by Irina Diaconescu

Created on: December 24, 2008

There is nothing wrong with allowing children to watch television. But there is something wrong with the parent that doesn't care what the children watch and do nothing to ensure the programs that are being watched are appropriate for the child's age.

Raising a child without television in today's day and age could have some negative effects. There are many wonderful television channels that provide educational, informative and insightful information to our children, such as the Discovery channel, or the History channel. The reality is that, as a parent in today's world, it can be difficult to dedicate the time needed to develop some important areas of a child's life, as well as his or her mental and social development. So why not get a little assistance from television?

Parents today have a busy life. They put in long hours at the office, run errands before or after work, possibly take care of an elderly parent, etc. And the fun doesn't even start until they come home. Dinner needs to be put on the table, the bills need to get paid and the kids need help with homework. So, what exactly are the children doing during all this time? Probably watching tv. And that doesn't necessarily have to be a bad thing. Because otherwise they'd probably be running around the house, scribbling their names on your freshly painted walls. Well ok, maybe not all that. But they would definitely need some activity to keep them occupied.

This is where television can be a potentially beneficial partner in not only keep your children occupied, but possibly teaching them a thing or two about nature, the animal kingdom, or speech and vocabulary development. I have personally watched children's shows and cartoons, and let me tell you, most have some very witty dialogue, which can help kids with developing their social interactions and expanding their vocabulary. Now, that's not too bad now, is it?

Let's face it, how often do parents have the time and opportunity to sit down and explain the food chain process and animal evolution to their kids? Not that often. So television channels that can do that for them are a phenomenal source of information that will develop our children's minds and thought process. As long as parents have the parental controls turned on in regards to which shows children are allowed to watch, television can be an awesome source of information and learning.

Today's children stay informed. They know what shows are on, what channels they are on, and at what time. We often

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