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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think a 5 year old shouldn't have a TV in their room?

149 replies

Needmorechocolate · 21/02/2015 21:30

My niece (who is 5) has a TV in her room. Apparently they put on a DVD every night at bedtime and she'll fall asleep watching it after an hour or so.

I think 5 is too young to have TV in the bedroom and don't think it's healthy to be falling asleep in front of the TV every night. AIBU to think this?

OP posts:
TywysogesGymraeg · 21/02/2015 21:32

I agree. I think its dreadful. But you'd be surprised at how common it is to allow kids to fall asleep in front of DVDs.
My DDs are late teens and still don't have TVs in their rooms.

WorraLiberty · 21/02/2015 21:33

YABU

I know plenty of children for whom this has worked. It just provides a bit of comfort and background noise as they drift off to sleep.

Equally I know plenty of children who don't need this sort of comfort and manage perfectly well without it.

Horses for courses.

EdSheeran · 21/02/2015 21:33

It's not healthy for people of any age to have a TV in their bedroom.

Fairylea · 21/02/2015 21:34

Personally I agree with you. In fact I don't agree with tv in the bedroom at all for anyone. I think bedrooms are for sleeping and tv tends to be quite stimulating. I let my eldest dd read before bed and I am sure it's helped with her school work and enjoyment of reading making that special time to do that before bed each night.

I'm not a perfect parent before anyone jumps on me. ... In fact we watch a lot of tv downstairs! We have the tv on all day in the background watching various things - we don't always actually sit and watch it though it's just on. But I think it's nice to keep them out of bedrooms - gadgets too.

When dd was little she always had a story before bed and a tuck in and was allowed to look at some books on her own for a bit if she wasn't quite sleepy.

madamginger · 21/02/2015 21:34

Yanbu but I know many don't agree, We only have 1 tv, it's in the living room, DH and I don't even have one in our bedroom.
I only got a tv in my room when I was 17 and bought one myself from my weekend job.
Bedrooms are for sleeping!

OldRoan · 21/02/2015 21:36

5 is far too young. It is really common and it makes me sad. We used to have story tapes, but at least they didn't have the flickering light.

DP (in his 20s) still needs the TV or radio on to go to sleep and it drives me up the wall.

DSis and I were told we could have a TV in our rooms if we saved up to buy one. She got one when she was about 14 or 15 (my parents underestimated her willpower). I was in sixth form.

whothehellknows · 21/02/2015 21:36

I know as many children with TVs in their rooms as I do without. It's not something that happened when I was a child, but then when I was a child it was rare to have more than one television in a home.

Whatever works, works.

fakenamefornow · 21/02/2015 21:38

I agree and think it's poor lazy parenting. I await my flaming from mn though.

AlpacaLypse · 21/02/2015 21:38

yanbu as I'm another 'bedrooms are for sleeping in' person.

However, if the tv isn't linked to the outside world - i.e. it only plays dvds and can't be left chuntering on Tiny Pop or Nick Jr all night long - it's probably not the end of the world.

I'd still rather they learnt to read themselves to sleep than eye-flicker themselves to sleep though.

AlpacaLypse · 21/02/2015 21:40

Oh and I lead by example - the only electric device in my bedroom is the alarm clock actually there is another one but it's in a drawer and I definitely wouldn't get it out while they were present...

blackheartsgirl · 21/02/2015 21:42

I wish dd3 would fall asleep to blimmin dvd! in fact to fall asleep quickly at all would be a miracle.

Id quite happily let dd3 aged 4 fall asleep with a dvd if it meant she was asleep by midnight Angry

usualsuspect333 · 21/02/2015 21:42

I think it's fine.

I love watching telly in bed.

MrsBungle · 21/02/2015 21:43

Yanbu in my opinion. I had a tv in my room from about the age of 6. I used to turn it on really low when my mum thought I was asleep. I used to watch the equaliser and tales of the unexpected and loads of inappropriate stuff. I have a 5 year old now and she won't be having a tv. Bedrooms are for sleeping in in my opinion, I don't have one in my room.

woodhill · 21/02/2015 21:43

I read an article last week about how technology in bedrooms causes sleep problems in the long term. mine never had tvs in their rooms. each to their own though.

Charlotte3333 · 21/02/2015 21:43

ES has one in his (he's 9). He'd been wanting one for years and we agreed that 9 was the earliest we'd consider it. He's fabulous with it, though, and as it's not plugged in constantly he's got into the habit of asking before he switches it on. He doesn't watch tv at bedtime as he needs that time to read and wind down.

I tend to think so long as they're not isolated and watching tv in their rooms constantly it can't hurt.

usualsuspect333 · 21/02/2015 21:44

I'm not one of the 'only have one tiny TV for watching worthy programmes for 5 minutes a week' lot on MN though.

Fairylea · 21/02/2015 21:44

I think for a lot of families it's just a normal thing and they can't get their heads around others not doing it... for as long as I can remember dds dad (we aren't together) has been banging on about getting her a tv for her room, she's in high school now but he's gone on about it since she was 4 or 5! I've always said no. Last christmas he gave her an old one he had for her room and reluctantly I said fine if she wants it - mainly thinking more for when her friends come round to watch dvds on - and it's sat there completely unused. She hasn't switched it on once and has said can we sell it so she can buy more books! Grin

VioletMoon4683 · 21/02/2015 21:45

YANBU

MrsTuppence · 21/02/2015 21:46

I'm with you, op. I think it's bloody awful. There's one tv in our house and it's in the living room. Bedrooms are no place for that sort of thing (including video games).

Squitten · 21/02/2015 21:47

I would agree with you. But I'm of the opinion that nobody should have TVs in bedrooms. Disruptive to sleeping.

usualsuspect333 · 21/02/2015 21:47

I MN, surf the web, listen to music,watch telly, read my kindle in bed.

In fact I'm in bed now. Lovely and cosy it is too.

southeastastra · 21/02/2015 21:47

agree with usual, i don't think it's dreadful or lazy parenting.

i remember staying awake for ages when i was little. i could hear every little bump and noise and my imagination ran away with me. i often couldn't get to sleep until 2 in the morning. it was awful. i think if i had the lull of some disney shite in the background i wouldn't have suffered so much.

CrapBag · 21/02/2015 21:47

YANBU.

I think it's lazy parenting and those who say that there is no ariel and it's only for dvds are missing the point. I know I am in the minority though but I don't care. DH and I don't have a TV in our room. DS (7) has been asking for one as his best friend has had one for a while but it's not happening. He's started asking for a phone too and that's not happening until a few years into secondary school.

DextersMistress · 21/02/2015 21:49

Mine do but it only goes on in the morning when I want an extra half hour in bed

blackheartsgirl · 21/02/2015 21:49

I had terrible problems falling asleep when I was a kid.It was lights out at half seven and I had to lie for hours in a quiet room until I fell asleep about 1 in the morning. Awful.

My parents relented and bought me a radio with headphones when I was 7 and a black and white telly when I was 9. Helped enormously, I was asleep by ten or eleven most nights.

It isn't always ideal but whatever works imo. Ive got 4 dc from 15 down to 4 and the other 3 have not had struggles with falling asleep like dd3 has.She gets that from me.