TVs in children's bedrooms?

[MumMumMum]

I had a tv in my room. I did have a habit of putting it on to fall asleep to. Usually Friends or something really familiar. Had to break the habit when DH was sleeping in the same room as he needs darkness and quiet.
I didn't have one until I was a teenager though. It took a lot of begging and in the end my Dad got me one (he didn't live with us. Didn't go down well with my Mum at first but I was chuffed! )

I hope to be in a bigger house by the time the girls are teens so they can have their own lounge/snug/chill out room. Space to be stroppy teenage girls and feel a bit of independence. If we are not in a bigger house then I will let them have a tv for the evenings. Not before bed as such but so they can watch what they want without causing arguments between them or with me if I want to watch something 'boring' like the news.

 

[Rhi_Rhi1]

Seem to be of the minority here... but my lo has a tv in his room, I forget it's there though it get used so little! Prolly because it is only for watching dvds on and we mostly only buy blu ray now. But yeah he never uses it to watch tv. I don't think it has even been on yet this year... so I don’t think having a tv means you will have sleep problems etc etc although I can imagine some children go to sleep with them on. We also have a tv in our room (a second sky box too) but I spend nearly as much time in my room as I do in my living room it's not just a sleeping space plus I have awful tinnitus and I sleep with it droning on in the background because it is better than ringing

 

[lhancock90]

i don't think anyone should have a tv in their room - it interferes with sleep.

Not all the time

 

[lovelylaura]

Nope not in bedrooms. We don't have one in our's and i honestly couldn't imagine a scenario when they would need one. If poppy needs some quiet time she'll happily spend an hour in her own company looking at books or playing with her little people. When they are teenagers i might rethink it then, but only if they ask.

 

[lau86]

Keeping an open mind here. I had a black and white one (!!!!) then a colour one growing up. You've just gotta make sure it's not overused, like anything really

Eta we have a 40 incher in our bedroom, I don't care what anyone else says I love lying in bed watching it!!!

 

[MommyJogger]

i don't think anyone should have a tv in their room - it interferes with sleep.

Not all the time

I think there will always be exceptions, but most people don't even realize that almost any wake-time activity done in the sleep space will make sleeping more difficult/less restful. It's not just watching tv, teens who lay on the bed talking on the phone will theoretically experience the same thing. Some (rich) people have even started making their bedroom into two rooms-- a tiny room with just a bed/nightstand and a larger room where they store the rest of their "room things" (desks, vanities, toys, whatever).

 

[Tiff]

Ours won't. Both my hubby and I were raised not having them in our rooms, whatever we wanted to watch we could in the living room. So Claire will have the same. She probably won't have a computer in her room until she's much older or can afford to buy one on her own.

That's just us though, not saying its right/wrong for anyone else.

 

[MrsButterfly]

Keeping an open mind here. I had a black and white one (!!!!) then a colour one growing up. You've just gotta make sure it's not overused, like anything really

Eta we have a 40 incher in our bedroom, I don't care what anyone else says I love lying in bed watching it!!!

I also had a b&w one (showing our age perhaps…!) when I was young - say about 7 or 8 and I would watch a small amount in my room but it would always be off for bedtime. I would be very open to lo having one when he is older - I think as with all things, if its in moderation it shouldn't pose an issue.

 

[Fergie]

We have a TV in our bedroom, but Boo & Haribo won't have one until they're at secondary school. The only reason we have one in our room is that my OH and I watch totally different things, he's a fishing & wild animal prog fan and I can't stand them. This way each of us can watch what we want with no arguments. Plus i'm as deaf as a post so use the subtitles and it drives him nuts .

 

[staralfur]

I got a TV in my room when I was 16 and I loved it. I still love snuggling in bed for an hour before going to sleep and watching a sitcom or something. That being said I cannot fall asleep with the TV on, it drives me nuts.

My LO definitely won't have a TV in her room when she's young, perhaps when she's 16 like my parents did with me.

