TV or no TV?

I was reading a blog written by a 20 something college student who has no children.  I found it humorous and rude when she started talking about bad parenting.  It relates to this article about children under the age of 2 watching television.  I know every parent has heard that they shouldn't let their child watch, but some do.  I am one of them.  I don't feel great about it, and she doesn't watch it all day.  She watches Sesame Street, but only when Elmo is on.  When other characters are on she will play with her toys until she hears Elmo.  Do I use it as a distraction so I can cook dinner some nights?  Yes, I do.  I am not proud of it, but Hannah likes to grab me and it makes it hard to work around the stove and oven.  I figure 10 minutes of Elmo is better for her than being burned.  (Which she has learned the oven is hot and she will put on the oven mitts and then try to touch the oven.  I have a picture of it which I will post another day.  It is pretty cute.)

This woman was talking about how she doesn't own a tv so she will never have to worry about her kids watching it.  She went on to say how it doesn't help them developmentally and it really isn't that hard to set your child with some toys so you can go off to get work done.  She basically said any parent who uses tv was a terrible parent.  I did take offense to it.  My child is really good at playing by herself.  However, I can't guarantee that she will play by herself when I need her to. I try to take advantage of those times to clean or do whatever I need to do, but it seems like when dinner time rolls around she wants to be next to me.  My child is also stubborn.  If she wants to be in the kitchen with me, she will find a way to do it.  I am not sure if she is saying that it is possible to plop a kid down with its toys and they will play for the length of time you need to get something done, or if you have to sit there and find just the right toy before you have some free time.  Something about what she said really struck a nerve with me.  Maybe I am a bad parent. Hannah has watched tv, but she is still pretty smart.  Developmentally, she is on track for 16 months.  I guess I didn't like being judged by someone who has never been a parent.