TV in a childs bedroom

fishdog

I dont agree with this at all. I am afraid what my child would watch and when (she is 4 now, but even when she is older).

I have worked for years as an electrician and I am amazed at the number of parents that want a TV in their child's bedroom, even at the age of 3!

Am I just getting old and out of touch???

Do you think it is healthy???

biko

Well, you can put a telly in and connect it to a video only (don't plug it into the wall at all) so the child can watch Disney movies occasionally.
But only from age 6 imo

davejones

Most parents i know including myself let their children have a television in their room.
but only to let them watch DVD's and not late at night.

dame

I think it's a bit anti-social. I know a family with three kids (all girls) and they recently gave them a tv each in their rooms (each child has her own room). The parents think it's great because now they don't fight over what to watch, they just all go off and watch their own thing. The house is a lot more peaceful apparently.

I also know a three year old who spends most of her time in her room watching kids tv or dvd's. Her mother thinks it's a God-send because it allows her to do things around the house without the child loooking for attention. I wonder why she can't just watch in the livingroom even and have a bit of chat while the mother wanders around cleaning? That same child wakes her parents early and gets one of them up to put on a dvd in her bedroom for her every single morning before she gets up, and insists on watching it through. Her mother wonders how she'll manage to get her up and out for school in the mornings next year. Madness!

Personally, I'd never let my kids have their own tv in their room. It would mean them spending more and more time in their room as they get older. I think a tv in the main livingroom and one in another main room of the house (playroom or kitchen or conservatory or somewhere) is plenty. That way two different programs can be watched but nobody's hiding away in their room.

fishdog

Most parents i know including myself let their children have a television in their room.
but only to let them watch DVD's and not late at night.

I am not tryig to be smart or rude, but why???

As a parent I dont encourage TV. I dont ban it, but I let her watch very little. Only as a treat, say on Sunday mornings. Now she very rarley askes to watch TV. It means that she is much more interested in books, painting, playing with friends etc. I feel that TV makes children anti social and it brain washes them.

davejones

fishdog wrote: »

I am not tryig to be smart or rude, but why???

As a parent I dont encourage TV. I dont ban it, but I let her watch very little. Only as a treat, say on Sunday mornings. Now she very rarley askes to watch TV. It means that she is much more interested in books, painting, playing with friends etc. I feel that TV makes children anti social and it brain washes them.

No it doesn't!!
It's like everything it needs to be in moderation .
Just because my kids watch telly doesn't mean they don't read books.They actually love to read.

fishdog

I feel that TV makes children anti social and it brain washes them.

davejones wrote: »

No it doesn't!!.

What do you think adds aimed at young children do??

davejones wrote: »

It's like everything it needs to be in moderation.

I agree. I dont doubt that you are a good parent.

davejones wrote: »

Just because my kids watch telly doesn't mean they don't read books.They actually love to read.

I am sure they do. But what advantage is watching TV for them??
Would it not be better if they were playing outside, coloring, painting developing?? Are you not afraid that they may watch TV late at night without you knowing??

flyz

Slightly off topic but this reminds me of people complaining a few years ago about Indiana Jones and Temple of Doom being on Christmas Day at dinner time. Why anyone would have the TV on at any meal let alone Christmas dinner I don't know.


I don't agree with TVs in kids bedrooms. I know people who use it as an aid to get the kids to sleep which I don't agree with at all.

Bedrooms are for sleeping in and dining tables are for eating at with your family.

TVs belong in the sitting room and other recreational rooms in the house like a kids playroom.

Nevyn

I think it is anti social and not a good thing at all.

Deliverance

Tv is antisocial even for adults. Point in fact, I lost my TV reception for 3months. I was climbing the walls for a while but eventually chose to do other things instead: read books, listened to the radio went out for more walks than usual etc. I found that I was able to contribute to and enjoy conversations with people a lot more, actually a hell of a lot more.

Therefore I won't ever put a mind numbing tv in my childs bedroom. If we want to watch tv we will do it together, and the viewing will be supervised. I think I will bring up my child and not leave it in any way to tv broadcasts which are 90% garbage.

l3LoWnA

My little one has a TV in her room and it's rarely switched on. However, if all the other TVs in the house (we live with 3 other adults and there are a few other TVs in the house) are in use and she is tired/needs to relax but it's not yet bed-time, we'll put on a DVD in her room (her favourites at the moment being Hi-5, Annie, The Secret Garden & The Wizard of Oz) and watch it together. I don't see the harm in it. I read somewhere before that watching DVDs repeatedly like Barney or other educational DVDs for kids is actually very very good for small children as they learn alot from it and each time they watch the same DVD repeated they learn more. Barney was a great influence on my little one when she was very small, he also helped me out greatly if I needed a shower/was cooking dinner etc as I lived alone with baby and knew she wouldn't move from on front of the TV if Barney was on. However, it's letting them watch random kids TV programs all the time for hours on end that causes problems. Aren't there so many violent kids programmes (cartoons) these days? Horrible.

