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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:
HecatesTwopenceworth · 01/07/2009 11:05

They don't need a tv in their bedroom, nobody does. Nobody needs one at all, but it's not a terrible thing, imo. Mine are 8 & 10 and have just been given one. It is hooked up to a dvd player and can only play their dvds (eg garfield, ratatouille, pink panther - the cartoon obviously ). They love it. They watch it a few days a week. It's nice for them to have their own space as well as be in the living room (where their wii and the computer are). they also spend time playing with their toys / reading in their bedroom. Don't really see how that's different yet you don't see people saying that all the kids toys & books should be in the living room. It's their own little piece of the world where they can shut the door and enjoy some time to themselves.

lowlandlady · 01/07/2009 11:08

A lot of research implies it can have a negative effect.

Why would people want a child watching the god knows what in the middle of the night when they're young?

Not in this house so far and I hope ever!

barnsleybelle · 01/07/2009 11:10

mrs ruffallo... Woah, smug and depressing??
Am .
Sorry if i've come across that way.. am so not smug in RL.

What parts are smug and what parts are depressing?

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 11:12

low and lady just because they have a TV in their room that's actually connected to channels doesn't mean they'll be watching it in the middle of the night.

lowlandlady · 01/07/2009 11:16

but what's it for then? endless gaming is probably worse imo.
I just think it lessens parental control and why do that?

ds had a sleepover and the played those ds machines for endless hours. The charger is lost and I haven't bothered getting another. Ds is just unable to stop when it's around. I think they are SO bad these games and particulaly hate the fighting ones, luckily ds only likes the football ones.

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 11:18

but who says it's endless gaming? Just because a game station is there doesn't mean it's played constantly!

HecatesTwopenceworth · 01/07/2009 11:22

dvds. Nothing wrong with them watching a children's dvd in their room, imo.

Lessening parental control is not always a bad thing. Children need 'downtime', not to be watched over and directed all the time. Bit of freedom, bit of control, bit of privacy... all good things.

you still have 'control' by providing only those dvds you are happy for them to watch, having rules on how many times a week they can watch them, a cut off time at night, limit on how long they can be up there (cos you don't want them up there all day every day)

barnsleybelle · 01/07/2009 11:22

So true FAQ... Children have toys, books, board games etc but they are not playing with each one of them all the time. Ds has books, toys, crayons and a tv in his room. Spends time with all of them and not just the tv.

Original poster
mrsruffallo · 01/07/2009 11:23

barnsley belle- I do apologise that was rather harsh. I have had a stressful morning and flitted over this briefly.
Sorry

OP posts:
barnsleybelle · 01/07/2009 11:25

Thanks ruffallo

stillstanding · 01/07/2009 11:28

FAQ, I agree that having a tv in the bedroom doesn't mean that they are up there watching it all the time and that children could just as easily be watching too much tv downstairs.

For me alarm bells would start to ring though when a need was identified for a tv in a bedroom or in fact for more than one tv in the house. It would seem to me that we were travelling down a slippery slope and I would have a long hard look at our tv usuage in those circumstances.

But in principle I agree - tv can be used to excess just as much in the living room as in a bedroom.

ahundredtimes · 01/07/2009 11:57

That has been the journey and the revelation of this thread.

If you have a tv in your room, or your dc room, or a house with 6 sets, one in every room - we have learnt that it doesn't mean that they are watched more than if you have just the one set.

barnsleybelle · 01/07/2009 12:11

Quite right ahundredtimes

Miggsie · 01/07/2009 12:26

Why are people buying all these tellies and saying they don't really watch them?

Why did they feel they needed to buy them all in the first place?

I am not mad on TV as it is "passive" and tedious entertainment for a lot of the time and often made by people I wouldn't allow into my house, let alone get them to espouse their world views to my DD...oh dear, I work in TV, can't you tell?

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 12:36

"Why are people buying all these tellies and saying they don't really watch them?"

because sods law dictates that the few times there are good programmes on the TV to watch - they're all on at the same time - so it's easier to have more TV's so there's less debate about which bit of (rare) decent TV is on the screen

Kazzi79 · 01/07/2009 12:51

First of all Clemette, my 8 year old son is a fantastic reader and I would never discourage this, my 10 year old doesn't like reading books but instead chooses to read magazines and comics which are of particular interest to him (mainly football), I regularly read books to my 4 year old, a particular favourite being The Gruffalo and we love this quality time that we have together. I myself just do not find books a good way to have my chill out time, I would rather find other ways to relax.....thats just me if people want to condemn that then go ahead.

