Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

How many people, and how many TVs in your house?

83 replies

KenIsAnAccessory · 06/08/2023 15:23

We currently have a TV in our main family sitting room and one in our bedroom. We're finding increasingly that the DC are dragging tonnes of toys through from the playroom into the sitting room and creating a holy mess. Thinking of getting a TV in the playroom for them but not sure. There are 3 of them and although it's nice to sit and watch the odd film with them, they'll often watch 20 mins or so then create carnage around us- it would be nice to put their film on in the playroom and then retire to the sitting room to enjoy some peace and quiet while they play 🤔 Wondering if this theory will actually work or not though. 3 TVs in a house of 5 is not excessive is it? DS (aged 6!) has asked for one in his bedroom which is an absolute hard no!

OP posts:
continentallentil · 08/08/2023 23:06

crazeekat · 08/08/2023 22:54

4 of us. 4 tvs, living room and 1 in each bedroom. both kids have a phone and a tablet. they get to use one at a time.
actually came
into my
11 year olds dd bedroom and she had the tv on, sitting on her phone and her alexa blaring. if they have a phone the tv is off. or whatever.my hubby and i like total opposites of stuff on tv. i have tv on for background, but rarely sit and watch anything. hubby has it on if he wants to watch something specific.

It’s cool it works for you but this literally makes me feel faint..

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 08/08/2023 23:09

The kids probably just want to play where you are, the mess isn't forever and if they're playing with toys I'd be okay with that.

1 telly and 2 people (parent and teen) in the house.

ThePuma · 08/08/2023 23:09

Me plus 2 kids half the time.

Six indoor TVs, one outdoor.

ThePuma · 08/08/2023 23:11

Fuck. Seven indoor. Forgot one!

Magneta · 08/08/2023 23:21

Why not move the TV in your room into the playroom for a bit and see what happens?

I think children follow adults rather than TV, but if it's mainly the children who want the TV it seems a bit topsy turvy to have all the TVs in the adult spaces, and then complain when the children use them!

We had one TV until our youngest was about 9, when we got a second TV in the playroom. It was mainly to separate the Xbox from the main TV. It works quite well for us as DS is autistic and trying to find something everyone can watch/tolerate is impossible. Having just one TV would mean our teens spent a lot more time in their rooms I think. 2 TVs downstairs and none in bedrooms means we see more of them.

1daughterand3sons · 08/08/2023 23:29

1 TV here and it's in the room the kids play in none of us really watch tv so no point in having anymore.
The kids will normally watch YouTube on the projector or on a tablet.

Original poster
KenIsAnAccessory · 08/08/2023 23:40

I have moved one of our existing TVs into the playroom to see what happens. If I miss it and the experiment is successful, I may buy an additional TV.

Eldest DC tends to pop it on to watch a nature doc (his current obsession) but then the younger ones with shorter attention spans drag through a million and one toys to play with which just turns the whole of downstairs into carnage. Eldest DC will then be distracted by toys and get stuck in with his younger siblings so it's really a whole load of mess for 10 mins of half hearted TV watching. I will sit with them while a nature doc or similar is on but when they're happily engaged playing it's a good chance to sneak away and do some admin/bit of housework or washing. They're not 'unsupervised'- I'll literally be c.15 feet away with the door between the room open...kudos to all the people with no TV and endless patience for kids who create carnage and never leave their side...that's not me! 🤣

The other thing they use the TV for is music or audio books on Spotify which I don't mind as background to them playing.

OP posts:
NannyGythaOgg · 08/08/2023 23:41

2
and there is only me
Lounge, which is on between 0 and 5 hours a day (but mostly spotify)
My bedroom - which is generally on Saturday and Sunday mornings to watch Saturday Kitchen

Original poster
KenIsAnAccessory · 08/08/2023 23:43

NannyGythaOgg · 08/08/2023 23:41

2
and there is only me
Lounge, which is on between 0 and 5 hours a day (but mostly spotify)
My bedroom - which is generally on Saturday and Sunday mornings to watch Saturday Kitchen

I cannot wait for the day when I can lie in bed watching Saturday kitchen....perhaps in 10 years DC1 will even bring me a cuppa 🤞

OP posts:
SleepingStandingUp · 08/08/2023 23:46

I think the issue isn't the telly, it's thinking that three kids 6 and under will go off and entertain themselves whilst you sit in the sitting room relaxing with a cuppa.

If you're adamant that you can't sit in the play room with them you'll have to be former on them bringing this into the living room

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 08/08/2023 23:48

1 person, 1 TV. I'm finding it harder and harder to justify it being here because it's hardly ever on and doesn't do much more than gather dust. My partner likes to watch it when they stay over, and it's nice sometimes to watch something together, but if I'm here on my own it perhaps goes on once a month. I'm just not a TV person and only really bought it for the sake of partner visits.

