Our daughter is turning a year and we do put the TV on at certain times during the day. We'll put PBS Sprout on - Curious George and Sesame Street - or get Tigger and Pooh on demand.

She'll dance to opening themes for all shows and hug her Heffalump doll if Tigger and Pooh is on, but otherwise, she doesn't really watch.

Otherwise, if the TV is on, it's tuned to the Light Classical music channel.

As I type this message and sip my morning coffee, my twenty month old daughter is watching Sesame Street. She watches every morning after her older brother heads off to school. It gives me 50 minutes of peace to get organized for the day, maybe take a shower, and have a few moments to myself before we head off to playgroup, Wiggleworms, story hour, etc. As a stay at home Mom, my days are structured almost entirely around the needs of my children, and we fill the hours with countless enriching experiences. And we have a ball together. She adores the characters, and as I hear her babbling in her crib before she drifts off to sleep, she is chanting the alphabet in perfect sing song rhythm, counting to ten, and singing songs. She's sharp as a tack and I have no fears whatsoever that this daily screening of Sesame Street is doing her brain any harm or that she will suffer ill effects in the future. On days this winter when anyone in the house has been sick or we've been snowed in, we have had marathon TV days in our jammies with cocoa and blanket tents in the living room, and they are therapeutic for everyone. In our go-go-go, worry-worry-worry world, sometimes TV is just the ticket.

Some of our Sesame Street alternatives are Clifford, Curious George, Blues Clues and Baby Einsteen DVD's.

I have 3 girls under the age of 5, and I am a stay at home mom. We watch TV.... some days maybe too much and some days none at all. Their favorite shows - Dora, Max & Ruby, and the Backyardigans. Theres music, language and messages about friendship and imagination - how can this bad? My children are well adjusted, share, play well alone and with others, love all toys and outside activities. You need to find the balance that works for you and your children.

My daughter is 3 1/2 and I find it so interesting how her tastes have changed. When she was 12-18 months we would put on Sesame Street. Most of the time she wandered away to play in her playroom or do something else, but when she heard the Elmo theme song she beelined back into the living room for that part. Now - Sesame Street is "for babies" and she refuses to watch it, even though at this age it is so beneficial for her reading skills. Then she was onto Dora and Diego. That lasted for about a year. Now she is addicted to Scooby Doo (no educational value at all, but it's Scooby Doo a national treasure!) We put any and all Scooby shows on the DVR and she watches that during her TV time at night.

shows

We on demand Tigger and Pooh when we get back home from daycare pickup. This gives me 30 minutes to get dinner on the table. If it's a quick dinner to cook, I get watch some of the show with my soon to be 3 year old. He also loves the Planet Earth DVD's (skipping over the predator eats prey scenes) - he does a really good impression of David Attenborogh!

The only way I can get my 17 month old to sit still and eat a meal is if she is distracted with a dvd - either Elmo or Baby Einstein. I swore I would never do this - but given the choice of no dinner vs. 1/2 hour of television - I choose the latter! I agree that too much tv is bad - especially if it's instead of playing outside or pretend play. But a little bit of quality tv here and there is not going to ruin a generation of children.

I have 2 preschoolers and have to admit my kids watch a lot more TV than I ever planned. But I don't feel guilty because the number and variety of really good programs for very young children is great and are getting better and more numerous all the time. We watch a lot of PBS Kids Sprout and Noggin, often On Demand. We rarely resort to Disney or Nick Jr. I envy the woman who is able to take a shower while her kids watch TV, but I do try to find something really engrossing to keep the kids' attention while I try to make dinner. I'm a college grad. (working on a master's) and working full time so it's not just low-income or uneducated parents who let their kids watch TV. As long as there's a balance with outdoor activities, crafts, reading, etc., I don't see any problem with lots of good TV.

I love Yo Gabba Gabba. "Don't Bite Your Friends" and "You've Got To Wait Your Turn" are classic rockers. I also like Oswald's pace.

I think my 4 year old is growing out of Dora. (good) but becoming attracted to Disney princesses (bad).

My 2 1/2 year old watches dora, diego, barney, max and ruby, strawberry shortcake. We limited it to 1 hour a day during the week and 2 hours on the weekends total.

When I went to baby sit my 5 year old nephew recently for a week, I was surprised at how good the kids programs are! Yes, everything in moderation is the mantra for adults as well as kids! So 1-2 hours spread out during the course of the day is ok I think (and we follow that strictly, except when he is sick and needs the distraction). I loved watching Mama Mirabelle and The Imagination Movers with my nephew - good shows, good messages, clean language. It was great. He has graduated out of blues clues and Dora.
I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of kids TV shows (I am sure there are others that are not so great, but my sister in law is particular with what she lets him watch).

