A: Every family is different, but all kids can benefit from TV time limits.

Elementary-school kids should watch no more than 1-2 hours of TV per day. Recent studies have shown that when kids cut down their TV consumption to that level by age 6, most of the negative effects (poor school readiness among them) can be corrected.

For middle-school kids, make sure their homework is finished before they get near the tube. And check out what they’re watching -- even after school, MTV has some pretty racy stuff. It\'s also important to establish time and place limits. Keep the TV out of your kids\' rooms. When it\'s there, TV time goes up, and so does weight. And academic performance goes the other way.

As for your high-school students, again, have them do homework first. You may also want to dip into their programs and talk about the content. Some of it could really use a parent\'s input. And if nothing else, some of the shows that teens love are great conversation starters.