How old before TV in bedroom?

[Mummywalsh]

My 2.5yo DD1 and 19mo DD2 share a bedroom and MIL has just given us a portable TV with DVD player. I've always been against the girls playing in their rooms and believe they go there to sleep, but now I'm thinking would it be such a bad thing for a quiet DVD in the afternoon, definitely not before bed or otherwise. How old were your LOs before they had a TV in their room?

Oh, there aren't many things I'd be out and out judgemental about, but this is one of them. I won't let mine have a TV in their bedrooms until they are (at the earliest) 16 and past the GCSEs. But it will be never, if I can get away with it. A relative of mine put one in her DD's room at the age of 3 and was delighted at being able to use it to babysit the poor little girl so she didn't have to see her. I didn't even pretend I thought it was okay when she told me about it.

I'm v much of the 'over my dead body' camp. My girls are 16 and nealry 14 and still haven't got TVs in their rooms. We've got a laptop they can borrow if they want to watch a DVD up there.

This is an interesting topic for us as we have telly's all over the place and with our first on the way are unsure what to do to not appear outrageously hypocritical.

We are both gamers too which doesn't help, but I'm sure we'll work it out.

I got a tv when I was about 13 if I remember rightly but moved out when I was 17. Seems an odd one to restrict the internet to a 20 year old but then I suppose it's your house your rules.

Yes, I do think restricting internet/TV beyond the age of 18 is OTT. They're old enough to regulate their own viewing/usage by then.

Mind you, I knew someone whose massively controlling father wouldn't even let her watch TV at uni and still, at the age of 27 and long since moved out, has to call home every morning to let daddy dearest know she's got to work okay. Some real issues in that family.

Not yet, ds (12) has an old desktop in his room, which he uses occasionaly to watch a dvd.

I am thinking 16, maybe. Depends a lot whether younger DC will sneak in there when my back is turned, in which case Never.
I barely ever watch TV myself, we wouldn't have one in the house at all if it were up to me.

16+ years

But TidyDancer I have a 20 year old and a 17 year old [who is busy studing for AS levels]

How can I regulate the 17 year olds internet use without also regulating the 20 year olds. I'm not going to take the 17 year olds laptop away everynight and leave the internet switched on, just so my 20 year old can make her own choice about whether or not she wants to use the internet at 2 o clock in the morning.

As I said earlier I don't think it does anyone any good to be on their computer in the middle of the night, so I switch it off.

Never - TV does not fall in the category of 'relaxing' for me (ergo my children) and (putting me in the class of fool who believes everything they read in the papers) there is some evidence to show a negative relationship between watching TV and sleep.

It is also a control issue - I like to know what my two (4,6) are watching

Never. Don't see a need for it at all.

I find it very strange that this is seen by many people as something that will of course happen at some point. Why should children have TVs in their bedrooms, or adults for that matter? I don't think watching a DVD before bed is really very good for children. And the idea of several members of family all watching TV in their separate rooms is sad!

I'd chuck the TV altogether. Life is much better without it.

Never, whilst living with me!

I'm not saying I know the solution Quick, I'm just saying that being 20 years old and not being able to choose these things for yourself is a bit . Though if it is more about wanting them in bed at 11, perhaps taking away the laptop is the solution.

And I would never have one in our room either!! Just can't imagine why anyone would want a TV in their or their DCs room...

We have one tv downstairs in the living room, we got rid of the one in our room years ago (on one of my tackling my insomnia missions). I have DC of 4 and 2 yrs, and there is no way they are having a tv in their room, possibly ever...

We have a portable DVD and my almost 7 year old is allowed one DVD on it in bed on Friday and Sat nights. Nver in the week...the problem wih TVs is they fast become a babysitter....when you're knackered and you know that shoving a DVD on will make them stay in bed it is very tempting.

This is not good...when school begins they need sleep...a story and sleep.

Yours are very young.

DH says never, I say maybe 15+?

We have a TV in the sitting room and a portable in our room, so sometimes DC(10 and 11) watch a bit in our room if they don't want to watch what is on the main one (they only watch about an hour a day usually - they find plently of other things to do!)

Never ever.
Never had one as kids and had one briefly at uni for one year. Had one with ex as he insisted. Don't have one with dh as he isn't used to it either.
DD will never be having one either :)

Never.

DS1 had one from 5, DS2 is 4 and got one this weekend.

we have one in the living room and one in our bedroom. I like to hide away in my bedroom when the boys have friends over and take over the tv in the lounge for playing on the wii etc They've never asked for one in their room (age 11 & 8).

I got one at 13/14 but my mother had fairly strict rules about when I could watch it, which I more-or-less stuck to.

If I had teenagers now I would let them have laptops in their rooms but no TV.

18yrs and only if they buy it themselves.

DS1 is 18 and has his own TV with freeview and a desktop pc for which he has unlimited and unsupervised access, as he is an adult and therefore makes his own choices.