Parents may want to monitor their toddler's TV time, as Science Daily reports that watching TV for more than two hours may result in diminished mental, social, and physical skills.

Professor Linda Pagani from the University of Montreal and the CHU Sainte-Justine children's hospital analyzed data on 991 girls and 1,006 boys, which included the children's television habits and overall performance in kindergarten. Other factors such as motor skills, and even the likelihood of the kids being picked on and bullied were also taken into account.

The results revealed that children who spend too much time in front of the television were less prepared for school life than their counterparts who watched less TV. Their diminished abilities in math and vocabulary, as well as their poor classroom skills, also increased their chances of being bullied by their classmates.

It is vital to intervene this early in life as according to Pagani, "These findings suggest the need for better parental awareness and compliance with existing viewing recommendations put forth by the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP discourages watching television during infancy and recommends not more than two hours per day beyond age 2. It seems that every extra hour beyond that has a remarkably negative influence."

"Kindergarten entry characteristics predict long-term psycho-social adjustment and economic characteristics like income and academic attainment."

This is not to say that kids should not watch television at all. However, it is important for parents to monitor their children’s viewing habits.

(Photo by espensorvik via Flickr Creative Commons)