Parlor Spider...Step In, Little Fly

Insightful thoughts and/or rants from atop the soapbox from one who wishes to share the "right" opinion with everyone.

Monday, October 12, 2009

A Classroom For One


BUT CAN YOU GET A DESK IN THERE?

I am not about to begin a debate on the efficacy of the "Baby Plus" device that you see pictured; there are enough "experts" out there who have weighed in on this matter. In utero education has long been desired by the soon-to-be-helicopter one-uppers who think their baby will be the next Benjamin Franklin or Madame Curie if ONLY they can give the kid some education before it leaves the womb.
The "Mozart Effect" was popular in the past (and may still be, for all I know) wherein a mother plays classical music in the direction of her abdomen. Adherents claim that babies are soothed both pre- and post-delivery. Maybe so. I know doctors were playing classical music when I had my colonoscopy a year or so ago...but since I (thankfully) don't remember anything about it, it's hard to tell whether I was more relaxed than I would have been with the conscious realization of what they were sticking and where it was going.
Anyway, there are various products out there with names like "Lullabelly,"(my personal favorite), "BellySonic," and "First Sounds," all of which purport to do some basic training prior to birth. There are mothers and researchers who swear these things work, albeit without any empirical, peer-reviewed data as backup. And, of course, there are the cynics who say, "Bull hockey!" to such claims.
The "Baby Plus" folks even have a catchy slogan which is certain to goad any would-be mother into action: "Your womb...the perfect classroom."
It is unfortunate that my daughter-in-law is on the verge (we hope) of delivering a baby, or I would try to convince her to try this stuff...in the name of empiricism, of course. Not having the $150 to pay for such an item, however, leaves me only the option of playing The Beatles songbook on "Rock Band" really loud while singing at the top of my lungs.
Either that or go old school and simply read to her.
She WILL be the next Marie Curie, AND she'll be able to sing all of The Beatles' songbook!

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