Moms Talk: The TV Time Debate

Our question this week comes from Sharon G who lives in Hollywood Hill.

"I have a two year-old-boy and a 6-month-old girl, and I'm concerned about the amount of TV my son is watching and how much exposure my baby is getting. She seems to be sucked right into the programs alongside my son. How much is too much?”

This is a fantastic question. If I were to answer based on the official position of the American Academy of Pediatrics, who recommend that kids under two years of age not watch any TV and that those older than two watch no more than one to two hours a day of quality programming, I’d tell you to throw your TV in a closet for the next 18 months. We all know that isn’t going to happen. In fact, I recommend a little TV time. Yes, that’s right. I love TV.

I live in a TV happy household. Wanna take a shower alone? Pop on PBS Kids. Have some chicken you need to fry without little ones underfoot? Hello Nemo! Buying a few minutes peace every once in a while is not going to ruin your child. I know mine's doing pretty stinkin' good despite his daily TV time.

I think the important thing to remember here is not how much TV but what TV is being viewed in the home.

Skip the Action Toons ­& Watch the Ratings – This is my number one piece of advice…Stop watching shows your child is not meant to watch. I know there are days when I’d rather stuff wadded-up tissue in my ears rather than watch another episode of Curious George, but I limit the type of shows I allow my 4-year-old. No Spiderman. No Pirates. No Ironman. No Kung-Fu Anything. And oddly, no Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Instead, we opt for shows that have zero violence and have situations that somewhat mirror situations he’d face in a day.  

Here’s a list of shows that I’d recommend for both your children.

Curious George – George is a little boy at heart. His adventures in the city and the country always incorporate problem solving and reasoning skills. The shows are well-made and the there is zippo violence.

Blue’s Clues – Give me Steve or give me Joe. Blue and his male pals are always working on a fun activity. It’s sweet, innocent and just the thing for a kiddo with a younger sibling to watch…and then play a rousing game of Blue’s Clues together.

Shaun the Sheep – We found this little gem on Netflix Instant. It’s a British stop motion animated series that totally won our family over. It’s cute, has animals in funny situations, and is one of the few shows that don’t get on our nerves.

Wild Kratts – Recently premiering on PBS, the Kratt brothers learn about animals as humans and then, POOF!, transform into cartoon characters to interact with the animals on their level. It’s a fantastic show for young boys looking for adult male role models who don’t sport capes, fire webs, or fight.

My other recommendations include Word World, Super Why, Clifford and Mr. Rogers.

For now, skip Word Girl, Dora, Sponge Bob, The Cat in the Hat or any kid of “man” – be they bat, spider, iron or otherwise. Also, skip Sprout. I know it’s on all day, every day, but it absolutely loaded with commercials.

Incorporate TV into your home successfully and enjoy.

Moms Talk is a weekly column where we ask a question that features hot topics in parenting. We encourage people to join the conversation and to suggest topics and questions for future columns.