Ask me to recite just about any Dr. Seuss book (or Fancy Nancy, or Eric Carle) and I’ll probably be able to do it from memory. Do you want to know the lyrics to a Veggie Tales song? How about the Imagination Movers? It’s all stored in my head, and I don’t think it’s ever going to get purged.

Once my kids find something they like, whether it’s a certain book, song or movie, they never seem to grow tired of it. I know this is fairly common among babies and children, and I also know that it helps the kids learn. I get it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I’ve been reading the same Diego book every night for the past couple of weeks. The suspense as to whether Diego will indeed save the baby sea turtles has long since been lost on me, but every time we read it my kids sit in hushed anticipation to find out what happens next. I’ve also had They Might Be Giants: 123 in my car’s CD player for a straight week now, and any time I change it I get a stern tongue-lashing from my kids in the back seat who want their music back.

I keep reading Diego and keep listening to They Might Be Giants in the car because I know that the kids love them. I also know that it won’t be long before they get passionate about a different book or CD, and although we’ll undoubtedly read the book over and over and listen to the CD over and over, it will also pass someday soon.

Besides, every so often I do manage to talk them into trying something different and they actually take to it. They were initially iffy about the Olivia books but now they love them, and I saw some scowls when I first slipped a swing CD into the stereo at home but now they dance like crazy when I turn the music on while I cook.

Repetition is a necessary evil, I’m afraid, but it could be a lot worse. At least my kids pick music I enjoy and books that are clever. I don’t know what I would do if their music of choice was something horrible and I was stuck in the car along with two kids who like singing along with vigor.

Discovery Kids, Sesame Street, Cartoon Netowrk, Disney Channel,…

The choices are almost endless. They are supposed to enhance a little child’s language and cognitive skills. But are they really beneficial as they claim to be?

Dimitri Christakis, a researcher at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute and the University of Washington says such claims are not supported by scientific evidence. Dr. Christakis reviewed 78 research studies published during the last 25 years on the effects of TV on children and the conclusions he got from the reviews were concerning.

Here are some of his findings:

• 9 out of 10 toddlers (under two!) sit in front of the TV regularly, many as much 40% of their waking hours.
• Many parents are not aware of the potential hazards of TV. In a survey, 29% of parents interviewed believe that watching TV is “good for the brains.” Only about 6% are aware that the American Academy of Pediatrics does not encourage TV viewing in the first two years of a child’s life.
• In another study, 1 out of 5 parents interviewed admit they allow kids to watch TV to have a little bit of time for themselves.
• A number of studies indicate that watching TV programs and DVDs during the first 2 years of life can actually delay language development, regardless of the language.
• Another study reported that schoolchildren exposed to TV in their early years performed poorly in reading and memory tests.
• The claims being made by DVD manufacturers and TV producers are not supported by research data from peer-reviewed journals or even by studies supported by the entertainment industry itself.

Some of the reasons of the adverse effects of TV cited by Dr. Christakis are as follows:

• While watching TV, children are exposed to “flashing lights, scene changes, quick edits and auditory cuts which may be over stimulating to developing brains.”
• TV also tends to take the time normally spent on age-appropriate and more beneficial activities like free play, role playing, and interaction with parents and other children.

As a mother of twins, I must admit I was tempted on several occasions to use TV just to get a couple of hours’ of peace. But I am glad to say, I never gave in to the temptation and managed to keep my children “TV-free” during their first 3 years of life. After that, we slowly eased them to TV viewing, with selected shows and films, starting with 10 minutes a day. Now at 5 and a half, they are up to 20 minutes of short cartoons or educational TV shows, whereas some of their classmates have already viewed full-length films like the Pirates of the Caribbean and Harry Potter. I know the time will come when my kids will demand for more TV time. In the meantime, we try to engage their interest in other, more useful activities like sports, art and crafts, reading, and music. Hopefully, their varied interests will help limit their need for TV viewing as they grow older.