I'm guilty but I am very careful about what they watch.

You only have to look at two young kids side by side to see the damage that tv does to the imagination during the first 7 years of a childs life. Kids weened on tv look catatonic compared to the kids who don't. Wake up people, get off your butts and engage your kids. Think of it this way, either you can teach your kids or the tv can. Using the tv in daycare, at home or when "busy" as a baby sitter is just an excuse for lazy parenting. Time spent reading, talking and playing with your kids cannot be measured in the amount of good it does. If you disagree, look in the mirror and say "I spend as much time as I can with my kids".

1.5 hours in the morning (Sesame Street & Hip Hop Harry) and about 2 hours in the evening. This helps occupy them as I prepare dinner. This is another reason why we hired a nanny over sending our kids to daycare. read about it at http://myblog.mommythequeen.net

two episodes of Diego in the AM and usually 10-15 min of Disney (for my 3 year od) while I put the baby down for his nap and need no distractions. My 6 year old usually gets about 4-5 hours total on the weekends and during the summer, if her brothers are sleeping and it is hot, she gets 1-2 hours during naptime. I don't sit my kids in front of the TV all day, but there are times during the day I really need 10 min to shower, clean, cook, make a phone call....I don't think there is anything wrong with doing this. Yes, the TV is a "babysitter" but it is also a Mom's quick sanity break and without it, how would we ever get a few necessary minutes throughout the day? I do try to listen to what they are watching (and I only have a few shows they are allowed to watch) so I can ask questions about what happened on the show, therefore teaching them some comprehension skills.