Active discussions

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Parenting

For free parenting resources please check out the Early Years Alliance's Family Corner.

Original poster

How old before TV in bedroom?

262 replies

Mummywalsh · 25/04/2011 17:38

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?

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
Set a reminder
eggsbunsnbunnies · 25/04/2011 19:28

Interesting book on this & other screen time issues "The winter of our disconnect". I'm more in the no TV in bedroom camp than I was before, accepting it's anecdotal.

HighFibreDiet · 26/04/2011 14:15

That looks like an interesting book, eggsbunsnbunnies.

I'm with the 'never' camp, or at least not until they are adults. I wouldn't be happy having a tv in my own bedroom either but then I grew up in a house without a tv so I am quite happy living without it completely. My computer is quite another thing but even so I would rarely take it into my bedroom.

MummyBerryJuice · 26/04/2011 15:37

Never

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

1 year olds 2 year olds Babies & sleep Children's sleep
follyfoot · 26/04/2011 15:38

I'm in the 'never' camp too. DD is 17.

cheesesarnie · 26/04/2011 15:42

ive just got one and im 33(or 34?-as you can see its mashed my brainGrin)
dc have one in playroom for dvds/videos but after initial excitement wore off,its hardly used.
(i use it occasionally,the beanbags in there are extra comfy!).

cheesesarnie · 26/04/2011 15:43

forgot to say-they wont be getting a bedroom one.unless they save up and buy one when theyre working.

MCos · 26/04/2011 15:46

I'm in the 'never' camp too. My 2 are 7 & 9. Laptop use is limited to the kitchen currently, but in a few years time, I can see myself turning off the router once they go to bed! My 2 girls have CD players in their bedrooms, and listen to music before going asleep, and the read or have a story read to them before that.

midnightexpress · 26/04/2011 15:48

Never. For all sorts of reasons.

IslaValargeone · 26/04/2011 15:48

Never.

brightermornings · 26/04/2011 15:50

My ds was 9 he's now 16. My dd is 9 and I don't feel the need to get her one she does have a portable dvd player which she watches dvd's on not every night but I do check she's not got it on when I go to bed. I have one in my room but in winter I go to bed early to save on the heating bill!!

upahill · 26/04/2011 15:52

Unless a person is bed ridden or has to spend any length of time in bed for medical reasons I don't see any reason why ANYONE needs a tv in their room.

usualsuspect · 26/04/2011 15:53

I like watching trashy TV in bed

NosyCrow · 26/04/2011 15:55

Neither 12 yr old nor 10 yr old has TV in bedroom - we've one family TV in the sitting room, and I feel that the younger one watches more than enough reruns of Friends as it is. But they each have a laptop. They tend, at the moment, to use them in the kitchen or the sitting room, but they can use them in their bedrooms if they want them to... which is, of course, potentially much more of an issue than TV watching. Perhaps because of the geography of our house (essentially a series of single rooms with a narrow staircase running up the side!) means that they don't choose to spend ages in their own rooms except when they're in bed and reading/asleep.

thisisyesterday · 26/04/2011 15:55

mine won't have one until they're old enough to buy one themselves and put it there.

CotesduRhone · 26/04/2011 15:58

I'm with "Never" too, I'm afraid. Too much temptation when they get older, and doesn't encourage seeing your room as somewhere for sleeping and relaxing.

But then I wouldn't have a TV in my own bedroom either.

Insomnia11 · 26/04/2011 16:02

I don't want them to have a TV or computer in their room ever if possible, though I had a small black and white portable in my room from being about 7, as it was somewhere to put the spare telly - but in the context that TV wasn't exactly 24hrs a day then...

DD1 (5) has a Radio/CD/MP3 player in her room though as she likes to go to sleep to music or listening to a kids' relaxation CD. I'm also thinking of getting one for DD2's room (2) as she gets fed up of the tinkly tunes on the baby monitor, at some point they will share a room but CD players are so cheap we will probably just get one now.

Insomnia11 · 26/04/2011 16:04

We have one though - often I fall asleep watching TV downstairs so I think I may as well go to bed, watch TV and fall asleep in bed, in my pyjamas.

mamalovesmojitos · 26/04/2011 16:08

Never.

DumSpiroSpero · 26/04/2011 16:12

I can see the argument against TV's in bedrooms, especially for small children, but I can't get my head around them being the paragon of all that is negative that some seem to think they are.

I had a TV in my room at 10 - it didn't stop me having a social life, taking part in groups and activities or being educated to post-grad level.

DD is 6 and a half - she loves watching TV - she is also considered a further learner and gifted & talented at reading and writing.

I wouldn't let her have a TV at this age (we have a portable DVD player that she's allowed in her room occasionally in the holidays or at weekends if she has a friend round), but would probably consider it when she's about 12, as I feel that by that age she will be wanting her own space and to make her own choices more. She will need to learn to do that and take responsibility for those choices as an adult so she can start by learning to control her TV habits!

CotesduRhone · 26/04/2011 16:15

Understood, DumSpiroSpero, but I think it's possible that you had a TV at a time before 24 hour broadcasting? Grin I know myself I would have been rubbish at policing my viewing and would be up all night watching Maury re-runs.

ZillahWhoDrankTooMuchGin · 26/04/2011 16:16

DS1 (10) has a tv / dvd in his room - he got it last Christmas - only really watches his DVDs a few times a week and maybe a bit of CBBC in a morning. Both he and DS2 (8) have laptops in their rooms - it's not really an issue for us. I'm always about to see what they've got on youtube or whatever and they love reading Wikis of the things they are passionate about.

We alspo have family tv time say on a Saturday night but rarely have the Tv on in the lounge - we use it more for the Wii if i'm honest....we play alot of family games on the wii too. I don't equate technology in their bedrooms with anything dodgy or anti social - we do alot of things together and they're not stuck up their rooms with square eyes for hours on end.

SleepyCaz · 26/04/2011 16:19

My son had a TV/DVD combo for his Third birthday. There is no access to a TV aerial in his room though, so it can only be used for watching DVD's on, as and when DH and I decide. The remote (which he doesn't know how to use anyway) and his DVD's are on top of his wardrobe.

Guess maybe around age 11 ish for the TV aerial access, but even then I'd restrict what time it went on/off.

FriedEggyAndSlippery · 26/04/2011 16:20

"Bedrooms are for sleeping, reading and talking. NOT for screen time of any sort."

Yep. Though there is an additional reason when it's an adult bedroom - DH and I don't have a tv in our room either :o

DumSpiroSpero · 26/04/2011 16:28

True Cotes - although I must admit did used to set my alarm for 4.30am on a Sunday morning to watch a programme about some bloke going on fishing trips around Australia, followed by The Hitman & Her!!!

SauvignonBlanche · 26/04/2011 16:29

Don't do it OP they're far too young (IMHO).
I wouldn't say never but they's have to be over 18 and have bought it themselves.