I'd say the TV in my daughters' room is on about once a month though...she'd always rather be reading "silly" (as she can't read yet but likes to pretend she can) or being read to/doing puzzles or colouring where everyone else is in the house where she won't miss out on anything. The TV in her room comes in very handy though at times and really doesn't do any harm.

Kildrought

I hate the idea of TV in the bedroom - I have one TV in the house (and I agree w. Deliverance - I think it's one too many at times!) and refuse to get any more.

So what if they bicker over what to watch - it's called negotiation - an excellent skill to use in later life!

littlebug

No bedroom tvs here. the Pc monitor doubles as a telly in the event of conflicting tv needs but it's rarely used. I wouldn't put a tv in their rooms to be honest (though mine are very fond of the telly). I don't think it's such a big deal when they're little and it's only used for dvds etc but when they're a bit bigger and can take control over what they're watching then it would be more worrisome.

gamer

I think studys in us says too much tv ,over 2hrs per day can have strong negative effects on child mental development and brain formation because of overstimulation in visual imagery.THERES no netnanny prog for tvs ,you can tune out certain channels but still even rte shows 18rated violent films ,after 9pm.GO to library,get them books every week, if a child learns to read for pleasure, when they have to read/study they will be used to concentrating on one thing,for more than ten minutes.
See salon.com for info re study,it also links too much tv in childhood to autism.

BoozyBabe

fishdog wrote: »

I am not tryig to be smart or rude, but why???

As a parent I dont encourage TV. I dont ban it, but I let her watch very little. Only as a treat, say on Sunday mornings. Now she very rarley askes to watch TV. It means that she is much more interested in books, painting, playing with friends etc. I feel that TV makes children anti social and it brain washes them.

I know I can't say what I'll do until I'm going through parenthood myself, but I would be all in favour of this posters attitude.

I hate kids watching TV. I've a niece & nephew who sit glued to the screen. In the summer you've to actually chase them outside in order for them to get some fresh air, & at that, they make an excuse every 5 seconds to come inside to get a drink, go to the loo etc, & then they sit down to watch TV, hoping you've forgotten that they're supposed to be outside playing!!!!

I think TV is SO unhealthy & too many parents use it as an excuse to keep the child occupied. I see my siblings doing it all the time with their kids.

Or one of my partners siblings put on DVDs at night to get the child to fall asleep.
More often than not, 1.5 hours later the child is glued to the TV & NOT sleeping, even though they have school in the morn.

My children will NOT have a TV in their room until they are teenagers

*Page*

I let my daughter borrow the spare tv (for the big man to play xbox on it)when she has friends stay over and it is only a tv video combo it never gets conected to the stations. It also gets taken out of the room at bed time.

I dont agree with keeping those sorts of things in a bedroom full stop.

fishdog

To all of those parents that let their child have a TV in their bedroom, what do you think would happen if you removed it for a month??
Do you not think this would be a good thing for them to cope without it??
So what if they cant watch TV in their bedroom?? There ae more important things in life!!

TV is not essential, it is nice once in a while, but most of it is rubbish.

All of the adds on the childrens TV comming up to Christmas brain washes many of them (more so younger children) into thinking that they need all of those toys just to be happy. It makes children materialisic. Christmas is commercial enough as it is.

They only desire lots of TV if that is what they are used to. I think that kids that watch alot of TV are something in their lives.

Crea

Don't like the idea of the tv in the bedroom. I think it separates the people in the house. My 2 are allowed some tv and sometimes they turn on the tv without me noticing so get more than I had planned but it's not going to kill them the odd time. Heard an expert on the radio saying that too much tv as tv doesn't make kids thick, it's the fact that they're not doing anything actively stimulating. Using tv to get kids to sleep affects the quality of sleep so it isn't a good idea at all.

Gillie

I wouldn't have a telly in the bedroom until a certain age at least. I would prefer to know what they are watching at night!

Its a long way off for me and my little girl but I didn't have one when I was growing up and I think I was better off!

Much better if they have a good selection of books!

Just my opinion!

run_Forrest_run

what is wrong with sitting down with your child and together watching something they like..it's another opportunity to bond a bit or learn something new about your child? I can't understand some parents, one minute they complain about things like the time it takes to commute to work etc and that they have little time at home with their kids and then they go ahead and put a tv in their room so they will end up seeing less of them!
Anyway, I'm against the idea of tv in the bedroom, for children and parents alike.

