Keep your "rugrats" away from the Rugrats!

Your children may not be keen on your intervention, but if you wish to reduce the possibility of attention problems later on past their toddler years you had best be careful what you let them watch.

A study from the University of Washington is steering parents away from such shows as Power Rangers, Rugrats and even an couple of old time favourites, such as Scooby Doo and The Flintstones, as all apparently don’t set a very good example for the youngest of ones.

The survey was released today and it compiled a study of early TV-watching and any potential future attention problems. The research involved children younger than 3, so TV is mostly a no-no anyway, according to the experts who strongly urge parents to keep the television off in the very early years. But if TV is allowed, it should be of the educational variety.

Every hour per day that kids under 3 watched violent child-oriented entertainment their risk doubled for attention problems five years later.

The survey suggested that parents instead guide the young ones to the subtler themes of Sesame Street, Barney and Arthur. All shows that the researchers felt did not include themes of violence that could stay with the young viewers well into their pre teen years.

It’s a move that will surely find a welcome endorsement by the National Association of Librarians, who probably approve of Arthur’s love of books, something that the parents may want to try instead of clicking on the Power Rangers today, and then having to deal with the aftermath a few tomorrows down the calendar.