Getting Sharp: Want a Brainier Baby?

Loading up on tapes, games and videos may not be a smart move. There are better ways to nurture a young mind

Thomas Bausman, 2, and his brother Jake, 10 months, are typical American babies. Every day, Thomas settles down to watch two hours of television, while Jake sits in front of the set for an hour, the national average for their respective ages. Their favorite thing to watch, by far? Baby Einstein. Anita Bausman could not be more pleased with her children's preference. Jake, she reports, learned colors, numbers and his love of robots from the popular videos, which are filled with puppets, animals and moving objects, often set to classical music. "It's not just turning on Nickelodeon," Bausman says. "It's educational...

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