I have a two year old and generally avoid TV even all the educational programs. Because even if she is watching educational programs the time in front of TV increases . Sometime back we showed her one Elmo DVD and she just got addicted to that . She would want to watch that whole day...So after that episode I have become quite strict when it come to Television. I try to indulge her in other activities like puzzle,coloring,doing some blocks,reading books..if she gets bored with that I take her to the park ..Sometimes I turn on the music and we both dance. Once in a while I let her watch few of her fav. rhymes and songs..

I let my son watch about 30 min. a day, broken up into two segments.  The only thing I let him watch is Sesame Street.  I figure that I grew up on it, so it can't be that bad.  I have read that the recommendation is no more than 1 hour a day.  I would definately break that up.  You don't want your child to "zone out".

Shannon

The official pediatrician dictum is...None!  Remember, those TV shows are only "educational" when you watch along with her and discuss what you are viewing. 

The real world advice is...Enough to keep you sane! 

I agree with the previous poster - "Enough to keep you sane!"

No TV is recommended, even "educational."  I don't think it really hurts if you limit it to 1 hr/day or so, as long as your child still wants to go outside and do other things as well.  I even let my 6 month old watch baby einstein every day b/c I watch him and another 6 month old and I don't really want to expose them to TV this early but sometimes that is the only time I can get 15 minutes to eat!

For us it depends on how the day is going. Some days, she doesn't watch any, but other days she'll watch up to an hour. If I'm trying to get some stuff in the house done, she's the happiest little person when Jack's Big Music Show is on!

I agree that TV time should be limited.

If and when children watch it should be for a short amount of time and should be educational and age appropriate.

I do agree with pp that if you do have them watch TV discuss it with them

Often the cartoon-y voices inhibit children's speech because they don't sound like "real" voices..

If you reinforce what they are seeing with your own voice they will learn proper speech patterns as well.

I know it is hard to regulate TV time- goodness knows we have a hard time at our house.

Good luck!

My 2 year old never watches TV. He attends  a Waldorf preschool, and they don't allow it. I've found it to be a good thing that my son finds activities that require him to be in motion, rather than sitting transfixed, in his copious spare time. I used to think it would be hard to have a no TV policy, but we have the hang of it, and I can honestly say it is not taxing on anyone. I know someday he'll watch TV, but hopefully that someday is quite some time away. I only mention the pre-school because if you want to be TV free, it's an excellent place to guarantee all your kids' friends will be TV free as well.

My boy is ~2 and he adores Word World and Super Why (both PBS).  He would watch them all day if he could, but we make sure that he only watches one episode a day (or sometimes half as Word World is two 15 minute shorts), and we make sure that we are with him and interacting with him so he doesn't zone out.  I like to find toys that correspond with the episode character like one episode of Super Why was a Red Riding Hood and I found his stuffed wolf and mimed the character with it.  Or I ask him questions about what is happening and make him move around.  That way he is not just watching and is actually learning, and I am spending time with him (though I will admit to letting him watch a show just to calm him down or get something done, but only if desperate).

I think it depends largely on your child.  When my oldest was that age, I would let her watch about an hour a day, broken into segments. BUT, she never just sat and watched them. She'd watch them while she was doing other things so I never felt like she was becoming a "couch potato".  If she had just sat and stared at the TV I probably would have limited it more.  now that she's older, she has to "earn" her "screen time" (TV, Computer, etc) by doing her chores and/or obeying us the first time we ask something of her. 

I'd say that the ideal amount of television is none...but knowing that my boyfriend is never going to adhere to that while he's home with our son and I'm at work, I'd have to say at least try to keep it under an hour.

The AAP recmmends NO tv for under 2.  At 2 yrs of age my kids really did not show that much interest so it was never a problem for us, but I have had friends whose kids were obsessed and would watch it all day if allowed.  My almost 3yr old watching less than one 25 minute show a day and my 4.5 and 6.5 year old watch one 25 minute show a day, on average.  Somedays none if we have activites/sports/homework. Probably more on the weekends b/c dad will let them watch it several times a day.  At 2yrs age, I would be trying more activities like play doh, painting, dress up, chase, books and see if that keeps her interest more than the tv. 

I plan on not letting my daughter watch any TV until she is a preschooler at least.  I read somewhere that for every hour a child watches TV it increases the chance of ADD by like 10%.  Also.. why would you not interact with your child.  They will learn more interacting with you with crafts and such than by watching the boob tube.

My daughter is 18 months old and I don't not let her watch any TV. It is bad for attention span and I would much rather have my daughter playing with toys and looking at books. They ahve the rest of their lives to watch TV. A new toy or an old one they haven't seen in a while can keep a child very busy.