Some observations...

My DD had minimal tv before she was 2 (3 weeks ago). By this i mean that most days she had no tv at all. WHole months would go by with no tv. Occasionally she would get the tv for half an hour, probably 10 or less times in her life. Once or twice when i have been really ill i have put the tv or a kids dvd on for several hours at a time (when i'm too sick to get up/read etc.).

She is very advanced for her age. She speaks in sentences, knows her shapes and colours (including things like telling hexagons from octagons), can count to 20, knows much of the alphabet and can identify all the numbers up to 9 (like knows 8 but would say "one eight" rather than "eighteen"). She recognises about 10 letters of the alphabet and knows the sound they make.

We read and sing a lot together. I wear her in the wrap when i cook and clean and talk her through whatever i'm doing all the time. A german friend came to stay for 2 days this week and she is currently telling me in german that she's filled her nappy!

Now i let her watch tv for half an hour on days we are in the house anyway (3-5 times a week). She has learned about 10 new songs, a bunch of dances and some (about 5 maybe) new words from the tv. BUT she does NOT ask for a book or even necessarily look at me when i call her name if the tv is on. It seems to me to totally absorb her attention in a way that reality doesn't. I can imagine that some of the harm tv does to the minds of kids is by exluding the rest of the world.

I think you can tell by watching your kid how well they cope with tv. I know kids who cannot bear it if the tv is on and kids who have anxiety attacks when you turn it off. It's pretty individual. I do not think there is anything a flat emotionless screen, no matter HOW bright/colourful, can teach your baby than time with it's mother/father/siblings could not teach better, but i also as a single parent appreciate the concept that sometimes 10 minutes of peace can save a whole day.

Bx