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Original poster

For all of you lot who have tvs in your kids rooms

183 replies

fishfinger · 05/07/2005 12:05

i made ds1 read this this morning

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hercules · 05/07/2005 23:29

HAvent read the thread at all but I am amazed how many kids I teach watch BB every night! How many parents in rl actually monitor or care about what their kids watch?

kgc · 05/07/2005 23:35

I would not like a TV in my childrens bedrooms, my eldest daughters (who is 6) friends have TVs in their rooms and they are up most of the night watching tv and mucking about, when my eldest comes back from sleeping over at friends houses she is so tired, miserable and grouchy...........when she is home she goes to bed at 7.30pm and not a TV in sight in her room and wakes up unlike sleeping at her friends with TVs in their rooms.........WHICH IS THE WAY I LIKE BEST ........NO TVS IN THEIR BEDROOMS....

QueenOfQuotes · 05/07/2005 23:36

"mucking about" - thought most kids do that - regarldess of whether there's a TV in the room - especially at sleep overs

kgc · 05/07/2005 23:49

hey QueenofQuotes.. you right kids do muck about at sleep overs... but my eldest always comes back saying the TV was on most of the night and they had been up watching TV they shouldn't and films (if vcr/dvd in room) they shouldn't......

titchy · 06/07/2005 00:05

QoQ - even if yours don't passively sit now, when they're older they are likley to - don't know many teenagers that jump around or play with stuff when the tv's on.....

Easier IMHO just to not let them have a tv/ games console /dvd player then they won;t get into the habit of having it on all the time so hopefully when they're older they'll have the resources to do something more constructive than vegetate watching the box.

QueenOfQuotes · 06/07/2005 00:16

I'm sorry but by the time they're teenagers you should have had enough 'years' as their parents to instill in them not to sit in front of it all day.

We (finally) got a TV when I was 16yrs old - and despite the fact that I'd always "wanted" one - didn't sit and watch it all day everyday, - as I'd been taught from a very young age that there were other things to do.

It's all about 'parenting' - there are SO many different factors that affect how children and teenagers perform that to say getting rid of the TV is the only solution seems mad to me!

What about those parents who never read with their kids (or perhaps don't even own any books!), those that take no interest in their childn's developnent - I'd be VERY suprised if those who were 'researched' in the original article didn't have other 'factors' affecting their performance at school!

Our TV is on ALL day but it's only really in the evening that DH or I actually "sit down" to watch anything - generally it's just there as 'background' - (apart from Wimbledon last week but that doesn't count ). Our children don't sit down and stare at it all day (and they easily could as the 'toy box' sits RIGHT in front of the TV/DVD player to stop DS2 trashing it all).

I do know of a few children in RL who DO sit and stare at the TV all day, they're also the ones who's parents would rather stick a video on for them than let them play in the garden!

And besides - how many of us are not passively using the computer now??? And how many of you run around watching Eastenders or Big Brother?

kgc · 06/07/2005 00:35

hey there all...

I do not agree with very young children having TVs in their rooms but for older children i.e. teenagers I think that this would maybe be okay as they have a slightly different persphtic on life and have a few more responsibilites......words from my DHs mouth...when they are old enough to earn their own money then they can enjoy TVs in their own rooms.......

Original poster
fishfinger · 06/07/2005 07:47

q of Q you reallly ar e a tosser.

OP posts:
bigdonna · 06/07/2005 07:50

every thing in moderation,if you had asked me 2 yrs ago i would have said no but my son only watches dvds at weekends "not every weekend "he would rather be playing football.

batters · 06/07/2005 08:29

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WideWebWitch · 06/07/2005 08:45

God, I detest tv on as background, I think it's really rude if I go to someone's house and they leave it on. My children do watch tv but won't be allowed one in their rooms ever. Not necessary imo and for my children. Couldn't give a toss what other people do tbh.

Caththerese1973 · 06/07/2005 08:51

There's nothing wrong with TV per se, but having one in your child's bedroom? Is that really necessary? If you can afford such a luxury, surely it would be better to spend the money on something like a computer or a musical instrument or a playhouse. Of course, I could be writing this out of envy since I am as poor as a church mouse, on a single mother's benefit.
Older children are more apt to be continuous tv watchers than toddlers, and if you have a tv in your toddler's room, you might have big probs further down the line when they are older - eg illicit late night tv watching that makes them tired at school, or secret tv watching when they are meant to be doing homework
In general I am not anti-tv at all ( my two year old dd watches about two hours of TV in the morning, while I read the paper and drink coffee! I'm sure many people would think this was too much. But she doesn't watch it much at other times).
Aside from the anxiety about the child's 'performance' intellectually speaking (hate that term as applied to children!), isn't it rather spoiling the child to let them have their own TV in their room? I think so.

emily05 · 06/07/2005 08:52

agree with you www. Ds watches a bit of television - but he wont be having one in his room. But dont care less what other people do. It is up to them and you have to meet these studies with caution. For every study you can often find a contridictory (sp?!!!) one.
Would hate the thought of ds watches loads of tv and not outside and doing sports and stuff.

potty1 · 06/07/2005 08:57

I'm with you QoQ - it's not just about TV.

