Disney Baby Enstein DVD Refunds

Remember those Baby Einstein DVDs that are all the rage among new parents? Well Walt Disney is now offering refunds of $15.99 for up to 4 DVDs per household for the Baby Einstein DVDs due to prompting from Susan Linn, director of Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood. Ms. Linn targeted Disney's Baby Einstein and another company named Brainy Baby through a complaint filed with the Federal Trade Commission, and her urging led to the word "educational" being removed from the two company's DVD advertising. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time at all for children under 2, and some studies have shown that exposure at young ages can be potentially harmful and lead to attention problems in children in the future.

Ms. Linn didn't think that removal of the word "educational" from the product advertising was enough, so last year she got together with some public health lawyers and together they threatened to file a class-action unfair and deceptive practices lawsuit against Disney unless they agreed to give back the full purchase price to everyone that bought the videos since 2004.

Disney has since agreed to refund the money, and as part of their "enhanced consumer satisfaction guarantee", they are allowing previous purchasers of Baby Einstein DVDs from June 5, 2004 through September 5, 2009 to exchange their video for a different title, receive a discount coupon, or get $15.99 each for up to four returned DVDs up until March 10th 2010. Disney is not requiring a receipt.

For more information on how to get your refund, visit the Disney site here: http://babyeinstein.com/parentsguide/satisfaction/upgrade_us.html.

Warning: Children's Cold Medicines

So your little one has got a cold and you want to relieve their symptoms as quickly as possible, right? Of course you do, as all parents do; but recent studies have shown that children's cold medicines are NOT safe for children under the age of 6. From what I understand, the drug companies that have marketed these children's cold products were given permission by the FDA to make their own determination as to what age group the medicines would be safe for. As a result, the determination that the drug companies have made is that 4 years old is a safe age to take these cold medicines, but most pediatricians would not recommend giving these products to your children before the age of 6. That's not to say that sometimes it is warranted to give these products to your children, but please ALWAYS consult with your physician before you do so. It has also been found that most of these products are not effective for young children, so there is really no benefit to giving them to your child, in addition to it being risky.

So, please, before you give your child any over-the-counter cold medicines, check with your family physician or child's pediatrician -- it could save your child's life.

Sneeze and Smile

I ran across an ad today from Kleenex (yes, the tissue company) showing where you can create your own tissue box design for only $5! You can add pictures and text, and I thought this would be another unique and cute way to announce your baby's birth, first birthday or for any other of life's precious moments. Only one downside -- it will cost you about $6 for shipping and handling. They said it will cost the same amount to send 1 box or 6 boxes, so it would be the most economical to order 6 (and at $6, I definitely would!). Bulk pricing is also available. You can find out more on the MyKleenexTissue.com website.