Is TV really the root of all Evil?

I love the blogging world. Really I do. There are some amazing stories and families and women and ideas and support that can come from the internet. However there is also an insane amount of pressure I feel too. Now this could just be me, but I doubt it. Does anyone else feel incredibly inadequate some days when you read about something other "bloggers" are doing and make you second guess your choices as a parent?

For me lately I feel this way with TV. Everywhere I look, read, listen etc., is saying oh get rid of the TV you won't even notice it is gone. First, my husband works for the cable company, as part of his job requirement we have cable, (along some of the bells and whistles like DVR and half price Pay Per View), and oh yeah TV pays our bills (weird right?). Second my husband likes TV. He works hard and enjoys watching TV at night. 'Nuff said about that.

At our house we don't watch what I feel to be an overabundance of TV. However my children do watch cartoons and Leanna grew up with Clifford, Little Einsteins, Dora (she knows all of her numbers and colors in Spanish which I think is cool) and Word World and Hudson he unfortunately has grown up with Spongebob (I HATE THIS SHOW), Diego (he now has an insane curiosity for animals) and Sesame Street and Veggie Tales and Backyardigans (this was both children really).

There are occasions we watch the news with the kids. This very morning a little boy is missing and we were talking about it while we waited to hear the weather for the day. I live in a world with good and bad and I want my babies prepared for it. Hudson and I had what I feel to be a pretty good conversation (he is 2 you know) about why we never go outside without a mommy or a daddy (or a Ms. Beth, or Grandma Kathy, or a etc. etc. etc.) and how when you are outside by yourself it is dangerous (we live by creeks and crazy driving teenagers which is just ugly trust me). This situation (which has me praying so hard for this little guy, his mom and his dad) is ugly and not fun and confusing and hard to deal with but it is soooo real. Yet, this news story (and TV watching) gave me another window and an in too make a point and a have an example and visual right there to start a conversation to my children.

I feel sometimes TV is valuable too. If used and enjoyed the right way.

However that is the beauty of this "bloggy" land. New ideas and help as well as disagreements and different opinions. What do's and do not's does your family have with the TV?