My 4-year-old broke 4 TVs in one month... What should I do?

[LunaDream0]

Hi all,

I'm feeling a bit frustrated and overwhelmed at the moment, and I hope someone can offer some advice or support. My 4-year-old son has somehow managed to break four TVs in the last month! I’m not even sure how it’s happening, but each time I turn around, there’s a new screen crack or malfunction. It’s honestly starting to feel like we’re living in a nightmare!

I know kids can be rough on things, but I’ve never had this happen before, and it’s really making me question if I need to be doing something differently. Should I be more proactive in teaching him how to treat electronics? Or maybe I need to find a way to limit his access to the TV altogether?

Has anyone else dealt with something similar? How do you handle a situation like this without completely losing your mind?

Any tips or reassuring words would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

You can buy screen protectors off Amazon
We've had one broke in the past by a rogue Lego brick

If children are starting to think about Christmas, then it is exactly the time to tell them Santa won't come to naughty children. They have time to modify their behaviour

I see that you do not know how he is breaking them. It must be happening when he is unsupervised in the room. It must require some force, determination and a suitable tool.

Some thoughts:
Do not allow him in the TV room unsupervised
Put a protective cover on the TV
Do not allow TV watching for him at all - tell him he is too small to watch TV as he does not treat it properly, and he can watch it when he is more grown up.
Have a TV in a room that only other members of the family can go into. A lock if needs be.

Does he run around breaking other things?

@LunaDream0 is this going to be a drip feed, it all seems a bit vague of details

You need to supervise your kid more if he’s so destructive…,live had 3 kids and 3 grandkids…..and not one of them has broken a TV yet…..one broke a vase once….that’s about it

Well, that could be her answer then.

I strongly disagree.

Are the tvs wall mounted?
We had to do it and we've never had a problem since the Lego incident also if my kids disrespect my things I will do the same with theirs and I've put toys in the bin plenty of times, sounds harsh but you gotta be cruel to be kind sometimes, my eldest are 5&6 this month and they understand how to be respectful of things that cost money
What is he like in other peoples houses??
I'd be on pins!!

we had a VERY strict 'DO NOT TOUCH' rule around our TV and the cabinet/stand it was on.

It was something we instilled from the moment they were mobile, i don't understand how your 4yo doesn't already know not to touch it?

Off topic, but I don't understand how people can tell somethings been written by AI. Maybe that's because I've got ASD, but it seems fine to me.

this is why children will never learn that actions have consequences.
but they will learn that poor behaviour is as well rewarded as good behaviour, so what's the point of trying to modify ones actions

If you follow through and don't give them presents from Santa, that's unnecessarily cruel. If you don't follow through, and give them presents from Santa anyway, then it's an idle threat. Either way, it's not a very effective parenting strategy in the longer term IMO.

Anyway, these threads are so tedious. Is OP actually going to give us more details as requested? I can't believe there are many people stupid rich enough to replace a TV 4 times in one month.

How is he breaking them? That's madness to have bought 3 new ones.. I taught mine never to touch the TV and just keep an eye if they're throwing/waving things. At 4 though he really should know (bar no additional needs etc)

Lockable tv cabinet

frankly the less they’re on screens the better anyway

I’ve never had this and brought up four children.

Dreadful advice.

@Rowen32 both my boys have autism, they still understand right from wrong (mostly) 😂
I still have to enforce consequences, otherwise they'd run rings round me, I've got a daughter too and if she sees them getting away with stuff she will follow in their footsteps and she's a force to be reckoned with 😅

We kept the TV covered with a sheet of mdf (held in place by other furniture) when DS1 was little. Would something like this work?

I have 3 kids with SN (parenting over 16 years) and non have ever broke a telly.

We have a large 'modern' smart telly on a small stand right in their play room which has not been broken. At worst a few finger smudges to wipe off where my toddler has tried to touch the picture.

As others have said our kids even play football in there and are quite boisterous but they respect not breaking things.

Its really not normal, I could see one being broken as a random accident (could happen to anyone even an adult) but 2 in a month, 4 in a month or 7 in a year... thats really not in any realm of normal. Its really bizarre some people are thinking it is normal and the fault of telly's being 'too flimsy'. I would say it smacks far more of a lack of parental rules and supervision.

we fitted the tv to the wall after the first time, they did manage to break another after 3 years but they have been told that the new one wont be replaced and are being more responsible

They are non verbal & autistic with GDD as well so do not understand consequences.
First two were toys thrown at the screen- pp say to OP to supervise- what if they were just as I was for all our broken telly's? I was in the room trying to de escalate the behaviour when they got broken.

I don't know how many of you are excellent goalies but I've done some goalie type doves to save my telly's!.

Saying no or explaining rules like "don't hit the tv" simply doesn't get through to my DC unfortunately.

We removed all toys from the room, he found other ways to get hold of things to throw at the telly. If not throwing he will run and hit the screen hard.

But where in the living room? Just on a TV stand?

If so, fix it on high on the wall.

How?

Sorry Hobbio I've just seen your reply to someone else!

Install the TV high up in a corner of the wall. You can some stands now that allow you to angle the TV whichever way you want.

I'm surprised you've been able to buy 3 or 4 replacement TVs in a month, it would take me ages to buy just one.