Stillstanding - you're entitled to disagree with my statement, thats what discussion topics are for. Personally I believe that the older children get (as previously stated my eldest 2 are 10 and 8) the more responsibilty you have to give them and enable them to make their own choices, if children don't learn to make sensible choices as children then they have no chance in an adult world. Yes children learn right and wrong from parents which is why I set the best possible example that I can to them. I find it interesting that you presume I let my children watch too much tv, firstly no one on here has the right to tell anyone else how much tv is too much, secondly me and my children live a very active lifestyle, its our CHOICE to use tv as a way of winding down.....no ones approval needed.

Posieparker.....tv at bedtime has never damaged any of my childrens sleep patterns, so as well documented as you think it is I'd rather do what works for me not what does or doesn't work for everyone else, and I don't condemn anyone else's parenting style......maybe its because I'm confident enough in my own style of parenting, sure there are people who do things differently to the way I'd do them, but thats their choice and they have every right to do as they please, I'm sure as a parent you would do some things that I think are wrong but that isn't any of my business, as long as my children are happy, healthy, well clothed, well loved and well looked after then other peoples judgements really don't matter

Original poster
mrsruffallo · 01/07/2009 13:28

Oh FAQ that's just silly
your children only know if something goo d is on if you tell them {unless your kids are older)
What is there that they really can't miss or that is on at the same time as something you really can't miss?

OP posts:
Original poster
mrsruffallo · 01/07/2009 13:30

What's the point of having a TV in the room if they are not watched?
If they watch so little surely you can all share one?
Unless you have the TV on all day yourself and want the kids out of the way so the house doesn't get messy?

OP posts:
stillstanding · 01/07/2009 13:34

Kazzi79, I never said that your children were watching too much tv. I have no idea how much tv your children watch.

No one is telling you what to do or restricting your rights in any way. This is just a discussion with different views and you shouldn't take people expressing those different views as personal criticism.

Pottytroll · 01/07/2009 13:38

Some people seem to think that because others allow their children to have a tv in their room they have no control over how it is used!!

I don't think this is the case.
If you're worried about the children having too much control over the tv in their room then your children obviously already run rings round you anyway controlling the tv in the room is just like controlling what your childs diet is when your childs bedtime is etc

It doesn't make a bad person to allow children luxuries that the parents might not have had as long as the children understand moderation just like everything else

stillstanding · 01/07/2009 13:41

ahundredtimes: "If you have a tv in your room, or your dc room, or a house with 6 sets, one in every room - we have learnt that it doesn't mean that they are watched more than if you have just the one set."

It doesn't necessarily mean that but it is a good indicator that they are, no? I'm not sure I buy this argument that you need 6 tv's because all the good shows are on at the same time ...

Kazzi79 · 01/07/2009 13:42

No worries Stillstanding, I didn't take it as a personal criticism it was just unclear from your post what you meant, thanks for clearing it up

FAQinglovely · 01/07/2009 14:56

Top Gear often clashes with other programmes that I want to watch

And I was joking .

If there's something on the (only TV which TV can actually be watched) then MY choice takes first place. And DS2 (5) can tell the time AND knows what time various programmes are on on Cbeebies - including the ones that clash with Horrid Henry (DS1's favourite) on Citv. I have never told him that - he's worked it out for himself - and no DS1 didn't teach him - DS1 (8) has only ust started to "click" with telling the time).

(which clashes with Horrid Henry)

Besides - what's wrong with a child wanting to watch something on TV on in piece and quiet from younger siblings????

Rubyrubyrubyinthegame · 01/07/2009 17:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ahundredtimes · 01/07/2009 20:12

But don't you think the 'in the garage' is the key part of that sentence, not 'once a month'?

Who has three bicycles in their hall, and one by the stairs, and two in the dining room and one upstairs in the bedroom but only rides them once a month?

That person must live alone I reckon.