A study was conducted to determine (1) how often television was used as a surrogate parent, (2) the reasons leading to its use as such, and (3) the correlates of using television as a babysitter. Telephone interviews were conducted with 226 mothers who had children between the ages of 2 and 12. The respondents answered questions that addressed their attitudes toward television and its use by children, the amount of television they believed their children watched each day, their policies governing the use of television by their children, their reasons for using television as a babysitter, and the frequency of such use. Results showed that the mothers used television as a babysitter primarily so that they could take care of household chores. While confirming that this practice also gave them time to relax, the mothers denied using television so that they could socialize. Nearly half of the respondents reported using television as a babysitter for at least 1 hour each day. Mothers of younger children and those with less formal education tended to use the practice more frequently than did those with older children and more formal education. These mothers also generally approved of television viewing for children and watched a great deal of television themselves. Television as a babysitter was not used appreciably more often by single mothers or by those who also worked outside the home. (FL)