TV in kitchen-diner?

[NamedyChangedy]

DP and I are debating this and I'm not entirely sure who's right. He says we must have a TV in our newly extended kitchen diner, and has picked out a 43" behemoth to mount on the wall.

I'm wondering whether we even need one at all, as we'll still have a TV in the front living room. He says (sulkily) that he'll never sit with us in the kitchen if we don't have one, as he's a screen addict.

We have a policy of no-screens during meals for the DCs, and I can see it being much harder to enforce if there's a massive TV right by the dining table!

Can I get some insight from people who have a TV in the kitchen - worth doing? How and when do you use it?

One thing I like about having the TV in the kitchen is that when I'm cooking the kids will often come and gather round and watch with me - all standing up and chatting about what's on. It brings us together.
I can"t see what the difference between a TV and a radio is to be honest.

Difference ferrier? Listening takes less concentration than listening and watching. So I can listening to the radio whilst cooking but if I watched and listened to the TV I might get to distracted.

But anyway, even if that doesn’t cause any problems, if you kitchen is more of a communal gathering room than a purely cooking and eating room it might not, in our family we like the radio. Having it in the kitchen just provides a good opportunity to listen without it having to compete with the TV.

Having a tiny house and our dining table in our living room where the TV is I can honestly say that having a TV on whilst watching TV kills the conversation between everyone. It takes my dc ten times as long to eat his food and he gets bored quickly eating. We made a rule that there is no TV on whilst eating. Maybe with exception of Saturday nights, pizza/film that kind of thing.

My in laws have one in kitchen and it looks fucking ugly tbh.

Occasionally we may have radio in background on low but it isn't as distracting imo.

Deux - oh yes the Samsung 'Frame' ones. They're beautiful, but very much not in my budget.

And yes, I am trying to control my children's environment. Guilty.

Itsjustaphase84 that's what I dislike - the zombification once a screen is on, they can't concentrate on anything else. It's a perfectly reasonable rule.

It is his kitchen too. And he does cook a lot, probably more than I do. (I mostly clean up after him). Will look into compromises, our builder might have some bright ideas too. Thanks all...

we have our second tv in the kitchen diner (no tvs in bedrooms in this house) and we use it for watching news at breakfast or lunch if one of us is eating alone (i work from home) or for watching while doing chores - ironing, batch cooking, cleaning up. or just when somebody wants to watch something different (dh and football).

occassionally we watch something together over dinner if thats the time it's on it, i can't think the last time we did this, probably the last andy murray game at wimbledon... in which case i'd rather do this at the table than have dinner in the living room.

our kitchen tv is only about 22" though, deliberately.

No put your foot down OP, I agree with others that it is a) tacky and b) encouraging constant screen watching. Why can't your DP just watch tv/listen to the radio from an iPad or laptop? Much less intrusive. I can't stand wall mounted TVs, I get a crick in my neck looking up at them from the sofa and they look terrible imo. DP desperately wanted one, both living room and bedroom, he got neither. I'm getting a projector for our bedroom though once the baby is in her own - could that be a compromise for the kitchen? Easy to shove in a cupboard and you will get a decent one for less than a 43" tv.

We have a 32 inch one in the kitchen. My DH works odd hours and if there is something that I am watching/want to watch then I can at least do so whilst cooking as can he.

Our kitchen is a kitchen/diner set up with a sofa too and I do watch things if I am watching in the daytime out there too. I do my ironing in front of soaps.

My DH may sit at the island to go through work emails at the weekend but with the football on.

There is an off switch! It doesn't need to be on all the time and we chose whether to watch during meals or not!

I have seen those lovely ones that look like mirrors when they are turned off - one day! www.artisanaltvframes.com/pages/Hide-Conceal-TV-Technology?gclid=Cj0KEQjw1JbPBRCr05aKy7HnmJsBEiQA4qPY-a8ZX4MyXCfEVIE6ZsOfupZzfrwVLcDe59CQ-0enDp0aAobz8P8HAQ

We've got a tv in our kitchen diner. I like watching TV when I'm cooking, and my oh and I like to watch the early evening news as well. I couldn't care less if people think it appears square eyed or antisocial. I bet a lot of people spend hours glued to their smart phones and kid themselves they are doing something more intellectual than watching TV.