What do you think about teenagers having TVs in their rooms?

[mumblechum]

DS is 13 and although he hasn't said anything directly, he's been hinting that he wants a tv in his room.

I asked dh what he thought and he thinks it's a bad idea, as he can't be trusted to switch it off at a sensible time, and also it's quite nice for all three of us to watch tv together (we only watch TV 3 nights a week normally and it's only recorded films or series which we all like). DH also thinks ds will game a lot more if he has a tv in his room.

Do your teenagers have their own TVs, and if so are there any problems?

[cory]

For young children (under 10), I think a television in their rooms is always a bad idea.

For older children, I feel it's going to be a case of what suits your individual family. So that's going to be a no for us then .

[shimmy]

mine don't and wont until they are old enough to buy one for themselves with their own wages. Music I have no problem with.

dh and I had one in our room in our old house and I hated it. We do our best talking in bed if there's no distractions

[Tortington]

mine have had tv's in their rooms

thisover precous shit is getting on my tits quitefrankly and i am blaming my venom on the moon.

mockingly>>> ooooooooooh sebastian is far too busy with polo and lacross and studying for the entrance to harrow ( he got in early y'know)

we don't have a tv in out house becuase we havent got time - what with growing organic carrots breastfeeding unwanted children, chicken keeping and baking organic cakes.

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[tearinghairout]

No, mine don't - and won't. The 'their taste is different from yours' thing is true, so we all watch TV as a family & compromise on what we watch & take turns to choose, if necessary. Then I come on MN!

My DS still finds reading a bit of a struggle (he's 14) but he has to practice & if he had a TV he'd never read, I'm sure.

[AbbeyA]

If my sons had TVs in their rooms they would never read a book-it is nothing to do with being precious.

[juuule]

Mine have tvs in their room and they manage to read books and do homework and go out and do other things

It's not a problem for us.

[AbbeyA]

I think that people should do what suits them, if you are happy with it then there is no problem.
I might weaken for a teenager but believe it to be very bad for an under 10's. However I wouldn't dream of dictating what other people should do.
I would hate to have a TV in my bedroom.

[juuule]

I would hate one in my room, too.

I think you have to judge for yourself the effect things have on your own child and if you think that they are overdoing an activity (whether that's tv or something else), remind them that there are other things to do.

[prettyupset]

.

[pagwatch]

my Ds is 15 and he has one.
If he works hard at school, reads copiously, is polite and well behaved , athletic, interesting, with good reports from school and frequently has to spend time helping his brother with SN and his sister I would frankly feel pretty stupid denying him this little bit of independence.

He is trustworthy and reliable. And i think watching a couple of hours of Dave is not going to change that.

[cory]

I don't think you're necessarily being overprecious if you're not into watching television. It's just one of a million possible ways of spending an evening, that's all. Not all families have to be the same. Just seems to me one of those cases where people might be allowed to choose for themselves. I for one refuse to sit through another episode of Eastenders just so that Custy won't find me precious. But then I'd be equally bored with the lentil weaving.

[Tortington]

i fail to see why you won't change your lifestyle on my say so

i don't watch telly. so nerrrrrrrrrrrrr thththspspspspspspspsplrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlrlr

[IllegallyBrunette]

My 10 & 8 yr olds have one in their rooms and have done for ages now.

Dd2 rarely uses hers and Dd1 uses hers alot, but is always watching some cooking programme or top gear or something.

I trust them both to not watch things that they know they aren't allowed to, like Hollyoaks, and so far I have never had a problem with either of them using the tv too much. They both love reading and playing outside, and the tv comes way behind both of these.

[mumblechum]

Hmm, I was all set for buying ds one for his birthday (a proper, lcd freeview, bla bla bla one) but in the meantime dragged an ancient portable one out of the cellar just to see whether he was that bothered. He watched it on Sat night as we were having a dinner party, but hasn't bothered with it since.

Maybe I'll save myself a few quid and not bother getting a posh one.