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The Great Teletubby Debate Teletubbies has generated a great deal of interest. It excites young children. It even draws older children. However, not all parents and educators are happy. Many argue that very young children should not be watching television at all. And they worry that Teletubbies encourages older children to speak using baby talk. Teletubbies is directed at younger children. Let's face it, many parents are happy for an electronic babysitter that occupies their babies with harmless and developmentally appropriate entertainment. Herein lies the great debate. Is Teletubbies harmless, and is the show developmentally appropriate? Here's the positive spin... Before babies can articulate full, intelligible words, they start "talking" by making sounds. The speech of the Teletubbies is specifically designed with these sounds in mind, so that if infants imitate them, they are, in fact, laying the foundation for speech.

Contemplating Tubby-Talk In response to parents who are upset that even their older children love the show, some argue that children need to learn when it is inappropriate to use certain language. Using baby babble during pretend time is not a problem. However, if a child imitates the Teletubbies all the time or at inappropriate times, parents can simply make it clear when Teletubbies language is okay and when it is not. Others, even those who feel the show can be an important developmental experience for very young children, argue that it can be inappropriate for older children. We agree. Even if your older child loves the show, continued baby talk is a sure sign that your child is too old to be watching. If this happens, you should turn it off and offer other choices, just like you would turn off any program that is not contributing positively to your child's development. While this might not be great advice for ratings, it's good parenting advice. Many great shows exist on TV12. Use your child's viewing time with discretion. -- Sharon Cohen Editor, Ready to Learn Family News