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Too Much TV?
Setting Limits on Television Viewing
By Elizabeth Palmer
A Learning Tool
When the boys were preschoolers I encouraged the time they spent watching Sesame Street, Thomas the Train, Reading Rainbow and Barney. I truly felt I was helping their learning process by providing them with these educational shows. Dionna Sanches of Boise, Idaho is not the only one who believes that "television can be very educational and instrumental in learning." But at what point do we cross the line of offering our children an alternative learning opportunity to using the "box" as a child occupier?
The Kids are Kept Busy
Carrie Smith of Landaff, N.H. states, "the old adage about the TV being a baby-sitter is true. Parents need to shut the darn thing off!" Although some parents may feel this is not the case in their home, I admit I've used their love of television to my advantage. 
Not so long ago, the boys would head for the television set as soon as they crawled out of bed on weekend mornings. An act that once needed permission became a habit. Their request for an hour of early morning TV viewing allowed me to sleep in a bit longer.
Habits are Hard to Break
For many, this well intended TV time grows into viewing habits that are hard to break. No wonder our children defend their right to watch television. They probably question why all of a sudden we are cutting back on their time exposed to the set. Setting Limits
Nell Minow, author of The Movie Mom's Guide to Family Movies