Parents Talk: How Much TV Is Too Much TV?

Parents Talk is a weekly feature on Patch where we reach out to those moms, dads, grandparents, etc. looking for a resources and information (or maybe just a sounding board) to talk about parenting. We invite and encourage you to tell your friends about Parents Talk, too. After all, we can’t build a community without your help. Contribute your ideas, questions, anecdotes and advice to other parents in your hometown.

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We encourage you to join the discussion. Tell us what you think about this week's topic in the comments section below.

This week's topic:

I will be the first parent to shamelessly admit that I let my kids watch too much TV. It's not like I plop them down in front of the flat screen and let them zone out but I do let them watch it. In the morning as we're trying to get everyone ready for school, I will turn on cartoons just to give them a minute's focus. If I need to make a call and the kids are going wild, I will pop in a movie or choose a show we've DVR'd for them to help them settle down and yes, on the weekends, I don't care if they spend the morning vegging out on the couch watching a "Phineas and Ferb" marathon. No big deal.

That said, breaks from school are always a tough one in our house. Like this week, I know the kids will be bouncing off the walls. Despite all the new toys and games they have to play with, inevitably someone will whine that they're bored and want to watch television. And you know what? I will probably give in.

What do you think? How much TV is too much TV for children? Does it matter their ages or the programming? Give us you two cents in the comments section below.