The other night my sister told me sheepishly that her 9-month-old daughter already enjoys watching TV, and that she probably watches way too much of it.

She said my niece loves the Claymation Fisher Price Little People videos that I passed on to her. Those cute Little People, and their simple problems, make my niece laugh and clap in delight.

I assured my sister that it was fine for her daughter to watch TV. And I told her to be thankful. My daughter hardly watched TV until she was about 2 years old.

But I wondered. What are the current recommended guidelines for TV watching?

I discovered that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children younger than 2 not watch any TV. And they recommend that children over 2 watch no more than one or two hours of TV per day.

Yes, I know that studies have shown that too much TV, especially of the wrong shows, can keep kids from developing needed mental and social skills. It also can keep them from getting exercise.   

But watching TV can be educational for kids. It’s all in what they’re allowed to watch and for how long – and if they’re still getting face-time and interaction with parents and caregivers.  

When my 13-year-old son was young, one hot show for the toddler crowd was Jay Jay the Jet Plane. He loved that show, and each episode included a message about friendship and growing that were healthy. And he loved to watch a series of videos that taught different themes such as airplanes, trains, construction trucks. He spent many hours watching those videos and he’s now a good seventh-grade student.   

My daughter’s preschool uses the Your Baby Can Read videos along with the teacher-taught lesson plans. She’s still learning to recognize letters, but I know she enjoys watching the videos. And I think anything you can use to get kids interested in learning is a good thing.

About a week ago, I watched the movie E.T. with my 5-year-old daughter. She liked the movie and asked me what planet E.T. was from. I said I didn’t know, but probably one really far away.

“Maybe he’s from Jupiter,” she said. My mouth fell open.

“Where did you learn about Jupiter?”

“From ‘Bubble Guppies,’” she answered. I haven’t yet watched Bubble Guppies, but I know it’s a new show for preschoolers on Nickelodeon.

“What planet do we live on?” I quizzed her.

“Earth!” she answered with authority.

I exclaimed how smart she is and she ran over and gave me a big hug.

Maybe the Bubble Guppies aren’t the best teachers in the world, but they taught her more about the world – and the universe – than I would have thought she could learn. 

What the Academy Says

The American Academy of Pediatrics offers a lot of advice about TV viewing. Among them are:  

· Learn how to use your TV’s blocking devices. Use them to block particular shows, or, like I have, all shows with ratings that you don’t want your children watching. In our house, all shows rated Mature and all rated R movies need a security code entered before viewing.

· Don’t let children watch TV until after homework and chores are finished.

· Limit the amount of time your kids spend watching TV.

· Watch TV with your kid and ask your kid questions about the programs. Ask what they liked about the show, or about the character.

· If a show offends you, talk to your child about why. Don’t be afraid to make some shows off-limits. My daughter knows she’s not allowed to watch Spongebob Squarepants. To me, the show doesn’t teach anything worthwhile (and it might teach her to make annoying noises, like Spongebob’s laugh that drives me crazy!).

· Put down the remote and go outside and get some exercise.

· Read to your young children, and encourage older children to read rather than watch TV.

By Gina Parsons, education blogger for SmartParenting