My daughter just turned 2. She likes Dora the Explorer (she participates and follows along when Dora asks for help), Max & Ruby, Tigger & Pooh (she loves it when they tap their fingers to their heads and say "think, think, think..." when they're going to solve a mystery - I've even seen her do it when she's trying to figure something out, it's cute),
She only watches about an hours or so when I'm getting home from work and making dinner... and we keep it to Noggin, Nick Jr. or the Disney Channel.

I have two boys, ages 4 and 2, and they love Thomas the Tank Engine, Caillou, Curious George, and Sesame Street. They also enjoy Oswald, but it doesn't seem to be on TV very much anymore. Sometimes they will watch Max & Ruby, Word World and Clifford also.

I guess our family is in the minority of these posts. Our daughter is 19 months old and aside from watching about 5 minutes of Noggin once a week while I trim her nails, and two recent days of On Demand nursery rhymes while she was home sick, we presently do not let our daughter watch TV. And given the response that we've gotten from family and friends, you'd think we are doing something wrong by NOT letting her watch TV. I'm not saying there are absolutely no valid reasons to television at such a young age (i.e. needing to get dinner ready...we've just found other ways around that particular issue). It is admittedly hard to have people understand that, no, she does not know who Big Bird is yet, and that the only reason that she even knows who Elmo is is because he's on the toothpaste she used to use and we told her his name. But we're sticking to our guns for the time being because we have been sufficiently persuaded by the AAP guidelines for TV viewing, as well as books like "The Hurried Child", "The Case for Make-Believe: Saving Play in a Commercialized World" and "Einstein Never Used Flash Cards" to err on the side of caution, and believe that there is more value to one-on-one interaction through reading, singing our own songs and regular play than any television program might offer. I also have a real concern for some of the effects of the marketing of the characters (i.e. through dolls, clothing, food, etc.) might have in the long-term. Will we let her watch TV as she gets older? Possibly....probably. We don't want her to be ostracized by her peers or live in an unrealistic bubble that doesn't acknowledge that TV (for good or bad) is part of our culture. But once that cat is out of the bag it will be only that much harder to limit viewing or convince her that she does not "need" whatever toy she sees from the given show, so that is why we're proceeding slowly when it comes to TV.

I find a lot of kids' programming great!! I have 3 1/2 and 1 1/2 yr old daughters. My oldest LOVES Dora and has now since she was 2. The youngest also loves Dora. They get into the adventure and play along. Channels like Noggin and PBS Sprout are great. They are big fans of Noggin. I have watched the shows and find them all to be insightful, fun, engaging and educational. I will often talk about the episode with my oldest getting her to answer questions about the episode. It allows me to interact with her instead of just the TV doing it. But, Noggin has other great programs like Nihao Ki-Lan, Backyardigans, Wonder Pets and Diego that they enjoy watching as well.

My daughter is 3 and we haven't introduced TV to her. We decided to follow the (often disputed) guidelines of no TV before 2YO and as her 2nd birthday approached my husband and I decided that things were fine as is so no reason to change them. I'm not sure when we'll introduce TV...perhaps by 5YO.

My 5 and 3 year olds love just about anything on PBSKIds. They especially love Zula Patrol, Super Why, Word Girl and Word World.

PBS is great because there are "fewer" commercials. When we watch QUBO, they are inundated with commercials!!!

Peep and the Big Wide World. (PBS) Cute and creative!

There are so many great kids shows on tv for young young kids. They learn so much and parents need that down time.....My kids are now 9 & 7 and from when they were even prior 1 year old, I would put on PBS for Sesame Street...

I'm raising five kids ages 14 to 3 without a television in the house. Right now, it's about 45 degrees outside and they're all outside jumping on the trampoline. We have a treehouse and lots of blocks. I don't have to drug them with videos to get them to eat or get dressed. And I don't have to control them with car videos in the mini-van to drive home from school. A little bit of TV at other people's houses goes a long way. As Marie Winn said, "Children's television is very addictive -- for parents." People raised children for 10,000 years without videos.

Jean lotus:
That's a bit of a harsh statement given that most of the parents here have admitted to 1 hour of TV time or less a day. My husband is a stay at home and puts on Sesame Street in the morning for our daughter, but no matter what the temperature, or the precipitation, takes her for at least two walks daily; plays with her outside in the yard if the temperature is over 35 degrees (she is, after all, not yet 1) or takes her to the playground on the commons - or both; and they play endless games of hide and seek (by her rules), blocks and so on throughout the day.