Mine have them in their rooms - they also have a huge, over filled bookshelf each. Ds2 plays on his PS2 a huge amount but also managed to read all 10 Lemony Snicket books in the space of 4 weeks. And they're not 'up most of the night watching tv'!

Wonder how many who don't agree with TV in the bedroom have it on over breakfast or during dinner?

Caththerese1973 · 06/07/2005 09:01

One other thing...(having read the article, and this might sound like I am contradicting myself!). The fact that 'lower' achievers watch more tv might be a class thing and reflect not so much upon tv, but upon the lifestyles and options of the less privileged, which might not tend towards educational experiences. Like I said, I am a welfare mum and not opposed to TV per se. The fact is, if you are literally too poor to take your kid travelling, or buy him or her their own computer, tv and videos are a cheap, effective alternative. Also, being poor is depressing for both parents and kids, and it's easy to see how one can get apathetic about education if it seems like there is no hope. Anyway, I guess my point is that socio-economic positioning ought to be figured into these TV surveys. Depressing and unfair as it is, children from middle class backgrounds have a higher chance of ending up at university.

titchy · 06/07/2005 09:48

QoQ - of course it's all about parenting, and there are much greater factors that will influence a child's educational achievement, aspirations, general 'roundesness', but I just don't see the point of kids having a tv in their rooms! If your tv is on all day anyway why on earth do your kids need one in their bedrooms?

Potty1 - we eat in the kitchen, at the table, together at weekends and at breakfast time. Time to chat not watch tv!

QueenOfQuotes · 06/07/2005 10:43

www - is a tv on, but with the volume low, and worse that a radio playing full blast???

QueenOfQuotes · 06/07/2005 10:44

"q of Q you reallly ar e a tosser."

Thanks - funny DH was telling me something similar this morning

QueenOfQuotes · 06/07/2005 10:49

"If your tv is on all day anyway why on earth do your kids need one in their bedrooms? "

Confused - guess someone else hasn't bothered reading what I'm actually saying - I never said my DS's had one in their bedrooms????

And if they ever get one in their room perhaps it will be so that they can watch what they want to watch at the weekends rather than what DH wants to watch (I'm sure at some point they going to get fed up of the repeats of Star Trek Voyager )

We do have a small tv in our bedroom (hardly gets watched and when it does usually by DS1 watching a video while DS2 is sleeping - or for a few minutes while DH gets changed after work so he can see the news).

However once both boys want to watch something different from us then I'd rather they trash their own room rather than ours while watching it

mears · 06/07/2005 10:56

I have never had a TV in my kid's rooms. I always thought it wasn't a good idea to be watchingvideos before going to sleep because itis too much brain stimulation. Problem sleepers often have TVs in their rooms apparently. Reading is much more relaxing. Also didn't want them isolated in their rooms.

Anyway, when DS1 was 16 we asked if he wanted ione. The answer was surprisingly no. Same thing with DS2 who was 16 5 days ago. What we did get was a portable TV that could be used for videos or playstation when friends come round.

Academically I have 4 children with various ability. But as with all research there always individual exceptions to the overall findings.

I am really glad I never did put TVs in their rooms. I just don't think it is necessary when they are young.

titchy · 06/07/2005 10:57

QoQ - sorry I missed that yours don't have tv in their rooms. The point is still the same though - why do kids need a tv in their rooms?

handlemecarefully · 06/07/2005 11:05

The research is interesting - but just one piece of research. Probably other studies have proven converse or no correlation.

We don't have tv in the kid's rooms yet (but they are rather young). I wouldn't preclude it in the future - particularly when they are adolescents and want their own space. I lived in my bedroom when a teenager, often with the tv on, and it didn't compromise my educational attainments.

Issymum · 06/07/2005 11:16

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request

Tortington · 06/07/2005 11:18

but if i take the tv away - then i would have to talk to them presumably?
if the tv didn't entertain them then i would have to

besides, my kids dnt watch violent programmes they play with guns on ps2 games.

all things in moderation for gods sake. a toy gun isnt going to turn you into a mass murderer
eating a banana is not going to give you cancer
having a tv in a kids room is not going to shrink your kids brain.

besides its all a government conspiricy to keep the working classes out of university. gcse bites are on the telly, OU is on the telly. by making or taping these things for our children we are shrinking their brIans and they will have a life with nothing more than boden and children to look forward to. god help us all

Tortington · 06/07/2005 11:19

besides i fail to see how making your child read anything is good for them. but cod takes the biscuit - call the NSPCC the fking times?