Page 3 | Tv in kids room

Pumpkin5piced · 2021-10-10T17:00:45+00:00

Ds 9 is asking for a tv. He watches it constantly in living room anyway so won’t really increase screen time, will just free up living room tv for others. I’m worried about night times though. I won’t want him watching it at bed time but can see it being a battle. What rules do others have around tv in bedrooms? Also, is it possible to get one that can access Netflix but not youtube?

notsohippychick · 10/10/2021 22:50

My two are autistic and that’s precisely why I won’t put a TV in either of their rooms- my oldest is so obsessed with you tube I have to limit it. He wouldn’t do anything else!

Only you know your situation and your son. It just wouldn’t work for us. It would cause too many argument and battles.

SallySkelington · 10/10/2021 22:51

Our's have TVs with chrome casts. I cast whatever they want from my phone so I know exactly what they are watching and for how long. The TVs haven't got Ariels or anything and are useless unless I cast from my phone (so no midnight tv). It's a perfect solution for us

Danikm151 · 10/10/2021 23:22

Get a firestick and password protect it so he can’t download YouTube
9 is a ok age for a tv

Strokethefurrywall · 11/10/2021 00:24

My now 10 year old has had one for a year or so but doesn’t really use it.
In fact we use it more than him if I want to watch something separately to what’s on in the living room.

Our main TV is obscenely large so I think they prefer to watch LOTR and stuff on there, and both kids want to be wherever we are which is usually hanging in the main room.

I wouldn’t have gotten him one if he was obsessed with it though, and I don’t think it’s ever occurred to him to turn it on at night.

I think only you can decide and put rules around timings/use.

Ozanj · 11/10/2021 00:41

With ASD and ADD you can sometimes make things worse by moving his obsessions out of sight. Especially if your aim is to include him in family life / improve social skills etc. In your position I would probably have a word with his consultant first.

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 11/10/2021 00:48

Both my Dc have ones in their rooms, with age appropriate Netflix and Prime on. They don’t really watch tv tho. Their TVs are mainly used for gaming. Neither switch them on again after they’ve had their allocated time. I find that If eldest DC does want to watch something he prefers to watch it as a family with a cup of tea or hot chocolate.

Spanglybangles · 11/10/2021 01:07

My 7 year old ds has a smart tv in his room. I went in via parental controls and hid YouTube so it no longer shows up on the home screen

He has Netflix on it too but is restricted to kids programmes. Also has a DVD player connected to the tv. At night time, I put the tv into dvd mode and take away the tv remote so he can only use the DVD player.

This works for us and he falls asleep watching his chosen dvd every night instead of sitting up all night channel hopping. He used to sneak into our room on occasion to take the tv remote, but I hide it now so he can’t do that anymore.

Maudey · 11/10/2021 06:53

IMO, bedtime routines should involve a parent reading a story to their child and then the child possibly reading to themselves for a bit, or going straight to sleep. I can't believe people put DVD's on for their children to fall asleep to! 😳

Sirzy · 11/10/2021 06:58

I wouldn’t.

It sounds like it risks making him more isolated by staying in his room watching TV all day and also risks messing up sleep routines and changing the purpose of the bedroom for him.

PieMistee · 11/10/2021 07:03

My eldest has ASD. We found when he was younger the best and only way to get him not on screens as his way to regulate was by having screen free days. We still have 3 days a week no screens. We let him get a TV in his room at 13 but very much with the same rules. He then found new ways to self regulate (when younger it was Lego, drawing, playing guitar now it's running and going to the gym). The TV in the room felt like a big step in trusting him not to go on it all the time.

PieMistee · 11/10/2021 07:04

As his way should read "all day"!

sqirrelfriends · 11/10/2021 07:13

@Maudey

IMO, bedtime routines should involve a parent reading a story to their child and then the child possibly reading to themselves for a bit, or going straight to sleep. I can't believe people put DVD's on for their children to fall asleep to! 😳

I'm with you.

TVs in bedrooms are terrible for sleep hygiene.

