When my daughter was younger, I swore that I would not let her watch too much television. I focused on the outdoors, on imagination, creativity, fun and exercise with my child.

I succeeded for the most part, but as she got a bit older, I began to adapt my thinking. Could I be weakening, giving in, becoming a weak-kneed Willy?

Well this Summer, I had the opportunity to stay home with my preschooler and struggle with the wide selection of educational programs on the tube. I, as do many Moms, grabbed the remote during the hectic times and flipped on Noggin or Disney.

Now I could have also gone out and added to my collection of videos and DVDs, grabbing the Baby Einstein or Dora style products out there, as many parents do. To tell you the truth, I never really checked to see what was on those videos. They were just so prevalent, so ingrained in the shopping aisles that Dora, Einstein, Bob and all, seemed to be my only choice.

And then something interesting happened: A parent friend of mine, having just picked up her son from Daycare, suggested some DVDs that the kids in her sons class really, really enjoyed.

The DVDs were called Lots To Learn. I’d never heard of them before now, but according to what I was reading on the DVD box, Lots To Learn was created for ages 2-5, and included every bit of fun, educational, interactive, informative stuff that we, as parents, have been looking for to include in our child’s daily viewing menu.

What seemed to sweeten the pot, was that Lots To Learn had garnered several prestigious, family-friendly bits of recognition and awards such as Dr Toy, iParenting, Dove Foundation, Creative Child, National Parenting Center, NAPPA and others you may or may not recognize.

Well, we moved Dora and Bob aside, and popped in the Lots To Learn Preschool video… and have been popping it in regularly ever since. Eureka. Kid loves it! As I watch with her, I’ve noticed her interacting more, as Lots To Learn uses tons of segments with songs, exercise, puzzles, challenges, counting, colors, shapes, sounds, live-action footage – all to increase a preschooler's exposure to learning in a fun way.

Each DVD is based on a theme, such as Music, Nature, or The Body. Segments are short, and my daughter never seems to get bored. Now that’s sayin’ somethin’!

The complete Lots To Learn DVD series includes “Nature”, "In My House", "Buster’s Favorite Animals", “Buster Loves Music”, and "Head To Toe with Buster". My daughter's favorite is "Buster’s Favorite Animals" because she’s at that stage where it’s all about animals. (The “Buster” is an adorable Dog puppet that helps the kids through many of the segments, sort of an MC. He also has a sidekick named Gato, a Cat who assists the kids with basic Spanish words and counting.

So don’t stress. Mix it up. Sure, check out your local programming. Watch a bit of the standard fare. And we don’t expect that Einstein will stop showing up at Baby showers any time soon. But also be sure to research some of these smaller label DVDs. The little guys. And most importantly, spend time becoming familiar, checking reviews, feedback and the like, before choosing the most educational video for your toddler to watch.

I know, I know: It is not good to let the TV play kids programs all day, but if your toddler is moving around and just tuning into programs from time to time, watching some tube can be fun, educational and stimulating.