Sometimes, as a parent, I used the television set as a substitute babysitter. Yes, I confess -it is too easy to do. I would rationalize it by saying to myself that it was only for a short period of time and that I really needed to get something else done without my sons being under my feet. However, I have learned that doing this was not good for my children or me.
According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP), there are confirmed negative effects on our children from watching TV. For example, children who watch a lot of TV have these characteristics in common: they exercise less and tend to be overweight; they read less; and they have lower grades. Also, they learn about such things as junk food, smoking, drinking alcohol, and sex. Since they are so young and impressionable, parents should be introducing and talking to them about these subjects rather than having them learn from what they have watched on TV.
Author Soraya Diase Coffelt