I admit I have used the TV as a babysitter and honestly see nothing wrong with it. I need to sometimes in order to get say the kitchen cleaned. I also monitor what my children watch and how much they watch and I would not dream of having a TV in their room.
Both my children love books and actually always request to sleep with the two books I read to them before they go to sleep. I bought a book collection suggested by my daughter's kindergarten teacher for her to read independently through the summer. She was so excited when she got it that she has already read most of the books.
For me when I was young, I would be sleep deprived because I would be up so late reading. I loved books (still do) and would sometimes be unable to put a book down and would be up to all hours of night trying to finish it.
As anything moderation is the most important thing.
I was the same way with books as a kid. We've started taking trips to the library to pick a book for me to read to them at night. We just finished Charlie and the Chocolate Factory -- a personal favorite of mine. So I like to think that they get both. But they are too young yet to get lost in books because neither of them knows how to read. Although they do often browse through them and make up stories to go with the pictures.
I guess I think that one can both watch tv and read books (though not at the same time, even though mom does) as long as we are careful to monitor how much and which shows our kids watch.
My son couldn't sit still long enough to watch TV until he was about 3. That was also about the same time he discovered the computer. Within 2 weeks he was using the mouse as well as I do.
All he wanted to watch on TV was Disney movie videotapes and cartoons. He's 11 now, and he still prefers cartoons. But he likes videogames, computer games & electronic games better.
His friends are all the same. It's a struggle to keep them interested in books once they master interactive electronics.
