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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU to think that its is not necessary to give each child Sky TV

73 replies

fizzingmum · 02/09/2015 15:17

My DP has a 7 year old son who stays with us 3 nights a week. My DC are 11 & 8, so all are watching different age ranges on tv. I think they should work it out between them and take it in turns, until 8pm when it is adult time. DP thinks that we should get each of the children Sky in their rooms, at a cost of £30 a month. I think that it is unnecessary and indulgent for the amount of time they actually watch tv. I also think that they should be doing other things apart from being glued to the TV. We have recently had a sky box put in our bedroom, so they can have more access to their programmes downstairs. Here is the thing though, regardless of the cost and lifestyle issues, sky can only install four boxes maximum. So we would have to give up having our own sky box in our room, which is a treat for me, that I pay for. We would have 3 children in their own rooms, watching Sky and I wouldn't be able to in our room. I have bought a trampoline for the garden to encourage them outdoors and each of them have ipads with Sky go on them , so can access all the channels.

AIBU to think that it is firstly not necessary and secondly why should I not have sky tv in my room, but the kids each have their own?

OP posts:
StepAwayFromTheEcclesCakes · 02/09/2015 15:52

not if you want any semblace of family life, we don't have sky no tv in our room even the boys have had TV's since around 12 but still sometimes watch stuff with us if they are not going out. I would not give reasons to be isolated in bedrooms at these ages and agree you /thy should be out and about or talking to each other.

Helenluvsrob · 02/09/2015 15:56

Hahaha

Not a useful response I know. Mine don't have TVs in bedrooms. I have a TV in my bedroom and at my grand old age got it less than 4 weeks ago!

If 3 children of primary school age can't agree on after school TV that they'll all watch they need to learn some negotiating skills! It was so much easier when it was blue peter or " how" as the only choices

atticusclaw2 · 02/09/2015 15:58

If they have skygo already then what is the point of having multi room in each of their rooms?

I'm another though who says that tvs in bedrooms is not a good thing. We have TVs downstairs but none upstairs.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/09/2015 16:01

"NEWSFLASH ! Nobody NEEDS sky TV"

I do, mateysmum - but I am a special case! WinkGrin

JeffsanArsehole · 02/09/2015 16:02

How are you going to control that they don't watch after 8pm.?

You need to be really sure you can or they will watch all manner of unsuitable things

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 02/09/2015 16:04

We love TV. TV is ace. We watch a lot of it. But the thought of each child in their own rooms watching their own thing - it makes it sound like you're running a set of bedsits!

Not only is a shared TV a good way to compromise, it's also a good way to break down some gender stereotypes...

WitchOfAlba · 02/09/2015 16:05

No. We have TV in the lounge only and not in any of the bedrooms. We also don't have Internet in the bedrooms. It's not necessary.

MissDuke · 02/09/2015 16:31

It isn't about the money, it is about sending the children all their separate ways to sit alone and watch tv. The idea of that makes me very uncomfortable. Is it so that dh can watch whatever he wants on the main tv? We don't even have a tv in our own room, never mind the children's rooms! I really cannot understand the point of this at all and would definitely be saying no if my dh suggested this.

Twowrongsdontmakearight · 02/09/2015 17:05

Another one with no TVs in bedrooms (DC 15 and 12) only in sitting room and kitchen. Also no Sky at all. We all survive very well!

Baconyum · 02/09/2015 17:11

What bothers me more about this post is the idea of your dh wanting his child spending the little time he has with him watching TV! Surely this is family/dh and his sons time?

I'm coming at this from a perspective of my ex who rarely sees dd and when he does often suggests she 'go and watch a DVD or something' rather than doing something with her which she finds dismissive and hurtful. Have either of you even considered his son's feelings about this?

GoblinLittleOwl · 02/09/2015 17:14

Are you mad? or rather, your partner?

Gatehouse77 · 02/09/2015 17:26

We don't have Sky and wouldn't allow TVs in bedrooms. We only have one TV and, more recently, one for the XBox both of which are downstairs in view.

I think this is an example of when children can learn about negotiation, compromise and fairness. Mine have had to do this and the best part is how it spills over in to every day life so there are fewer arguments about such things. It has also stood them in good stead when dealing with friendships.

Food for thought?

TalkinPeace · 02/09/2015 17:34

No TVs in bedrooms - full stop - for health reasons

No Sky subscription : because its Rupert Murdoch and Rebekah Brooks

Idontseeanytimelords · 02/09/2015 17:56

Well we manage to have family time with TV's in the DC's bedrooms and a trampoline in the garden so it's not mutually exclusive Wink.
However I think your DP is wrong and you are not being U at all - they have plenty with what they have already.
Sky's shit anyway, Netflix is much better!

PlymouthMaid1 · 02/09/2015 18:12

No TVs in bedrooms at all until around 16 years old, if then would be my opinion and definitely no Sky in bedrooms for them. The kids need to learn to compromise and watch TV together or do something else. Maybe the 11 year old could be allowed to record the odd 'older' programmes sometimes if the younger ones wont let him watch it in peace and then they can do something else for an hour. The cost of the Sky woudl also be insane.

TalkinPeace · 02/09/2015 18:14

No TVs in bedrooms at all until around 16 years old
Please don't : the melatonin effects are even worse in older teenagers.

THey need to go screen free for an hour before bed

SurlyCue · 02/09/2015 18:18

Go for it if you never want to see your children and dont expect them to sleep at anything resembling an appropriate bedtime.

ilovechristmas123 · 02/09/2015 18:23

i gather no tv's in bedrooms is a big no no on MN then

just because they have a tv in the bedroom dosent mean their always upstairs,i know ive tried they still all spend far to much time in the kitchen.front room Grin

but op i would draw the line at sky in each room

how much per month would that cost

Andrewofgg · 02/09/2015 18:29

Learning to share and take it in turns is a good lesson in itself. And TVs in children's bedrooms are not a good idea.

coffeeisnectar · 02/09/2015 18:29

Teen has a tv, with a freeview box. She has netflix on her tablet.

9 year old has a tv and DVD player but it's rarely used. It wasn't bought for her either but was a spare tv from the amalgamation of two homes.

We have the EE box downstairs.

No way would I put sky into each child's room.

Mrsjayy · 02/09/2015 18:30

Mine have tv i their room i dont have an issue wouldnt get multiroom though you would never see them and does it come with parental controls ? get sky go or plus so they can record programmes and every channel has an i player now

Mrsjayy · 02/09/2015 18:32

Mine have had a tv for years they watch tv in the livingroom with us telly is a compromise I think

Ragwort · 02/09/2015 18:32

Can someone please explain (in simple terms Grin) how you can get Sky tv in two different rooms. Sorry to be such a luddite - what do I need to buy and how much is it likely to cost?

We have Sky in our living room and another tv in a 'den' (no bedroom tvs [grin} but as our teenager lounges around all the time watching Sky I would like him to be able to watch it in his den - leaving me in peace and quiet.

Thanks.

SDTGisAnEvilWolefGenius · 02/09/2015 18:36

You get something called Sky multi room - the engineer runs a second cable from the dish to a different room, and you get a second box as part of the package. I can't remember off hand what it costs, though - sorry.

fuzzpig · 02/09/2015 18:37

You are envisaging a family life where a 7 yr old, 8 yr old and 11 yr old are sat separately in their rooms watching their tv alone? Really? Is that what anyone wants?

Indeed. YANBU OP what a waste of money

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