Sparklingbrook · 11/10/2021 07:14

It is possible for there to be a tv in the bedroom and yet still have a bedtime story.

m1shap3 · 11/10/2021 07:28

My DS 7 got a tv in his bedroom for his birthday this year, but he knows it's not to just watch all the time and 8 months in it's been fine.
However, before he got his own tv he didn't watch tv constantly downstairs, although he would if we allowed it....
He knows he is allowed a bit of screen time each evening but this is around playing out/hobbies etc so it's very minimal, and this screen time is downstairs before bed time. The tv in his room is only really watched on a Friday or Saturday night, when rather than reading at bedtime we allow him to watch something on Netflix etc.
He wont kick up a fuss to watch it all the time (he might try every now and then) as he knows we would just ban it completely, so it's fine. But if you think your DC would expect to be watching telly on their room constantly, it's probably best not to get one

m1shap3 · 11/10/2021 07:30

Also, to add, my child wouldn't be 'bothered about Netflix etc' if I allowed him to be on YouTube all the time.
He knows I hate him watching YouTube, I allow a little bit every now and then, but he knows we have strict limits on it and that if he is to be watch telly on bed, it has to be actual films or programmes

Dojacatpaws · 11/10/2021 07:34

Op can't you just watch TV after he's gone to bed

Kajjjer93 · 11/10/2021 07:42

Get him one but just turn it off and remove the remote at night so he can’t watch it.

I’m sure you can block YouTube or put a pin on it.

Morgan12 · 11/10/2021 07:46

@Maudey

IMO, bedtime routines should involve a parent reading a story to their child and then the child possibly reading to themselves for a bit, or going straight to sleep. I can't believe people put DVD's on for their children to fall asleep to! 😳

God I know! I wonder who will play them in the movie!

ScreamToTheSky · 11/10/2021 07:46

I wouldn’t. My 12yo is also autistic/ADHD and obsessed with annoying gamers on YouTube 😬 so I do sympathise but IME it’s much worse to give him free rein. We have to limit it.

Morgan12 · 11/10/2021 07:47

Whats so wrong with YouTube anyway? Especially Kids Youtube?

Ozanj · 11/10/2021 08:13

@Morgan12

Whats so wrong with YouTube anyway? Especially Kids Youtube?

OP’s child has ASD and is obsessed by it. If they had a TV in their room there is every chance they may not come out which at 9 could damage social development even further.

Idony · 11/10/2021 09:00

Maybe you could use this as a moment to reflect. Why is he 'watching it constantly'? Why would you want a little 9 year old to have unfiltered access to adult television? Why didn't your gut automatically tell you no?

Spanglybangles · 11/10/2021 09:00

@Maudey, it may not be what you choose to do which is totally fine, but my son does still get a bedtime story and is also known to read a book or magazine himself in bed as well.

A dvd works for us as he doesn’t like silence or total darkness when he goes to bed. He is always asleep well before the end of the dvd (which is on a timer to switch itself off) and is preferable to him getting up, putting on the main light and building train tracks or Lego models when he should be in bed, relaxed and going off to sleep.

Ozanj · 11/10/2021 09:30

@Idony

Maybe you could use this as a moment to reflect. Why is he 'watching it constantly'? Why would you want a little 9 year old to have unfiltered access to adult television? Why didn't your gut automatically tell you no?

She had one growing up that’s why. It’s not a bad thing. You could put a TV in my DNs room and she’d barely look at it. If you put one in my toddler’s room he wouldn’t stop watching (he loves the Julia Donaldson stories Netflix / Prime & I have to put screen bans on during the week so he can cope with a bit of TV at grandad’s on the weekend). I have another DN who is addicted to youtube and a TV in his room would mean he would struggle to ever come out & he doesn’t even have ASD & so can cope with his obsessions to an extent. All kids are different but on this occasion I do think OP shouldn’t do it.

Dillyjones72 · 11/10/2021 09:36

No way to a tv in either of our kids rooms. We have 9 and 11 year old.
And if he’s hogging the family tv I would suggest that he’s watching too much tv or you need to kick him off it if you want to watch a programme
Or he can compromise by putting something on that everyone’s wants to watch.