Nielsen reported last week that children ages 2 to 5 spent nearly 25 hours a week watching television, the highest figure on record. They spent an additional seven weekly hours watching DVDs, playing video games, and watching TiVo-style time-shifted television.
[From Drilling Down - Children Ages 2 to 5 Watch More TV Than Ever - NYTimes.com]
We all know TV can’t be good for little kids. We all read the same reports and know if makes a bad baby sitter. We also depend on it periodically to keep the kids busy for a few minutes while we do a few emails or finish making dinner.
But we know it doesn’t have to be on all the time. Let’s all resolve to leave it off except when we really need it. We can wean the kids off it, pointing them to their pile of unused toys, and maybe getting down on the floor with them to reaquaint them with Legos, Barbies, and train tracks.