The growing selection of videos and programs for babies makes it easy for parents to assume that these shows offer educational or developmental benefits. Pediatricians, however, recommend that parents withhold all TV from children under the age of two. This conflicting messaging can leave parents frustrated and confused.

Some research claims infant programming can enhance vocabulary. The only caveat is that in most of these studies a parent has to watch the program with their young child in order for word learning to occur. Studies without this element of parent interaction have found that watching television actually hinders vocabulary development.

Ultimately, the faces on TV are no substitute for yours. Face to face interactions provide the richest experiences for young children. Play times together allow babies to learn about faces and facial expressions, develop problem-solving skills, understand turn taking, and enhance both receptive and expressive language.

Mothers of young children will probably agree that it is unrealistic to suggest they can provide non-stop positive interaction for their babies. Dr. Emily Touchstone, mother of a 2 year-old daughter, agrees and sympathizes. “A 10-month-old baby is safer sitting in front of a child-friendly television program for 20 minutes than at her mother’s feet trying to pull up on the dishwasher she has been trying to unload since sunrise,” said Touchstone. “Alternately, if a mother battling through a “terrible twos” afternoon with her 18-month-old needs 20 minutes to collect herself, the television may be the best way to provide some distance.”

The take home message for parents is this: spending time with your child in a positive way is beneficial, no matter the activity. If you have to use the television as a crutch now and then, okay, but choose your TV times wisely.

Ask the Researchers:

Emily Touchstone, Ph.D. studies infant perception of emotional expressions and serves as the Community Liaison Specialist for the UT Dallas Center for Children and Families

Question: My husband and I have a DVD player in our car. Baby videos keep our 14-month-old happy while driving. Is this a good way to keep him entertained while I am running errands?

Dr. Touchstone: Devalue the time a child spends in front of the television, no matter where they are or what they are watching. Your child still gets a lot more out of interactions with you than he does watching a video. It may be more work for you, but try singing songs in the car while driving. You will be amazed at how quickly your baby will pick up on the tunes and words embedded in songs.

Question: My 4 year old is glued to his programming and his little sister wants to be where her brother is. How do I minimize television time for my younger daughter without causing a complete meltdown for my older son?

Dr. Touchstone: The easy answer is to limit the amount of television watched by your 4-year-old, but it’s easy to understand how attached your son may be to some of his programs. If possible, give your son a finite task to complete before you turn on the television, such as giving him 4 books to look at with his little sister, and then he can watch his favorite cartoon for 30 minutes.

Next month’s topic is Peer Relationships and Bullying. Send your questions to etouchstone@utdallas.edu. We’ll select two to answer in next month’s column. For more information about the Center for Children and Families, or to suggest topics for this column, visit http://ccf.utdallas.edu/.