I just saw the headline of an article on Google News before I sat down to type. It read "Limits Urged on TV for Children Under 2". While I know that too much exposure to TV or any other sedentary mindless activity is something I should discourage, how do you remove such a staple of American entertainment from your child's life. And, really, when it comes right down to it, what aspect of parenting should (or should not) be regulated? Raising your children well is one of the hardest jobs out there, yet we provide no requirements to parents for learning how to do this job. Instead we just judge, condemn, and punish parents who do a bad job.
Lord knows, I am not a perfect mother. Our family is busy; while I am scrambling to get my children in the door, start cooking a nutritionally balanced meal, and ensure that backpacks get checked for homework and important notices, my 18 month old son is usally watching some sort of children's television program. He particularly gravitates towards Yo Gabba Gabba and Backyardigans; and you know what, I'm fine with it. It probably makes me a horrible parent in some camps, but face it people - there are bigger fish to fry.
Of course, this is just one small example of the problems that we face as parents in today's society. It's a case of damned if you do, and damned if you don't. If I didn't let my toddler watch television, he would find other ways to occupy his time - meaning he'd be destroying the plants, terrorizing the cats or his brothers, or falling off of objects he's climbed onto. (Yes he still does all of these things, just less often) I could spend all of my time following him around, and become a helicopter parent, but that would just stunt him in the area of self reliance and decision making. So I turn to television as a fun way to keep my baby occupied just long enough for me to chop up the veggies that I'm sneaking into his dinner. Hey - at least I'm saving him from the weight gain of frequent fast food dinners.
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