeps receipts for DVDs purchased in 2004!)

Seriously? You bought Baby Einstein DVDs because you really thought that they were going to make your kid smarter? And then you were surprised to find out that your baby wasn't going off to college by the age of nine? Perhaps that's more of a statement on genetics than anything else.

I'm sorry, but there is only ONE reason to buy Baby Einstein DVDs: they are Baby Crack. They have an ability to mesmerize young children that no other can match.

And yes, young children shouldn't watch television. TV = BAD!!! You are doing your child irreparable harm by allowing them to be "babysat" by the television. You know what? SCREW OFF! (Sorry, was that too harsh?) There are times when television is the only thing that will allow a mom (or dad) to get anything done. There are days when I wouldn't even get a shower were it not for a well-positioned bouncy seat and an episode of Barney on Treehouse.

My younger daughter was a sweet baby who wanted to be held. ALL the time if she was awake. And I mean ALL the time. She would scream and cry and carry on from the moment she was put down until the moment she was picked back up again. At the time my husband worked night shifts, so on the nights he was working I had no backup in order to make dinner for myself and our older daughter, much less to eat. Every evening it was a nightmare. It wasn't until she was four months old that one night in desperation I put in one of the Baby Einstein DVDs that my brother-in-law had sent and put Charlotte down in her bouncy seat. I fully expected to hear shrieks of indignation. Imagine my surprise when instead a glazed look came across her face as the weird little toys danced across the screen in time to Bach.

So yes, I think this threatened lawsuit is a bunch of Baby Bull. However, in the interest of community service, here's the website you can get more information if you wish to get refunds on your Baby Crack... err... Einstein DVDs.

In the US:
http://babyeinstein.com/parentsguide/satisfaction/upgrade_us.html

In Canada:
http://www.babyeinstein.com/(S(ra1wsf55eapggg55vvgat445))/parentsguide/satisfaction/satisfaction_ca.html

Hmmm... while researching the links I actually came across this from the Baby Einstein website. Sounds like there's more to the story. Interesting.