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Parenting

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Original poster

TV's in children's bedrooms...insanity or lifesaver?

33 replies

viewfromawindow · 16/01/2011 23:06

I have to standup and admit I think allowing children a TV in their bedroom IS insanity. OK I see how some children might have the sense to not have it on at all hours of the night but not many.... They are children after all! I have had way too many children in my class with dark circles under their eyes due to late night TV watching and even one lad who regulalry fell asleep in class as he was so exhausted.
Bedtime is for sleeping, not entertainment...

I appreciate I could just be a mad old bat who needs to move with the times.... Would be interested to hear others views as I seem to be in the minority here

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Imarriedafrog · 16/01/2011 23:11

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

seeker · 16/01/2011 23:12

Insanity. Wrong on so many levels. And not jsut for the sleeping thing. We live in a family home - not in a house converted into bedsits.

LovelyJudy · 16/01/2011 23:13

insane. surely it's not normal?

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zeus123 · 16/01/2011 23:14

Dd don't have a tv and I don't intend to buy her one
She does sleep late around 10.00 occasionally as she is a real bookworm .

Pumpster · 16/01/2011 23:16

Mine all have tvs, well the older ones anyway. When they were younger they only had tvs for DVD watching. The older ones are 12, 13 and 14. Doesn't cause any problems here.

WilfShelf · 16/01/2011 23:19

Well, it depends. All well and good being righteous but if you have kids of very different ages (8 years between youngest and oldest) it is much harder to manage family focused entertainment. 11yo is often squeezed out by youngsters. He watches iplayer on his computer sometimes...

WannabeaShootingStar · 16/01/2011 23:21

Ours have tv/dvd and are allowed a dvd weekend nights only. Normal TV can't be viewed on it. They are 5 and 4.

Ladymuck · 16/01/2011 23:21

To be honest, I suspect that some of the decision may come down to the layout of your house and the ages, particularly the age differences, between your children. If you have only on tv available downstairs and have a 12 year old, a 7 year old and a 3 year old you are probably going to have someone fairly unhappy most of the time. Your 12 year old will probably be up with you until 9pm or even later, so will have to watch what you watch 9or vice versa). Depending on the interaction of personalities, this will prove difficult and tiresome, especially when you are trying to get tea etc. Now I know the TV can be seen as lazy parenting, but sometimes something has to give.

FWIW we do kept to a no tv/computer/handheld in the bedroom rule but we have a large house with enough space for each child to be watching/playing something electronic downstairs where I can monitor them. And as our children grow up I am finding it more difficult to get time to watch "my" programmes.

FreudianSlipIntoMyLaptop · 16/01/2011 23:21

I just don't see the need for it. My 3.6yo watches more than her fair share of DVDs but only in the living room. We don't have a tv in our room either.

Original poster

viewfromawindow · 16/01/2011 23:23

LovelyJudy: I did a hands up in my class of 7/8 year olds.... half of them had TV's in their bedrooms. To be honest I was shocked. Just to put it in context we were looking at technology in the home so I wasn't JUST being nosy!!
These games consols that can access the internet are a worry as well. OK in public areas of the home but make me nervous in children's bedrooms.

OP posts:

Pumpster · 16/01/2011 23:25

Yes, agree with ladymuck.

cat64 · 16/01/2011 23:35

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COCKadoodledooo · 16/01/2011 23:37

We have no tv in our bedroom, so I don't see why ds's should have one in theirs! Aside from the fact there's no room to swing a cat in there anyway.

It's not a problem so far only having the one (kids are 7 and 1). Whilst we're still living here we shan't be doing anything to change it though.

cat64 · 16/01/2011 23:58

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dessen · 17/01/2011 00:00

the laptop is more of a problem than a tv. A tv you can just say no but a laptop is portable. I wouldn't want this equipment in their rooms.

Clary · 17/01/2011 00:06

My DC will never have a TV in their bedrooms while they live here. (hah watch out for my u-turn then cat!)

We don't have one. They can watch TV in the living room(s) if they want. Like me and DH do.

My youngest is 7 and oldest 11 tho so it's usually possible to please everyone

Plonker · 17/01/2011 00:13

Mine have TV's in their bedroom. They're not set up for digital and so can only be used for dvd's.

My girls only watch dvd's in their bedrooms when they have sleepovers (which I keep to a minimum anyway cos I hate the damn stupidly named things ...).

Parents know their own children best. If any of mine were inclined to watch till all hours or watch more that what I would consider reasonable given half the chance, then they wouldn't have tv's in their bedrooms.

Same goes for games consoles, hand-held or otherwise.

There is no problem with tv's in bedrooms in my house, but I can see why it would be a problem for others.

cory · 17/01/2011 07:45

In my case, allowing ds a TV in his bedroom would be driving me to insanity!

As for dd (14), sharing the one downstairs has never been a problem.

Lamorna · 17/01/2011 08:53

Insanity!
There was a thread recently from someone who couldn't stop their DD watching too much TV. There is no problem if it is a family room, you simply switch it off!

HappyMummyOfOne · 17/01/2011 13:17

I dont see the problem as long as used wisely. DS has a tv and dvd player (no ariel) so watches the odd film in the hols until later than usual as a treat. Also handy when sick as it can help take his mind off being ill.

Haribojoe · 17/01/2011 13:21

DS1 (about to turn 6) has got a TV in his room but it is only for watching DVDs as we have not connected it to an aerial.

He watches a DVD in his room twice a week maximum, though it is sometimes more on the rare occasion he's not well and wants to cosy up in bed.

It's mounted on the wall and I have the remote, he doesn't even attempt to turn it on himself (could reach it from his cabin bed if he wanted to) as he has always known that he needs to ask a grown up if he wants to watch a DVD.

NewImprovedJollster · 17/01/2011 16:13

Am against tvs in any bedrooms tbh.

So definitely not for children!

Marne · 17/01/2011 16:18

We have just put a tv and dvd player in dd1's room (almost 7), she only uses it if she's ill (in bed) as this is the only time she stays in her bedroom, i don't see a problem with it as long as they don't spend all day in their room watching it.

OnlyMeUK · 17/01/2011 16:24

Our DC aged 10 & 14 do not have a TV in their rooms, but we do have a family room (converted dining room, nowt posh!), with a TV & computer for use for sleepovers or when our veiwing tastes clash . We're not TV adverse, we have one in the kitchen to keep me entertained when I'm doing the cooking!

Mrsfluff · 17/01/2011 16:25

My 10yr old DD has had a tv in her room for about 3 years and initially could only watch DVDs on it. She rarely has it on in the evenings, preferring to read her book, so only tends to watch at weekends or in the holidays. I didn't want her having one when she was younger and certainly didn't want her going off to sleep watching it.

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