 

[Jes.shortcake]

We have a tv in our room but I love stupid reality shows that he hates so I have to watch them in the bedroom lol

I grew up with a tv in my room..my DH did not. He didn't have one till he was 16. Maybe when LO gets to the age where watching tv with mommy and daddy isn't cool or fun anymore we'll discuss it

 

[sparkle_1979]

No it's not something we would have. We have two TV that they watch but their rooms are for playing and sleeping in x

 

[vermeil]

Heh we are against tv period. We have one TV in the basement to watch movies on. We have no cable it's hooked to a PC. Its for us after kids are in bed. We allow our 3 year old the occasional video or show on the tablet but never during meal times. We listen to the radio while playing with him

He won't get a pc in his room either so we can monitor it. My dh has 3 younger brothers (under 12) and they are always in their own rooms on their own PC playing games, even the 7 year old plays violent wargames it got so ridiculous their parents finally brought all computers to the living room so they could have some semblance of a family life and control what they do a bit...

My sister has kids the same age 3and 4 and they are already desensitized to the TV. My son finds movies like cars scary (its fast paced and loud) , he will STARE at the TV if its turned on. My sister's kids just ignore it and don't seem bothered no matter whats on.

My son keeps talking about lightening McQueen and spiderman and he's 3! He doesnt even know who spiderman is, has never seen a show but wont shut up about him so clearly he is picking up his cultural references just fine without TV from daycare

My sister brags often that she gets to eat in peace because she serves her kids in a separate room in front on their huge TV. I could never do that, but her kids seem happy of course. I have no delusions that I'll be able to keep him away for long but while his world view is still so fragile and influence able (he's a sensitive, quiet child) we'll do just fine without TV and it's Disney princesses, magic air fresheners, half dressed sexy housewives and all other nonsense on there

Just today he watched some of the new Disney movie frozen with his cousins.. I brought over a wonderful, beautiful children's movie, Ernest &Celestine, great story, no violence etc but nope after 15 minutes they were already moaning for frozen which they've seen about 50 times because that's all they ever see,Disney movies... So we switched movies...Yet another princess young girl pining after her fairy prince, blah. I keep trying to share other great kids movies but nope, too weird (ie not predictable disney) for them. Don't get me started or this will turn into areal rant) =p

 

[lhancock90]

Heh we are against tv period. We have one TV in the basement to watch movies on. We have no cable it's hooked to a PC. Its for us after kids are in bed. We allow our 3 year old the occasional video or show on the tablet but never during meal times. We listen to the radio while playing with him

He won't get a pc in his room either so we can monitor it. My dh has 3 younger brothers (under 12) and they are always in their own rooms on their own PC playing games, even the 7 year old plays violent wargames it got so ridiculous their parents finally brought all computers to the living room so they could have some semblance of a family life and control what they do a bit...

My sister has kids the same age 3and 4 and they are already desensitized to the TV. My son finds movies like cars scary (its fast paced and loud) , he will STARE at the TV if its turned on. My sister's kids just ignore it and don't seem bothered no matter whats on.

My son keeps talking about lightening McQueen and spiderman and he's 3! He doesnt even know who spiderman is, has never seen a show but wont shut up about him so clearly he is picking up his cultural references just fine without TV from daycare

My sister brags often that she gets to eat in peace because she serves her kids in a separate room in front on their huge TV. I could never do that, but her kids seem happy of course. I have no delusions that I'll be able to keep him away for long but while his world view is still so fragile and influence able (he's a sensitive, quiet child) we'll do just fine without TV and it's Disney princesses, magic air fresheners, half dressed sexy housewives and all other nonsense on there

Just today he watched some of the new Disney movie frozen with his cousins.. I brought over a wonderful, beautiful children's movie, Ernest &Celestine, great story, no violence etc but nope after 15 minutes they were already moaning for frozen which they've seen about 50 times because that's all they ever see,Disney movies... So we switched movies...Yet another princess young girl pining after her fairy prince, blah. I keep trying to share other great kids movies but nope, too weird (ie not predictable disney) for them. Don't get me started or this will turn into areal rant) =p

I thought Frozen is such a big deal because its NOT about needing a prince? Its more about the independence of the princess? Just tossing that in there, as i've heard it mentioned a few times.


The mealtime thing is awful, i adore the family sit down meal with my girls and OH, its sad people prefer tv to sitting as a family.

