My kids are only allowed to watch educational TV...like Leap Frog.... And we have specific times that they watch. They have a TV in their room, but it is only equipped to play videos. They can\'t get actual TV. So on weekend nights they get to watch a disney movie for bedtime. During the week we read them to sleep. I think it\'s really important that kids don\'t watch too much TV. They won\'t learn to be creative or imaginative, if everything is shown to them as a cartoon. I like it when I hear them in the play room pretending to be chefs, mommies, farmers, teachers, ect....

Lollie

If my dd watchs 3 to 4 hoursa a week, its alot. I will allow her to watch some programs with me if suitable as a family time, she is funny because she actuaLLY SEEMS TO CHOOSE THE RELIGIOUS CHANNELS. I prefer to have her read, go outside, or interact with other kids.

No TV in the bedroom!!! We are so opposed until they are in the teens.
He watches maybe 3 hours of "kid shows" per week (like a cartoon, and mostly kid game shows)
We do let him watch other shows more often after all his school work and chores are done. These shows are ones on discovery and TLC, etc (like Miracle Pets, or Research shows like Blizzards or Medical things) He enjoys them, and it is not just "candy for the brain"
We also limit his video game playing. He only plays when he has behaved, and everything is done. Sometimes he goes a month without playing, and then may play a few hours in a week.
I think that with enough physical and mental activity, that some TV watching is not as harmful. It is the kids that have no physical and mental activity that are really harmed by watching alot of TV.

I think too much of anything is not a good thing. Video games seem worse to me than just tv or movies. I let my kids watch one cartoon in the morning before school, it helps them from feeling jittery before heading off to the big scary world, but it's always a PBS show, they feel safer to me. Movies are great as long as my husband and I have seen them first. Every Friday night we have family movie night. The night seems centered around a movie but really it's about being together. We're making memories!

My 5-yr-old son has a TV in his room. It is equipped with a VCR/DVD player, but no TV. He is not allowed to watch movies unless he's been on his best behavior, his room is clean, and it is a weekend. This works great for positive reinforcement for cleaning his room (a constant struggle!). It also is wonderful for those rainy days when he can't go outside and play.

I dont monitor how many hours my kids watch t.v. We have a small house and one tv in the living room and one in our bed room. WE watch certain shows.
We also have nights that we watch no tv. I try to stear away from the violent tv and we do have reading nights. I just think you can over analys anything

We do not have a TV in our bedroom and our children will never have one in theirs. I think having a TV in the bedroom promotes a child to be unsociable within the family unit. My son is 6 and he watches maybe 2-3 hours of TV a day and that is broken down into increments. When he wakes up he likes to watch either dragon Tales or Higgle Town Heroes before we go to the gym, where he gets to play and interact with other children for 1-1/2 hours a day. Then we come home and he watches Thomas the Tank and eats lunch then off to school. When he returns home he usually wants a snack and wants to unwind with Cyber Chase on PBS. Then he is up and running and playing until 1/2 hour before bedtime (8:30 p.m.) so to settle down he watches 1/2 hour of a movie on Disney. Sometimes if there is a special movie on at 5 pm, I think Thursdays, on Disney he will watch that. For the most part he is an active little boy. In the summer we are at the pool everyday weather permitting. So TV in the summer months is even less.

Well, I do not time how much my son watches TV. But, he does watch a few hours a day at least, he also plays games and we read books. He is 5 years old and in Kindergarten. He is a very bright child, he also playes outside A LOT. Yesterday he went out about noon and did not come in until after 7pm. He was in fromt of the house riding his bike and skateboard with friends. He was beat when he came in he rides his bike hard!! (He is out of school this week, presidents week) He goes to the track every other weekend with his dad to ride his dirt bike, he has a Honda 50. So I am not concerned. If he were on the couch all day everyday watching TV I would be worried or if he were behind in school. Maybe this makes me a bad parent but I am not worried at this point. He is not overweight at all and he is not lazy. And the cartoons and shows he watches are educational.

I dont allow violent/evil, or those that promote any kind of "bad talk or action" towards anyone else. Sure limits the ones on tv.
We try and have game night and reading time...during the day it is mostly a few that I aprove of.
I dont really keep track, but I dont think we watch that much... Guess I should count it up and see.