This digest addresses problems associated with children's excessive viewing of television programs and commercials and provides suggestions to help parents guide their children's television viewing. Children who watch television 3 to 5 hours a day have little time for other activities such as play, reading, and talking with others. Excessive television viewing may have a detrimental effect on children's learning and school performance. The amount of violence depicted on television is increasing. The average child views more than 20,000 commercials a year, and by doing so, may acquire a distorted picture of appropriate eating habits. A recent study found a direct relationship between amount of television viewing and children's risk of obesity. In this digest, parents who wish to address the problems associated with excessive television viewing are advised to: (1) know how much television their children watch and set limits on the amount of viewing; (2) encourage their children to plan their viewing; (3) watch television with their children and provide interpretations of excesses and distortions, such as violent actions; (4) encourage their children to watch programs that depict characters who cooperate and care for each other; (5) call their local stations and write or call networks or sponsors to express their feelings about programming; and (6) join with other concerned parents and public action groups. (RH)