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I'm going to tuck that recommendation away somewhere safe.

My kids enjoy certain shows on the documentary channels, the game show types and the kids channels too. While we have busy days each day, they do get screen time each day (The older 2 4 and 6) and can choose how they spend it. They never choose TV, rather computer time or leappads. Dylan who is 2 will watch the occasional show (he loves watching sport with dad or Mickey mouse clubhouse), but usually runs away to do something else.

On a saturday morning they all watch for about 40 minutes together. I don't have rules per se, but when its enough I suggest they switch off and go do something else. We don't really have issues with it because there are so many other fun things to do. Although my 6 year old cannot walk past if its on and NOT look.

Love your husband's cheekiness! I can see screen time being the bigger constraint down the road. Frankly, with the Internet, TV is dead.

Maybe so, but that statement could be true of anything, TV or otherwise. (I suppose that's my punishment for having terrible taste in music as a teen!) As I see it, we are responsible for editing the choices available to our children in an age-appropriate way that respects their individuality. Then they are free to make good choices.

Incidentally, it was my father who introduced me to Gagnam Style! That tells you what kind of pop culture maven I am.

Admit to electronic babysitting early on to give me a break! Had a neighbor long before I had a child who I distinctly remember saying she begged her one boy to watch t.v. while she tried to make dinner, to avoid him re-wiring the electricity in the house... again...didn't really understand until DD came along.

PBS Kids is great and DD still wants to watch on days off and sick days. I love Marth Speaks!

I'd add to the feedback about knowing mainstream things to be able to talk to other kids about stuff going on. We haven't had cable in about 7 years, but Sat. morning cartoons are just fine and you get all the commercials for what is being pushed also...

Netflix, library loans, and watching cable non-stop when at hotels, as well as reading whatever is most consumed at the moment in different grades - as a suplement to science non-fiction and children's classics. We always try to see the popular movies when they come out (though sensitive hearing and AHDH tendencies delayed the age of sitting through movies at the theatre we're catching up)

p.s. I used to be into sheltering when DD was <5 but if they go to school it's better to take the attitude of allowing some exposure while developing a diaglog about what's in the culture and instilling your values, if they differ...for playdates and more time spent away at other's houses I am still picky about her close friends but in general the "dealing with it" philosophy has helped alot (me as well as her I think)

We do only netflix, we have a specific no-broadcast rule, because of all the breaks in broadcast, and the difficulty in watching one episode from the beginning (hard to sit down at the exact right moment)

Interesting, thanks, guys!

The kids are basically at zero TV per week these days. Every so often, we do a movie. They are allowed an hour or two of computer time a week--sometimes more if need be. DS was watching 3-5 hours per week from age 2 to this year, but now he's in preschool daily and I don't need him to anymore. (It was so I could work.)

I regard screen time as a babysitter that can be useful and fun in small doses. I don't think it's really educational, and research generally backs me up, although there's a lot we don't know about computer screen time (vs. TV). There is a lot of data showing that in excess, screentime displaces other activities that are far more valuable to children. The average amount of DAILY screen time for children 7 and over is something like 9 hours.

I have a situation where my kids don't like watching tv. I don't mind if they do but mostly my older one dislikes it so my younger one is used to it not being on. Personally I hate the TV on for background noise.

A few of my in laws constantly put the tv on for the kids when cousins are over playing. It goes unwatched mostly because they are playing together, so why add the extra noise?

More deficit problems can be found with that multi tasking approach. I think kids need to learn how to moderate themselves. When it's time to watch... Watch then turn it off. My son does love video games, but often times if he is playing mine craft I will find he left the game on pause and ran into the other room to start building with Legos. When he does that I save then turn off the game.

We only do Netflix as well. My kids once watched Sat morning cartoons and got all upset when a commercial cane on thinking I had changed the channel! I laughed realizing they had never seen one. A week later at Walmart my daughter asked for these slippers she saw on this commercials. She had passed by them tons of times before never glancing at them. I was surprised how seeing the commercial once attracted her attention to them so much.