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
mumutd · 27/04/2011 10:37

My children are 10, 8, 4 and 2 and none of them have a TV/computer in their bedroom. We do have a playroom downstairs that has a TV in and the Wii, they are allowed to access the TV during the week and the Wii on the weekends.

We also have a PS3 in the living room, my 10 yr old enjoys playing on this but he only gets to go on for about an hour on a weekend. He has friends who have a PS3 in their bedrooms and they spend pretty much all of their time locked away playing online games, very anti-social.

I think if you are going to introduce a TV in the bedroom you have to set some ground rules, my friends girls have a TV in theirs and they now kick up a major fuss if they are not allowed to watch a DVD before bedtime (every night). For me it just isn't worth the hassle.

Do you have a seperate room downstairs where the TV can go?

Nefret · 27/04/2011 10:38

My children wont be having a tv in their bedrooms at any point. They do watch some tv and dvds in the lounge but I don't agree with tvs in the bedroom, I wouldn't have one either.

Housemum · 27/04/2011 10:41

DD1 had hers at Christmas - she's now 18. Before that, we had an old TV in the spare room with games consoles attached, but as she's an adult we felt she was sensible enough to regulate her own viewing, and deserved to be able to watch whatever she wanted without having to consider suitability for her 8 and 3 year old sisters.

The problem with TV is it's so easy to "zone out" and cut yourself off, in an entirely different way from taking yourself off to your room with a book. It's such easy entertainment, involving no effort, that my other girls also won't get TVs in their bedrooms while they are still children.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about these subjects:

1 year olds 2 year olds Babies & sleep Children's sleep
MaryAnnSingleton · 27/04/2011 10:53

never !

SofaQueen · 27/04/2011 11:09

Another absolutely never here.

No games consoles either. He watches the occasional video (only during term breaks) on the communal tele. No big loss as his schedule seems so packed that he prefers reading for fun or lego during his down time.

However, we are not a big tele watching family - I never watch it, prefer to catch up on any shows (more like documentaries) on iplayer or itunes, and DH uses it only to watch the footy.

mopsyflopsy · 27/04/2011 11:09

My kids have a radio/cd player in their room and they love listening to audio books (where they use their imagination), as well as to music while they're doing something else.

Before bedtime I encourage my children to relax while reading a book.

There is also surprisingly little time left for tv after doing their homework, eating together, practising their instruments, playing games/outside, having friends round etc.

Even dh and I rarely watch tv (sometimes after 9pm when the kids are in bed) and we'll sometimes all watch a movie together on the weekends.

So, no I can't see a need for a tv in any of our bedrooms Smile.

mayanna123 · 27/04/2011 11:21

Never - I'd rather they played with lego, drew pictures, read a book, play with their friends or sleep in their bedrooms.

No computers or games consoles either.

rockinhippy · 27/04/2011 12:14

Mine was 4, but for DVDs only & only with my/DHs say so

she is 8 now & its still not connected to an arial, considering that for her 9th birthday with parental controls, as its something she's asked for

she does have a separate little room within a room sort of thing - high sleeper bed with a curtained den, lights sofa, shelves & all her media stuff underneath - so it doesn't interfere with her sleeping area though

rockinhippy · 27/04/2011 12:17

I should perhaps add - the novelty soon wore off though - she rarely uses it on her own, prefers crafts & reading - but loves to have her friends over & they play "cinema" & the likes in her room :)

Spudulika · 27/04/2011 12:47

Another vote for 'never'.

DC's 5, 7 and 11.

I want them to read and they're more likely to do this if they don't have a telly in their room.

CeeMac · 27/04/2011 12:57

I'm not sure whether this will be helpful given that my daughter is now 10. However her Father did buy her a portable tv for her room when she was around 6 but at the time she did not have her own bedroom. We have since moved and she does have the tv in her room however I do have to be vigilant about what she watches and with her bedtime being just before watershed, I am able to ensure that she does not tune in to adult themed programmes. I personally wouldn't have gone down the "tv in the bedroom" road, if it wasn't a gift from her Father, and would have waited until my daughter were a lot older. I enjoy watching tv with her, although preoccupied it is still valid time together and as she has become older it has become another way of generating conversation. Hope this helps!

stillstanding · 27/04/2011 13:10

Absolutely never from me. I don't have one either. Awful. I can see why people would consider this for a teenager but really do think that your children are waaaaay too young. Not sure how much tv they should be watching at all, let alone in the bedroom.

hmc · 27/04/2011 13:18

I'm not against it for older teenagers (it's natural to not want to spend time with your decrepit parents at that age - its a developmental phase) but don't think it is helpful for pre-teens

rachel234 · 27/04/2011 17:11

I agree with the 'never' approach.

