To say no tv in bedroom?

[jenpatnim]

I have 2dcs, aged 2.5 and 1. Bedtime is a struggle most nights and do has suggested putting a tv in their room and letting them fall asleep watching a dvd or something.

I've said no, I think they're too young and need to learn to self settle. It's happening gradually, I don't think we need an easy fix.

Thing is dh grew up with a tv in his room and says it worked for him, so I can't say too much without criticising how his parents did things.

I didn't have a tv in my room until I was 17 and never fell asleep with it on. I just think they'll watch tv all night and that's no good.

Aibu?

[BeJayKayven]

Yanbu

[Afreshstartplease]

Yanbu

Our elder DC got a TV in their room around 4/5 years old. However it has never been used for falling asleep too. They use it now for the games console or to watch their own TV programmes if downstairs TV is otherwise occupied.

[Dontneedausername]

I would say there are too young.
My pair, 4 and 5 have an iPad each but we don't let them take it up at bedtime.
Maybe next year they'll get a wee one in their rooms, when they can understand rule about it, and I can bribe them with it.
But I wouldn't let them have it on for hours every night to fall asleep to.

[ElasticFirecracker]

YANBU at all

[Oysterbabe]

That's a really bad idea, they'll get a terrible nights sleep and it'll be on all night. Screens are bad for sleep.
We had story tapes as kids, something similar to that might be an alternative?

[Lweji]

YADNBU.

They are also too young.

[slanleat]

Worst decision I ever made was to allow tv's in the kids rooms. Granted they were both older than yours but if I had the choice again I would never have got them.

[TheSockGoblin]

YANBU

TV in room will only lead to them relying on it to go to sleep, and later hole themselves up in their bedrooms gazing slack jawed at a screen.

Also screens are said to be very bad for restful sleep and winding down before bedtime.

How about trying sleep meditation stories for children? Have a quick search on youtube, there's loads of really lovely ones aimed at young children.

What's your bedtime routine with the children like now? Do you have bath, stories, chatting and hugs before bed? How much winding down time do they have? Do they share a room?

[GreatPointIAgreeWithYouTotally]

Surely at that age they want a story at bedtime? Is there a reason why bedtime is difficult-maybe you can change a routine so they are more settled in the evening.

No TVs in bedrooms here- reading until you feel sleepy is a good habit for any age if you want to sleep well and get through a book a week at least.

[kate33]

This is my total bugbear with DH!!!!! Well not just this but you know. As a baby/young child, mil left a radio on under dh's cot and to this day he cannot fall asleep without either music or the tv on, usually wants the tv left on, all night, he's in his forties! Drives me crazy. Of course mil wanted to get our dcs a tv for their room but I said no way. I don't even like them to use their tablets or watch tv downstairs just before bed. Yours are so little and they will learn to settle themselves, just takes time and a nice routine imho.

[Banana99]

YANBU

I have a friend who did this and thought she was oh-so-clever - thing is after a while it's stopped working as they got used do it. They now sit up for hours watching the TV (they look knackered).

[HeCantBeSerious]

Last thing I'd do.

[bigTillyMint]

YANBU!

We said no to TVs in rooms, but once DD got a laptop (at 15) she started streaming movies/catchup. So we let DS spend his 15th birthday money on a flat screen TV, which he loves, but still spends most of the time watching TV downstairs with us

Up until they were at secondary school , they used to love us reading to them every night. They also liked listening to story CDs after lights out. Both went to sleep easily and slept really well.

[maninawomansworld01]

YANBU at all.
Screens in rooms are definitely a no-no here. There is so much research saying they affect sleep (negatively), kids can watch whatever unsuitable content they want without you,around. Sit up all all night watching it.

I don't allow technology in bedrooms at all, just an alarm clock. Bedrooms should be restful havens of peace and quiet. A good relaxing bedtime routine will settle them much better.

[kiki22]

My 4 year old has a tv in his bedroom and watches it every night before going to sleep I never thought I would have allowed it but I did. He does not ever fall asleep watching it though we use it as a wind down so he has 20 mins of tv then a story then we turn the light out and he goes to sleep alone. This has been since he was 2.

A friend lets her dd fall asleep to the tv and as a result she has to keep the tv on all night or dd wakes. I dont think falling asleep to it is a good idea but it has worked as a part of his routine we just leave the lamp on so he knows its chill out time not sleep time.

[mumtomaxwell]

YANBU

I'm not a fan of TVs in bedrooms. I am being massively unrealistic,I'm sure, but I really hope to never allow it!! My eldest 2 are 8 and I keep their tablets in my wardrobe because I don't want screens in their bedroom at such a young age. Most of their friends don't have such strict rules so I think I've got some arguments coming my way soon...

[ItsABanana]

YADNBU, no TV allowed in kids bedrooms here either, and they're 9 and 13!
I just think bedrooms are a place for sleeping, and not the place for telly.
How would you monitor what they were watching anyway with one in their rooms?
Bad idea in so many ways.
At 2 and 1, a telly in the bedroom is a terrible idea.
I always did a routine of bath, supper, bedtime story and then bed.
They'll settle down into a routine soon, they're still tiny!

[WantToRunAgain]

Mumtomaxwell, not massively unrealistic at all. We've said no to screens in bedrooms and always will say no. It's hard when they do the "I'm the only one without" line but I have friends with older teenagers who have always stuck to the no screens rule.

As a teacher I'm even more adamant about it as I'm shocked by the things kids are watching when they're parents think they're asleep .

[WantToRunAgain]

Their parents!

[BadToTheBone]

Mine got them for the Christmas after they were 10, they go off before bedtime. We don't have a to in our room, I read and dh listens to music.

[pickledparsnip]

Waaay too young. Stick a radio in their room instead. My boy has a story every night and then likes listening to the radio as he goes to sleep.

[jenpatnim]

I do have a bedtime routine of bath, pjs, milk and wind down. We do stories or watch a little peppa pig in the living room with cuddles. The problem at present is the 2 year old wants me to sleep with him and the fight is getting him to go to bed with out me.

But dh does shift work and I can't settle them both and sleep with the older one. Because he is noisy, we tend to settle the baby downstairs in his pram then bring him up when big bro is asleep.

[Heathen4Hire]

Yanbu. Also, it teaches your kids to share the "main" telly.

[HeCantBeSerious]

Baths wake my DC up. No way would an evenin bath help them sleep. Might be worth thinking about.