Yarsvi · 08/08/2023 23:57

4 people, 4 TVs..1 in main lounge, 1 in den, 1 in dining/family room and 1 in my bedroom which is never switched on. Strictly forbade them in kids bedrooms and as adults, they now never watch TV.

Changingmynameyetagain · 08/08/2023 23:57

2 adults and 3 teenagers and we have 2 TVs, one in the lounge and one in the family room.
We only got the second tv 2 years ago when we built our extension and it meant we could move the Xbox out of the living room.
No TVs in bedrooms as it’s bad for sleep hygiene, the dc do have chrome books they can watch Netflix on but they never really bother, I’ve found my kids don’t watch much TV anyway.

Original poster
KenIsAnAccessory · 08/08/2023 23:59

SleepingStandingUp · 08/08/2023 23:46

I think the issue isn't the telly, it's thinking that three kids 6 and under will go off and entertain themselves whilst you sit in the sitting room relaxing with a cuppa.

If you're adamant that you can't sit in the play room with them you'll have to be former on them bringing this into the living room

The elder two often do go off and entertain themselves for a bit to be honest - they will play in their rooms if they want to, I didn't think that was that unusual for nearly 5 and 6? It's not a huge house and I can hear what they're up to and check on them frequently. If that coincides with the baby taking a nap why shouldn't I relax with a cuppa or get some stuff done round the house so I don't have to continue rushing about for hours after they're in bed? Additionally if they are happily engaged playing I'll leave them to it and crack on. The location of the TV isn't going to stop me doing that, I hope it'll just keep the tsunami of toys in one room. I didn't think it was a thing that I couldn't ever leave them in another room 🤔

OP posts:
wingingit1987 · 09/08/2023 00:00

7 of us. We have TV’s in the living room and older two boys bedrooms as they are gamers.

SleepingStandingUp · 09/08/2023 00:09

KenIsAnAccessory · 08/08/2023 23:59

The elder two often do go off and entertain themselves for a bit to be honest - they will play in their rooms if they want to, I didn't think that was that unusual for nearly 5 and 6? It's not a huge house and I can hear what they're up to and check on them frequently. If that coincides with the baby taking a nap why shouldn't I relax with a cuppa or get some stuff done round the house so I don't have to continue rushing about for hours after they're in bed? Additionally if they are happily engaged playing I'll leave them to it and crack on. The location of the TV isn't going to stop me doing that, I hope it'll just keep the tsunami of toys in one room. I didn't think it was a thing that I couldn't ever leave them in another room 🤔

Show quote history

But they're showing you they want to be with you. Of course if they're happy playing upstairs let them. But of they're bringing all the toys into your room and you don't like it you have to be firmer - "we'll take thes back but Mommy will come and sit with you whilst you show me" or "take all of these toys out of here, they're not allowed, back to the play room, I'll check on you later"

SomewhereWithSomeone · 09/08/2023 00:13

4 of us, we have 8 TVs.

Just do what suits your family.

Sonolanona · 09/08/2023 00:14

3 people 2 tv-s. The upstairs one is in DS2's room and he only uses it for his PS5
There used to be 7 of us and two tvs.
Children will always want to be where the adults are!

Floralnomad · 09/08/2023 00:16

3 of us and 5 TVs - both lounges and 3 of the bedrooms .

PleaseGiveMeBackMySummer · 09/08/2023 00:23

3 TVs. 2 adults.

First TV... Big one in the lounge - 46".

Second TV... 32" one in DH's room (was our old one that we had in the lounge before we got the new big one.)

3rd TV... A 24" portable from the 1990s that I have in the kitchen.

Magneta · 09/08/2023 00:37

Spotify is a good shout. We have it on our phones but have never set it up on a TV.

Neonyellowfish · 09/08/2023 00:39

4 of us… 5 TVs

TiredMum30 · 09/08/2023 00:47

2 adults and 2 preteens and 1 teenager. We have 4 tvs. The 3 that are in the bedrooms are barely used because kids either have a PC with monitor or laptops and they tend to stream what their watching while sat at their desk. The preteens also like to watch TV on the main TV in the lounge

TiredMum30 · 09/08/2023 00:49

I also tend to watch alot of TV series and movies from my phone, I don't know why as I could easily watch from the TV either in the lounge or our bedroom but I always end up watching from my phone 🙈

Isthisreasonable · 09/08/2023 00:50

1 adult, 1 teen, 1 TV. Not sure that I would replace it if it broke as it is rarely switched on.