To wish I'd never offered this compromise which I will have to agree to?

[boschy]

Over the years, whenever my DD1, now 15, has asked for a TV in her room I have said no, and that if she still wanted one she could have one when she was 16. This is despite the fact that DH and I have a TV in our room so obviously v. hypocritical of us. I just didnt want a small/young child/early teen having a TV in their room. Reasons included lack of ability to monitor content, having to remember to switch it off at night, and, I do admit, a certain amount of snobbery - "no child of mine" etc etc etc.

However, she has the memory of a sodding elephant, and 16 is coming up in September (yeah, she's planning it already). So obviously, guess what she wants?!

I'm going to have to give in aren't I??

She is 16!

I really think you need to unclench.

You can't go back on your word so yes she will have to have one.

I have always said no TV in bedrooms but I think I am in a slightly stronger position than you because we don't have one in our bedroom either. Yup. We are probably one of the only one TV households left. Truly DD is a deprived child! She is 16 too but has never asked for one of her own. However, I believe she sometimes catches things on her iPlayer with her laptop.

There is a way out if you genuinely object and that is getting rid of the tv in your room and saying that you've read a study that says they interfere with sleep patterns - you can easily find one online to back you up.

I don't have one and dd doesn't have one because watching tv in bed can lead to sleep problems as you start to see your bedroom for something other than sleeping and sex. (for adults obviously)

We have no electric devices in the bedroom for that reason - and you're supposed to turn the wi fi off at night if you use your mobile as an alarm clock.

How on earth have you got to 16 without her having a lap top and sodding iplayer, 4OD and all the rest of them.

My DD who is 15 mostly just listens to the radio through her tv in her bedroom.

5Foot, we also have only one tv. I absolutely hate having a tv in the bedroom. I never had one as a kid and it never occurred to me to ask for one. I don't think any of my friends had one either. DS and any other children who come along won't have a tv in their bedroom - I do think it interferes with sleep, I know it definitely does for me anyway. Anytime I stay in a hotel I keep turning on the bloody tv and I find myself having very strange dreams. I know that's probably just me being weird though

For the first time ever, I feel like my parents were pretty relaxed when I was a teenager.

I think they put a TV in my room so they didn't have to watch Quantum Leap and The Crystal Maze with me .

Oooh Quantum Leap..Scott Bakula...

At 16, I can't believe you're even thinking about parental controls to be honest. I left home a year later and could do whatever I wanted.

TVs in bedrooms are shit and pointless though. You'll have to give in cos you said you would - but why even have it as a possibility? Why have a TV in your own room? I don't see the point.

But then, I don't even have a TV. You can live a normal life without one you know.

We dont have TV in our room but DD (16) has one in her room. We have Sky and somehow she has been able to access that on her laptop.

I saved up and bought my own tv from my paper round money at 13! I loved it.

Blocking channels and buying her a tiny set is just mean and belittles you when you say to her you trust her. It's also rather mean!

You can get nice ones with DVD players inbuilt (so its not all about tv... What about all the crappy movies with Zac Effron-whatsit in?!) in flat screen, decent size for a reasonable price. Use a comparison site to get the best deal.

DS had a TV in his room when he was 18 - coincided nicely with when he went off to uni. DD is now 18 and has never had a TV in her room, but she does tend to take over the sitting room with it's TV when she's around!

No tv at 16
Is just wrong

no I know, I am just being totally irrational about it! - and I havent said no or anything anyway. thanks for the kick up the arse.

she has the ipod/laptop etc anyway, so I know she can access whatever she wants when she wants to. and she is a good girl, sensible, works hard etc.

I am not in the least 'clenched' about anything, it was more of a kind of "oh god I said she could when she's 16 and now she WILL be bloody 16" if that makes any sense? tempus fugit and all that...

"hoist by your own petard" I think is the phrase - although I have no idea what a petard is and why one might be hoisted by it, whoever it belongs to.

However, if you feel inclined to count your blessings I think ExitPursuedbyaBear is in more trouble:

"I also told her (when she was 7) she could have a pony when she was 12"

I had my own bedsit at 16 years old (Shared with a friend)

Times have changed huh??

FWIW even though I was very glad to have a TV in my room at 16, I can't stand the idea now, and we don't have a TV in our room - although 5yo DD wistfully tells me how her 7yo cousin has one in her room every day for about 3 weeks after every time we visit so I can see the campaign starting already.

I remember reading somewhere that 'hoist by your own petard' was something to do with farting in your own face. I could be wrong

Fortunately Stealth I added a rider (see what I did there) to my promise of the pony which was that she had to be able to ride out safely on the roads. She gets very little opportunity to hack out so I am safe for the time being.

ha stealth you are right!! poor ExitPursued, TV seems like a very minor thing in comparison with a pony!

nothing to do with farting as far as I can see

Unless it's an analogy for being blown up by your own bodily gases I suppose.

She can get married at 16. Let her have a TV.

Parental controls. You are joking right?

Exit - and "safely" is a nice elastic term whose meaning can be adapted to suit the need - after all, no-one is ever 100% safe hacking on the roads..

Also note here, Shakespeare's probable off-color pun "hoist with his own petar", i.e., flatulate, as reason for the spelling "petar" rather than "petard".[3][4]

That must be where I got it from.

Totally off topic