Teaching Time for Toddlers: TV

Whether good or bad, T.V. is very much a part of our culture today.  There are thousands of shows directed towards kids and a huge chunk of those are directed in particular to toddlers.  Personally, I don't want Catherine (and any future kiddos) watching too much T.V.; however, it is very hard to determine what is "too much" and what is worth watching.

Currently, I do allow her to watch an episode of Dora the Explorer while I am taking my morning shower and getting ready for the day.  This became a thing necessary for survival (and sanity!) after a climbing incident while I was in the bathroom a while back.  She will calmly remain on the couch for the entirety of the 22 minutes while Dora is on, if it's not on, well, who knows what my adventurous and agile climber will get herself into.  (Every Mommy out there knows how important those 22 minutes to prepare for the day can be!)  It  is the only time in the morning when the following isn't true:

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I also sometimes allow something in the afternoon -- this way I can pay bills, clean, make dinner, etc..  In the afternoon I want it to be somewhat educational.  (I don't view Dora as educational . . . ) Currently, my favorite picks for this are available on Netflix's Play It Now: Leap Frog shows.  If you're a Netflix member just search for "Leap Frog" and the first few choices will be Play It Now.  As of right now they have a nice mix of both letter, numbers, and even some basic phonics shows.

Leap Frog: The Amazing Alphabet Amusement Park is probably to thank just about as much as all of the flashcards, coloring pages, foam letters, and wooden blocks that I work with to teach Catherine her alphabet.  She cannot say/sing it in its entirety  but when she doesn't feel pressured, she can identify every single letter!  I don't think that's half bad for a two and half year old!

Here's my question to you, Dear Reader, what do you think about toddlers and T.V.?  Do you allow some, none, a lot?  Of course, every household is going to be different, but I am curious what other have to say!  Also, what are the best educational shows out there? Which shows do you think actually help teach our children, if any?

Besides the above questions, which I look forward to seeing how everyone answers, this is also your chance to link up anything toddler related!  

It is not mandatory, but would be nice, if you followed me and added my button (on the right) to your blog.