If you were skeptical to believe that watching a video could make your little one smarter, your instincts were right. According to this article from Time Magazine, videos like the “Baby Einstein” and “Brainy Baby” series might actually delay the onset of language development in children and result in over stimulation and a shortened attention span, particularly in babies who are 8 to 16 months old.

The article is full of shocking revelations, such as:

“40% of babies are regular viewers of DVDs, videos or television; by the time they are two years old, almost 90% are spending two to three hours each day in front of a screen. Three studies have shown that watching television, even if it includes educational programming such as Sesame Street, delays language development.”

The antidote to all of this over stimulation, it says, is simple—just spend time with your little ones face-to-face. Reading together scored some of the highest marks in helping babies develop language skills faster and easier, but simply talking to your child can help as well.

So if you really want to turn your little one into a mini-Einstein, it’s time to put down the remote and pick up a book!

Now that the kids are back to school, back to books and back to that pesky old homework, it’s time to limit the number of hours they spend on Webkinz and get some good use out of that family computer! Check out these links for fun ways to get your kids the homework help they need. And, don’t forget–your child should always be closely monitored when working online!

• Laugh, play and learn to type along the way! Check out the BBC’s Dance Mat Typing for step by step touch typing instructions complete with silly cartoons (like this goat!), fun music and entertaining lessons.

• Explore Ancient Egypt with your kids on NOVA’s Mysteries of the Nile.

• Time for Kids’ Homework Helper offers step-by-step instructions for writing an A+ book report

• Are your favorite students struggling with math? Help them find the tutoring they need at Math.com, but be sure you stick around to explain anything they might not understand–math can be tricky!

• Encourage your kids’ interest in science and the environment by letting them play at the EPA Environmental Kids Club.

Kids and TV have a long history together–from the early days of “Sesame Street” to the modern era of “Baby Einstein,” television shows and kids movies have served as both educational instructors and entertaining babysitters for years.

But, as mentioned in an interesting article from BabyCenter, many believe that even background television can be harmful to children’s mental and emotional development. I know some grandparents who are so anti-TV that they are offering a $1,000 donation to their grandkids’ college funds for every year that parents can keep the little ones from watching it. And yet, nearly a third of participants in a related BabyCenter survey said that their kids not only watch television, but have them in their bedrooms.

What’s your take on kids and TV? Are television shows parenting tools, or potential addictions? You tell us!