To not want nearly 10 year old son to have a TV in his room?

[MUMSANUTTA]

Opinions please - My son, soon to be ten, is the only one in his group of friends not to have a TV / DVD recorder in his room. The same goes for that matter for our 6 year old! Day to day this is not a problem, but when he visits his friends, it is always mentioned on his return in a sorowful way. We do not bow down to the parent pressure thing on many things, but do try to compromise on some things so he does not feel totally left out and so far seems happy with this. We feel like we want to stick to our guns for another few years, but just recently we are wondering if maybe we should re think our views. Reasons being, we still want to be a family unit, watch TV, play games or just chill out most, not all, of the time together. Do not want him disappearing for hours at a time. Also will have less of influence on what he watches if cannot monitor it. Are we being OTT

the image of a 4 person family with 4 televisions, all watching a different one simultaneously is both ridiculous and slightly pathetic IMO.

I can't bear all this gadgetry - playstations,nintendos blah blah. They make people stop communicating. They stultify the imagination and curb the attention span. They stop children from being able to think for themselves.

It's books all the way in this house.

donnie - it is possible to have 'gadgetry' in the house and still have your brain cells in working order. Having a TV in my bedroom at the age of 10 did not stop me achieving an education to post-graduate level. Similary my 4YO DD thoroughly enjoys her telly, but loves her books, drawing, writing, cooking, puzzles and running round the garden a great deal more, and there is certainly nothing wrong with her imagination or ability to think for herself.

Donnie, think you are being a little over the top. My DS only has a Nintendo DS, we do have a Wii which is a family game, but we are certainly not on it every day. You can, believe it or not, learn things from the TV. Try the discovery channel. There are some amazing things on it.

Also previous poster who said time was better spent gazing into space about teen hearthrob. You are joking aren't you? Please tell me that you are?

I do feel that sometimes, mums (and dads) come on here and tell complete lies to make themselves look like the perfect parent. I tell the truth, which is that my DS does have a TV in his bedroom as per my previous posts. However, this does not make me a bad parent. Not all children watch crappy TV, just because he has a TV in his room, does not mean that allow him to watch what he wants when he wants. Also the posters that say it should not be there if it is hardly usd. FFS you are being so stupid, how many gadgets have you in your house that you use but not often. Does that mean you don't need them. God some people on here are barking mad you really are. Why on earth are you so adamant that you are always so bloody right. I am soooooooooooo happy that your children are getting on so fantastically because they are denied a TV in their room. Good for you, but don't keep ramming it down my throat and making out it is so bad.

Message withdrawn

I think having a t.v. elsewhere in the house, so kid's can watch kid's t.v. is a great compromise. Some friends of ours with teenagers bought a shed, and second hand sofa. They have a TV in the shed with DVD player! No TVs in bedrooms, but the kid's have a space where they can watch TV.

DaphneMoon - Why are you being so touchy? If you are sure that your decision is the right one for you, why does it matter what anyone else says?

All I say is: do whatever you think is right for your own family. For some, that means TVs in bedrooms; for others, it means the reverse. Live and let live!
(FWIW, I think Blackrock's idea is a good one).

My own sense of MN is that most mums fall over themselves not to come across as perfect parents!

yes - a bit too defensive there really DaphneMoon. If you are feeling guilty it really is nothing to do with other people you know.

I would certainly let my children watch a dvd, but they can do so in the living room quite comfortably, whilst I potter around.
Why would I want them out of the way in their rooms?
I don't need to be hidden way from me to get things done

And it was me said that I would rather my dd lay on her bed gazing into space and day dreaming about the latest pre-teen heart throb than sat in her room watching TV on her own. And yes, I did mean it and yes, I stand by it!

Agree seeker.

Me too, Seeker.

Thank you!