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AIBU?

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Original poster

To not understand why children need a TV in their room?

361 replies

mrsruffallo · 28/06/2009 22:35

Following on from another thread-I am quite surprised how many kids have a TV in their bedrooms.
Surely they can read to go to sleep?
Or watch the one in the living room?
Come and enlighten me, why do children need their own one?

OP posts:
barnsleybelle · 30/06/2009 14:20

< taps fingers, and thinks abraid is tracking down more stats >

abraid · 30/06/2009 14:41

Nah. I'm not that bovvered. It's choice, really.

NoTart · 30/06/2009 15:09

OP, I still have no idea why children need their own TV, over my dead body that´s for sure. And the idea of 2-3 year olds watching on their own is slightly disturbing to me.

Watching TV is not akin to devil worshipping but is a BIT of an evil to me. When I set foot in the UK I am always horrified by the shitty children´s TV programmes and the fast pace of the advertising. I don´t think my child is missing anything though she has the choice of a few DVDS.

A BBC TV programme recently took away TV from a number of families for an extended period. The children were all HAPPIER for it in the end, the parents confessed they missed it and hadn´t realised how they depended on TV as a babysitter. Being with their children more meant they didn´t have time to get on with other things..

grammar · 30/06/2009 16:16

No, no, no, no, no.
It ruins the family dynamics of togetherness, encourages separation, inhibits communication. Adverts are root of all evil because they work on such a subliminal level. If they have a TV now and you monitor it, it may be OK, but soon they will grow older and even more separated from the rest of the family, your embargoes will only fuel arguments. Compromise ( both theirs and yours) are part of living together and they will learn to respect and appreciate not only TV but you too.

AlderTree · 30/06/2009 16:48

Have to reply because once upon a time I thought TV's in bedrooms for children under 13 were bad news....... I still think children watching TV to go to sleep is terrible as is unlimited watching/going from one screen technology to another without doing something in between is not good for children. ......Then I got DS and the autism that goes with him.

DS now has a tv because we don't necessarily want to listen to his programmes and we have an open plan downstairs. Sometimes he has to compromise and not watch what he wants down here, sometimes we have to compromise and let him watch TV down here and sometimes he has to watch what his sister watches. He is learning lessons about thinking of others but if he really needs to chill he can do it upstairs.

Second it improves communication in our house. DS and DH can watch the same sport in different places which they then talk about. Otherwise DS talks all the way through. If you have ever tried to get a child with autism not to do this it is impossible equals arguments and results in less family harmony not more.

Rubyrubyrubyinthegame · 30/06/2009 17:01

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grammar · 30/06/2009 17:14

It's also chewing gum for the eyes

frogwatcher · 30/06/2009 17:32

I havent read the entire thread but will return to do so . I know a family who have a tv in every living room in their house - firmly middle class - so I think that means 5 TVs. Their eldest son is training for professional football, aged 10, their dd is a fantastic gymnast. All the family cycle miles on weekends etc, and are all fit and healthy with sociable pleasant children. The kids appear to watch TV they really want to watch. Compare with the family down the road who have one small tV in family lounge and have the attitude TV should be restricted. The kids seem TV obsessed as they dont get to watch a lot, and end up watching loads of crap with the parents such as golden balls, emmerdale etc just to get some TV time in!!! They too are wealthy middle class. Its not about how many TVs are in the house or where they are, its about what is watched and how and if there are other interests. Most of my friends have playrooms for their children and studies for the computer etc. They all have TVs in the playroom, and most of the computers have a TV card in so you can watch TV in the study too. However nothing in bedrooms so thats o.k. then!!!

mummy247 · 30/06/2009 17:39

my dd 3 has a tv in her room but no areal so all she can watch is videos she loves it . and she knows how to put the vidoe on to play it

barnsleybelle · 30/06/2009 17:40

frogwatcher... you are my hero. This is what I and a couple of others have been trying to say. You have described it wonderfully.

We too are a 4 tv household but actually spend less time than most I know watching them.