We have no DVD player in our car (no mini-van) but we, and certainly most parents that posted here, do not "drug" their children with TV to get them to eat a meal or don clothing.

Of course, people also raised their children for 10,000 years without health care, without clean drinking water and without adequate nutrition. While TV is hardly on the same par as any of these things, the principle is the same.

Just another issue in the "mommy wars". Parents think their superior to other parents because they never let their kids watch tv. Why are we so critical of each other? Parenting is the hardest and most important job you'll ever have so why can't we support each other and not criticise each other?

My son probably watches a little too much tv during the winter. He's 20 months old and hates his boots and his mittens so it was hard to get him to play outside with the 2 feet of snow we had in our yard for months. But now that its warmer and the snow has melted we spend the majority of the day outside and just watch a little tv here and there. This study does make me feel better that I'm not doing any developmental damage by letting my son watch some Blues Clues for a little bit each day.

Kerry -- you are absolutely right! no need for mommy wars. An hour or two of TV does not damage the child - especially if you regulate WHAT they watch! Blues clues is great, and so are a few others. Extremes are not the only way: totally NO TV, or totally ALL TV. Otherwise, I think we are doing ok :). Cheers.

"Right now, it's about 45 degrees outside and they're all outside jumping on the trampoline."

Jean - I am sure you are a better parent than others because you don't let them watch TV, but you hopefully know that trampolines are very dangerous. From data online, "246,875 medically treated trampoline injuries occur annually in the U.S. Of this total, 186,405 of these injuries occurred among children aged 14 or younger." It goes on to say "Competent adult supervision and instruction is needed for children at all times." I am not saying you should pass on the trampoline, but maybe pass on a bit of the smugness and get off the computer to keep your kids safe...

I want to second the shout out for "Peep and the Big Wide World", it's wonderful! Lots of laughs, lots of science lessons.

Kerry and Irao - Right on.

cb - I love Peep! I watch it, never mind the kid. : D

We don't have a TV, and haven't for years (ours died about 5 years ago and we didn't feel the need to replace it). We occasionally use a tuner to watch Design Squad with our 8 and 7 year old boys, or sometimes we watch a DVD if someone is sick. But what Jean Lotus has noted is true - if you grow up in a house where TV is not the norm, you don't 'need' TV to get stuff done. Same as if you never gave a kid a pacifier as an infant - you never have to get them to give it up, and they find other ways to soothe themselves. Now, the same way that non pacifier kids can turn to thumb sucking, my TV free kids sometimes turn to messy amusements (involving mud, vinegar and baking soda, and other assorted messmaking devices). But if you have a relaxed attitude toward chaos, it's not a problem.

I don't object to people allowing their kids to watch TV - if it works for you, go to town. But I do object to being told that a) my kids will be social pariahs if they don't watch what all their friends are and b) that it is impossible to prevent kids from watching TV. My kids have as many friends as any other kids, and there are things to talk about other than TV shows. Really. And you are the parent. If you want them to watch less, or none, you can do that. Just turn it off. If the amount of TV your kids watch is enough, then fine. But if you think they watch too much, and it is leading to them being less able to entertain themselves, or whiny, or whatever, then take charge. TV watching is not a necessity akin to oxygen.

my son is 2 and loves elmo blues clues oswald caillou spongebob which i know isnt really a kids show tigger and pooh mickey mouse it keeps my osn entertained and always me to do some things around the house like make supper do laundry pick up his mess within those 30 mins i can get alot done i dont rely on tv but it sure does help adn as long as he is learning something whether it be numbers colors sharing the basics parents teach there kids when they see there fav characters doing it they want to be just like them besides spongebob which my son became obsessed with due to his step sister

It's really great to read that many of your children watch our kids’ shows, and how much they like them. WGBH has long cared about providing entertaining, educational programs for kids, but as some of you point out, what to let your children watch (and for how long) can be a difficult decision for families to make. We actually have a free guide to TV viewing for parents and caregivers, which includes lots of facts, tips, and tools to help families make smart choices about ALL media in their homes. It’s available at www.KidsMediaMatters.org.

By the way, The Parents’ Choice Foundation just recognized five WGBH children’s productions – Between the Lions, Design Squad, Fetch! with Ruff Ruffman, Arthur, and WGBH’s newest kids’ show, Martha Speaks – with their annual awards. We're thrilled!

Thanks for watching WGBH!