 

[Pearls18]

I have no shame in saying I love Disney, watching a Disney movie with the boys takes me back to my childhood

 

[Abigailly]

Heh we are against tv period. We have one TV in the basement to watch movies on. We have no cable it's hooked to a PC. Its for us after kids are in bed. We allow our 3 year old the occasional video or show on the tablet but never during meal times. We listen to the radio while playing with him

He won't get a pc in his room either so we can monitor it. My dh has 3 younger brothers (under 12) and they are always in their own rooms on their own PC playing games, even the 7 year old plays violent wargames it got so ridiculous their parents finally brought all computers to the living room so they could have some semblance of a family life and control what they do a bit...

My sister has kids the same age 3and 4 and they are already desensitized to the TV. My son finds movies like cars scary (its fast paced and loud) , he will STARE at the TV if its turned on. My sister's kids just ignore it and don't seem bothered no matter whats on.

My son keeps talking about lightening McQueen and spiderman and he's 3! He doesnt even know who spiderman is, has never seen a show but wont shut up about him so clearly he is picking up his cultural references just fine without TV from daycare

My sister brags often that she gets to eat in peace because she serves her kids in a separate room in front on their huge TV. I could never do that, but her kids seem happy of course. I have no delusions that I'll be able to keep him away for long but while his world view is still so fragile and influence able (he's a sensitive, quiet child) we'll do just fine without TV and it's Disney princesses, magic air fresheners, half dressed sexy housewives and all other nonsense on there

Just today he watched some of the new Disney movie frozen with his cousins.. I brought over a wonderful, beautiful children's movie, Ernest &Celestine, great story, no violence etc but nope after 15 minutes they were already moaning for frozen which they've seen about 50 times because that's all they ever see,Disney movies... So we switched movies...Yet another princess young girl pining after her fairy prince, blah. I keep trying to share other great kids movies but nope, too weird (ie not predictable disney) for them. Don't get me started or this will turn into areal rant) =p

Frozen isn't a typical Disney movie though. It actually has a lovely moral to the story. It's all about being able to be yourself without the restrictions of society, it's not even subtle, my 4 year old has picked up on it.

SPOILER
The whole point is that to unfreeze her an act of true love must happen, which is the unconditional love of a sister. Not of a man. There's a even a line in it "You can't marry a man you just met", which is Disney having a dig at itself. Why would you judge a whole movie before you've even read about it, let alone seen it.

While I understand your dislike for TV, my DD has a strict limit on how much she can watch and it's always pre recorded. She doesn't just sit and watch programme after programme.

Do you not find that the complete banishment of TV to your son is already having a detrimental effect? With his obsession with it when it is there?

Also, do you not find that his learning is now limited to when you teach him? We have a show here called 'Something Special', it's about children with disabilities and the presenter uses sign language. I would never of thought of teaching her Makaton, howerver she now has well over 200 signs in hr vocabulary and we have progressed onto BSL together with which she is learning at a scary rate.

Do you not consider some shows, like most on Cbeebies, to be great learning tools?

I don't mean to pick on you, you just have very similar views to those I did before I had children and they are a few things I've wondered about my own views had i carried on with a tele ban.

 

[Abigailly]

I have no shame in saying I love Disney, watching a Disney movie with the boys takes me back to my childhood

I see nothing wrong with Disney. It's what you make of it. DD LOVES most films, including Disney, but she doesn't think that birds will help her get dressed in the morning or that she needs to kiss the frogs in out pond to find herself a husband.

 

[Tiff]

I agree, Frozen is totally not like your typical Disney movie. I agree, I chuckled a bit when the guy chastises Anna for getting engaged to someone she just met (which ends up biting her in the butt later on).

I am hit or miss with Disney movies, I tend to not like the "princess" ones at all. But Frozen was an amazing movie! We all loved it.

 

[lhancock90]

I think Toy Story is good for kids, the whole Woody/Buzz thing teaches how to handle jealously etc?

 

[Tiff]

Yep, we tend to watch the non-princess ones. Toy Story, Jungle Book, Winnie the Pooh etc.

Not that the princess ones are bad mind you, I just don't overly like them and never pushed Claire to watch them. She hated princesses for quite awhile which was NEVER my intention. Crazy how quick they pick up on your likes/dislikes. School is starting to influence her though and she's finally okay with them.

They are little sponges though. Never once did I say no to watching them (we have a few of them like Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid) and she'd refuse to watch them.