Your Child's Best Friend: TV or Not TV?

Sir .—In the March 1991 issue of AJDC , 1 Dr Stiehm described his experience with strict curtailment of his three daughters' TV viewing so that they would devote more time to schoolwork, reading, music, and exercise. This worked out well for his family, but it might not for others who have different interests and/or lack entertainment and learning alternatives. Television has been stigmatized as the "boob tube," yet it also provides fine educational, news, public affairs, sports, music, and general entertainment programs. One must be selective to find good books in a library and good music on the radio; this also applies to TV programs. Thus, rather than proscribe TV, parents might be better advised to review the coming weeks' TV fare, go over it with their children, and help them decide which programs of value to watch. Clearly, there is nothing wrong with children viewing "Sesame Street"; "Mister