The most ludicrous and unrealistic parenting rule I ever heard is: "Don't let your children watch TV. It's bad for them." Who made up that rule? Cavemen? (More likely, cavemen without children). If I didn't have the luxury of plopping my kids in front of the TV when they were little, I would have been unable to prepare innumerable meals, pay the family's bills, or commit to any sort of physical hygiene. In other words, without TV, my kids would have starved, been homeless, and had a mother who stunk.
What's so bad about TV anyway? It's a sure fire way to soothe our precious savage beasts when they are fighting or crying or having some other type of emotional breakdown. There is something about the bright colors flashing across the screen that tames our sweet angels and causes them to stop destroying everything in their paths. TV helps them to sit in one spot for more than a few seconds at a time. TV helps return the home to a peaceful place where parents and children alike are smiling in silence.
Remember, parents: TV is your friend. Embrace it, don't shun it. Most of all, don't believe a word those non-parents tell you!