You may hear warnings that your children should not be watching television because it could give them ADHD, cause learning problems, or any other type of warning thrown out there. The truth is that there is nothing wrong with a little television if your children like kids shows that are going to teach them something. You do not want to park them in front of the TV all day, but a half an hour a few times a week is certainly not going to harm them. In fact, children can learn a lot from these shows if you choose the right ones.
There are all types of kids shows out there. It may come down to the ones that you can stand when choosing which of them you want your children to watch. If you simply can not deal with one of them, perhaps you should just skip it. Your child will never know the difference. There are enough quality kids shows out there that you can avoid or even ban the ones you do not like. They have other quality options out there from which you can choose that they are also going to love. Watch any you are considering to make sure you approve.
There are always kids shows that come and go. They rise and fall in popularity all the time, but most stick around. You may have to follow them from channel to channel if they really start doing poorly, but you can usually find them. If not, there are always DVDs that you can buy, as most kids shows produce these and put them out on the market. Some are collections of the episodes your children have already seen or that are show in TV, and some are specials that are brand new. Many have both options for you. Kids love repetition, so they will watch the same show over and over again without growing bored of it.
As you may have guessed, some kids shows are better than others. Some have more of an educational twist than others, and some are strictly for fun. Beware of the ones that promise to teach your children something specific, because those promises often can not be kept. Instead, look for kids shows that teach letters, numbers, opposites, colors, sounds, and some simple words for younger children, and those that expand on those themes for preschoolers. There probably aren't any shows that are going to make your children geniuses, unless they already are.
You will never know if you approve of what you are showing your children in kids shows unless you watch them too. You want to sit down and go through a few episodes before you decide if you think that a specific show is right for your family. This is something you should be doing for kid shows until your children are well over 13 years old. Some shows marketed for younger children should never be viewed by them, as they have material too mature for them. If your kids are asking you about subjects you do not think they are ready to understand, rethink your viewing policies.