We're constantly told that we shouldn't leave our children in front of the television for too many hours at a time, and that's fair enough. There's a whole world around them, and they should be experiencing it for themselves. Children need constant stimulation, and so you should always take them on walks, and to play centers, and encourage them to develop hobbies.
That's not always practical though. They're always capable of creating drama wherever they are, and any kind of group activity involving other children inevitably causes at least one falling-out. Sometimes - not all the time, but sometimes - there's nothing wrong with putting their favorite TV show or movie on for them and taking a few hours for yourself to quietly breathe. Just go easy on the wine, they might call upon you at any moment!