TheProfiteroleThief · 30/06/2009 17:43

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posieparker · 30/06/2009 17:59

I know a man who drank three bottles of whiskey a week, smoked 20 cigarettes and day, had one lung and lived to 104 years.... all that stuff they say about smoking and drinking must be utter shit.

Eve4Walle · 30/06/2009 18:16

DD has a TV in her room, and has done since she was about 3. However, in truth, she hardly ever watches it, in fact, the first time she used it this year was a few weeks back when she was quite poorly and needed to stay in bed. She watched her Numberjacks DVD and The Sound of Music.

It doesn't seem to have done her any harm, she is in the top 5% for her reading and writing and would much rather be in the garden playing with her bubble machine than indoors watching TV.

Everthing in moderation!

frogwatcher · 30/06/2009 18:24

barnsleybelle - why thank you. Usually if I join a thread it stops, so nice to be included in a discussion!!! One day I hope to have far more tvs than we currently have (two) - I want one in the kitchen, one in the study and I would love one in the bathroom so I can watch what I want with a glass of wine and bubbles. I am sick of having to watch alien films (dh), scooby doo (dd1), gymnastics (dd2) and cbeebies (dd3). I only get to watch what I want about once a week!!!! I would also love one of those beds where the TV rises out of the footboard. Brill. But then we are a three DS lite househole - but thats another thread altogether (I am obviously fully paid up working class with children that cant talk or read, with no social skills!)

ahundredtimes · 30/06/2009 18:33

Then why for the love of god do you have four televisions in the first place if you never watch them all that much? That's what I don't understand.

If everyone is off training to be footballers and gymnasts and cycling to scotland in the weekend and being incredibly winningly sociable with their friends- why have four televisions?

Is it because for the half hour you do watch television - you want to do it in separate rooms? Or watch your own thing?

I completely understand tv being a part of healthy, balanced family life. But I don't get why there have to be four. It's so decadent. Who needs four televisions? Why have a television in every room? Are they now like a piece of furniture? This is a sincere question.

posieparker · 30/06/2009 18:36

tips hat too 100x

juicychops · 30/06/2009 18:37

my ds has a tv in his room and he is 4. it wasn't my choice in the first place, his great aunt gave it to him without speaking to me about it first and didn't have the heart to say no, but to be honest it doesn't really bother me now.

he can only watch dvds on it as no ariel and he watches a film in bed on saturday nights as a treat and something different to a book

i dont think there is anything wrong with this for my ds although i know many parents will disagree.

flashharriet · 30/06/2009 18:42

Have to say I agree with 100x's posts on this thread. Also, I can't believe all these totally trustworthy children - DS (10) would be watching completely unsuitable TV at any opportunity! I could probably give dd1 a TV and she wouldn't watch it too much, but I still reckon she'd be watching unsuitable stuff on the sly. That's what kids do...isn't it??

mrsjammi · 30/06/2009 19:00

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mrsjammi · 30/06/2009 19:00

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ahundredtimes · 30/06/2009 19:05

We watch TV here. We all like TV. But MrsJammi - why not get rid of four or five of them then?

It's interesting though, because if I go into a house with lots of televisions, I do assume lots of television is watched. And this clearly isn't the case - but we do watch quite a lot, with our one set! They've become a kind of accessory or piece of furniture - do you think that's the case?

Plonketyplonk · 30/06/2009 19:13

It's not very nice going to peoples' houses and the TV is taking priority over the people in the house. The telly is just sort of on and making a noise and nobody is actually paying much attention.

I don't like TVs in bedrooms. It's got nothing to do with the size of the house. It has a lot to do with how many tellies you are prepared to buy.

How about keeping a toaster in every room, just for those munchy moments?

IotasCat · 30/06/2009 19:14

We have four TVs, but not in the bedrooms.
Main one in living room
one in the kitchen
one in the playroom/guest room
one in the playroom/conservatory attached to a ps3

NoTart · 30/06/2009 19:29

In conclusion, it really isn´t significant if childen have their own TV in their bedroom, or even if there is a TV in every room in the house. Nobody ever switches them on anyway!

ahundredtimes · 30/06/2009 19:31

Who knew!