I'd much rather they'd read a book or played a game than watching telly, be this in their room or downstairs. Naturally they're less likely to do this if they are tempted by a tv in front of them Smile.

mathanxiety · 27/04/2011 17:16

Teens need private headspace though.

I remember my mum railing against listening to music or background noise while doing homework, and finding the silence impossible to work to. The DCs have mp3s or ipods and work just fine.

lambethlil · 27/04/2011 17:58

Never, but...mine have laptops so they watch tv on those in their rooms, I do regularly confiscate them regulate their use in a way that wouldn't be practical with a TV.

I remember when I was at school the very few kids with TVs in their rooms were thought of as uncared for, and I feel the same now. DH and I have never had one in the bedroom and never would.

TheRepublican · 27/04/2011 18:10

the very few kids with TVs in their rooms were thought of as uncared for, and I feel the same now

I'm offended by that remark

MN does my bloody head in sometimes ,all this ,I'm a better parent than you bollocks .smug smug smug

NotaMopsa · 27/04/2011 19:59

I empathise therepublican but earlier on the thread someone insinuated by not introducing tvs to our childrens bedrooms we were infact 'banning' them making our children play out in the dark and rain and glueing our children to our sides 24/7

Works both ways don't fear Smile

hmc · 27/04/2011 23:33

Republican - just mentally dismiss anyone with wildly different views to you as a bit of twunt. Works for me!

friendlymonica · 28/04/2011 00:59

So basically lambethlil, you have grown up adopting your parents views and now plan on making sure your kids do the same? There seems to be no room for manouvere at all and your way is the right way.

I think its fine that some people on here feel strongly that they dont want their kids watching tv, and i totally respect them for it- (Notamopsa)

However, i feel its unnecessary to assume that "children are uncared for" because some parents choose to do things a little differently than what seems to be the norm! That seems a little narrow minded to me and it would horrify me(probably in the same way) to think that my DD was growing up to think that no-one elses opinions mattered!

Also,just because my DD has a tv does NOT mean that she dosent read, listen to the radio or take part in any of the other activities mentioned. I dont think it has to be one or the other.

lambethlil · 28/04/2011 08:28

Re "were thought of as uncared for". I doubt my parents had a view on TVs in bedrooms, it would have been too expensive, no space, no aerial (pre VCR), this was the opinion of the children without TVs of those who were constantly falling asleep in class having 'stayed up to watch Hill Street Blues'.

I was at primary school in the 70s and there were very few children with TVs in bedrooms; they were very expensive, families often rented a TV so there weren't spare TVs around. The parents who put TV's in their kids bedrooms had elected (at great expense) to remove them from the family room, and yes those children did seem uncared for.

My first instinct now seeing DCs with TVs in room is still to feel sorry for them BUT I do acknowledge that's a hangover from how they were seen back then.

friendlymonica- the point is that having a TV in the bedroom is now the norm (perhaps it doesn't feel that way on Mumsnet). I have manouvered in that my DCs have laptops in their bedrooms, with all the managing that that entails.

poppydaisy · 28/04/2011 11:20

I think the 'uncared' for comment only applies when parents use the tv as a babysitter. So instead of interacting with their children, reading to them, playing a game with them, they simply put them in front of the tv. Worse, if they let them watch late at night and not ensure that their kids get a good nights sleep.

gabid · 28/04/2011 13:35

I have not read the whole thread, but I wouldn't let mine (6 and 2) have a TV in their room. There are many reasons and one of them is that too much telly hinders language development. One of DS's school friends (5) has a TV in his room, talks about how many DVDs he has and how much Cbeebies he watches. When DS is at his house they are mainly in his room with some snacks and have the TV on. He also has the TV to go too sleep. That boy has poor language skills and gets extra help with English at school. Of course, there could be many reasons for the language delay but unlimited TV can't be helpful.

We don't really watch much telly as a family, the children mainly watch DVDs in the lounge. However, our second TV is in our bedroom! And I watch it after DCs have gone to bed. So when they get older its hard to argue against it - a bit like 'do as I say and not as I do'.

gabid · 28/04/2011 13:45

friendlymonica - your dd doesn't generally go beyond the boundaries you have set? I thought all children try that - and if just to see whether these boundaries are still there. You must have a truly amazing DD!

Swipe left for the next trending thread