Television can expose kids to sex, alcohol and violence. But can you turn TV into a parenting tool? A Seattle researcher thinks you should, and he just wrote a book about it.  

The 3-year-old Cooper twins only get to watch TV shows their mom selects. Then while they're captivated, she gets the essentials done.

“I use it definitely for survival, just to get a shower in,” said the twins’ mother, Heather Cooper.

It buys her time, but at a price.

"I feel guilty, I think more when it's a work obligation I feel guilty,” she said.

Now Dr. Dimitri Christakis Seattle Children's Hospital gives parents a way to address the dilemma. He just co-authored a book with Frederick Zimmerman called The Elephant in the Living Room: Make Television Work for your Kids.

"Part of the point of our book is that parents shouldn't feel bad or guilty about their use of television, but they should use it wisely,” he said.

KING

Busy parents often need to put children in front of TV sets, but that can be turned into a positive activity.

According to Christakis, who is co-director of the Child Health Institute at UW, it means taking a science-based approach. His book pulls together a wealth of research to help parents examine how TV can hurt or help their children. It talks about studies that show TV can shorten attention spans, make kids fatter, and interfere with sleep.

But TV can also help kids learn to read, and teach them social skills, like kindness and sharing. 

Now all parents need to do is figure out how to turn TV viewing into a positive parenting tool.  The book gives them a step-by-step guide for doing just that.

"If you're purely using it for entertainment it should be evaluated one way,” Christakis said. “If it’s meant to be educational it should be evaluated another way.”

There's even a breakdown of current kids' programs to help parents determine education value.  That could come in handy for Heather Cooper as her twins continue to grow.  

"Kids learn more, and learn what your values are, when you watch TV with them and talk about what you're seeing,” she said.

The new book on kids and TV also includes useful Internet resources for parents.