/lit/ - Literature

I'm a 28yo attorney. I have 2 boys, ages 3 and 2. They absolutely love books. We have nearly every Dr. Suess and also they typical kids' books such as Goodnight Moon, 5 Little Monkeys, Hungry Hungry Caterpillar, etc. They love to watch TV also, such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Sesame Street, Imagination Movers, etc, but we limit the time that they actually sit in front of the TV and drone. Most parents like their kids to watch TV in excess so that they don't have to deal with them. When my kids aren't watching TV they are reading or playing outside (something else that most kids don't do anymore). Either way, we have made books fun for the kids from the start and they still enjoy them and even put them back on the shelf. My oldest knows some words simply from recognition and repetition of reading. The TV programs help with vocabulary as well, so I can't say that TV is altogether bad. As with anything, only bad in excess. We also look at picture books like I Spy where I can ask them "where is this/that?" type questions.

Kids are as smart as you let them be. Most neighbors have been in awe at my 3 year olds intellect and vocabulary in contrast to their own kids' but are slow to realize that they inhibit their kids with too much TV and crappy content at that.