Should your children watch TV

   I am a mom to a 4 year old, 2 year old, and 6 month old, so do I let my children watch TV? The answer is yes, yes, yes. I try very hard to limit their TV time to no more than 1 hour a day, some days it is a little more and some days we don't turn on the TV at all. It all depends on how tired I am on each specific day, sad but true. One thing I have noticed is the behavior of my children, especially my 4 year old. He is the most happy, easy going, lovable little guy by nature but I have come to the conclusion that on the days he watches more TV, especially when he first wakes up, he is a little grumpy and does not mind as well.
   We love to play games together, active games, board games, interactive games. We love to have dance parties, exercise, ride bikes, eat donuts, color, read, make-believe, tell adventure stories, go to the beach, go on hikes, and just be together as a family. I have noticed on the nights where we gather together and play a game together the night just goes more smoothly. Everyone gets along and seems in better spirits and the kids don't run crazy all night.
   I wanted to see what the 'experts' say the results of too much TV is on young children. I read an article on KidsHealth.Org, it says there are advantages for watching TV, if it is the right kind of programming, it can teach them many valuable things. For instance, when my oldest child was 2 years old he randomly counted to 5 in Spanish and I was so impressed, it is something he learned from watching Diego. There are many great educational shows for our kids, there are also some shows that are too violent, too eccentric, and just too much for their little minds to process.
 
 The article states:
"The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that kids under 2 years old not watch any TV and that those older than 2 watch no more than 1 to 2 hours a day of quality programming.
The first 2 years of life are considered a critical time for brain development. TV and other electronic media can get in the way of exploring, playing, and interacting with parents and others, which encourages learning and healthy physical and social development.
As kids get older, too much screen time can interfere with activities such as being physically active, reading, doing homework, playing with friends, and spending time with family.
Of course, TV in moderation can be a good thing: Preschoolers can get help learning the alphabet on public television, grade schoolers can learn about wildlife on nature shows, and parents can keep up with current events on the evening news. No doubt about it — TV can be an excellent educator and entertainer.

But despite its advantages, too much television can be detrimental:

• Children who consistently spend more than 4 hours per day watching TV are more likely to be overweight.
• Kids who view violent acts are more likely to show aggressive behavior but also fear that the world is scary and that something bad will happen to them.
• TV characters often depict risky behaviors, such as smoking and drinking, and also reinforce gender-role and racial stereotypes.

Children's advocates are divided when it comes to solutions. Although many urge for more hours per week of educational programming, others assert that zero TV is the best solution. And some say it's better for parents to control the use of TV and to teach kids that it's for occasional entertainment, not for constant escapism.

That's why it's so important for you to monitor the content of TV programming and set viewing limits to ensure that your kids don't spend too much time parked in front of the TV."

There is good evidence that too much TV can cause many problems that could otherwise be avoided. I will try harder to keep the TV off as much as possible, keeping it for those days that I don't get any sleep the night before (wink, wink). Playing games, coloring, reading: those are all better activities anyway.