In Defense of Television

Saturday morning soccer with Daddy isn't so bad, right?

By the end of a very busy day all I want is to do is watch TV. The funny thing about this is that up until last year we didn't even have cable.

So here I am, a formally anti-tv person, with a very full PVR. It doesn't help that January's line up is just excellent: a new season of Girls, Californication, my guiltiest pleasure Dance Moms, and then there's Modern Family, Up All Night, and a nightly episode of Chelsea Lately.

I can't help but defend television now that I am a reformed TV watcher but I am struggling to find the balance of what's okay when it comes to Eloise. I am not afraid to admit that TV lets me get work done in the mornings; a few episodes of Franklin keep Eloise happy and occupied while I answer emails, do a blog post or call vendors and clients. I know that screen time has a bad rap, but for me it's essential.

So what is the answer? Eloise didn't watch any TV until she was around a year and a half but now constantly asks for Franklin, Trains (that's Thomas & Friends), and the Wot Wots. We don't have an iPad, she doesn't have any connection to the computer, but I do wonder, does introducing her to TV now mean that I am on the way to raising a sedentary kid?