*Page*

i think the best think we did was put a time on telly...

We have no tv for the children in the house during the week(for the adults tv doesnt go on till after 8.30)
Saturday there is 1 hour while we get ready for the sport of the day(then we are out for the day)
Sunday they can watch a film,
school holidays we change it around a bit winter time they have more and summer time they have less.
and if they have a sleep over they can watch one video.

ntlbell

*Page* wrote: »

i think the best think we did was put a time on telly...

We have no tv for the children in the house during the week(for the adults tv doesnt go on till after 8.30)
Saturday there is 1 hour while we get ready for the sport of the day(then we are out for the day)
Sunday they can watch a film,
school holidays we change it around a bit winter time they have more and summer time they have less.
and if they have a sleep over they can watch one video.

I think this is going a little bit too far, sounds more like a prison.

*Page*

She's not interested in tv... she used to be, all her friends that come to the house to play at 1st just want to watch telly then they understand that it doesnt go on during the day, and they play! i mean really play... not xbox games or crap like that but make believe and stories. anyway in a working family day there isnt much time for tv....


School days its homework, dinner, play and bed. there's no time for tv. its pointless anyway.
weekends are spent out of the house, ballet, cycling, swiming, day's with her dad, time with her family and friends. when we get home on a sunday we cuddle up for family movie.

I know i wrote it quite matter of fact but there is only one person in our house interested in the telly and they get in at 8pm and thats when their telly starts.

ntlbell

*Page* wrote: »

She's not interested in tv... she used to be, all her friends that come to the house to play at 1st just want to watch telly then they understand that it doesnt go on during the day, and they play! i mean really play... not xbox games or crap like that but make believe and stories. anyway in a working family day there isnt much time for tv....


School days its homework, dinner, play and bed. there's no time for tv. its pointless anyway.
weekends are spent out of the house, ballet, cycling, swiming, day's with her dad, time with her family and friends. when we get home on a sunday we cuddle up for family movie.

I know i wrote it quite matter of fact but there is only one person in our house interested in the telly and they get in at 8pm and thats when their telly starts.

If she's not interested in TV then why all the strict rules?

Why do rule xbox etc _crap_ ? can a game not exercise the imagination?

can you explain TV is pointless? are educational stations lke discovery, the history channel etc are these pointless?

it sounds like your pushing what YOU want on everyone in the house and when they get used to YOUR ways you claim they're not interested...

narrow minds are not good for anyone especially parents.

*Page*

ntlbell
why are you being so narrow minded to my style of life.


I didnt make up the rules i never said i did but i do abide by them.

the reason for the rules (they are not strict they do get bent for certain things) is so we have a life together. we do other things apart from watch telly.

I used to love telly all the soaps and such, but that was how i grew up, dinner at 7.30 in time for corrie...
now my own family have dinner at the table and we talk about our day and we then do things together (coloring in, play dough, baking) after dinner.


Yes tv is pointless because a~ most of the shows on after 6pm on the channel's that we have are inaproprate for families(my opinion)
b~too many arguments over whats on and who gets to watch it
c~educational stuff can be learned in other forms and ways.
d~if someone has something that they want to watch (film or show) we make time for it, we dont just sit there scanning for something of interest which to me is pointless.


Can i ask you ntlbell what are my ways and what do i want... you really seem to know so much about me.

xbox ect most games so fare that my daughter has tryed playing have been thrown aside and i've been told are boring. when her and her friends play with them in her friend homes there is always a fight or falling out. its crap to me.

6th

I dont think its a great idea to have a kid spending time up in their room on there own. I stuck a small TV/DVD combo downstairs for my kid. Its not about what they watch its about being sent off on their own.

Ayla

I agree with *Page* -

When I was growing up, each child was allowed a half-hour per day to watch a show of their choosing (within reason). There was no tv on in the mornings (any day of the week). We had one tv in the main room (and one in the parent's bedroom that *very* occasionally got used).

I have *so* many memories of childhood and all the creative and interactive things I did. Now I look around at kids who's ideas of playtime is sitting in front of an x-box, computer or video game, and who sit in front of a tv most afternoons, and I think how sad that is. Of course there are some virtual educational programs and games available, but for the most part that's not what I'm seeing the youth playing. What childhood memories will these kids have? Their favorite tv programs? Their online game scores?

IMO, no computer or virtual game can compare with the real deal - getting outside, running around, inventing your own playtime.

Hrududu

what is wrong with sitting down with your child and together watching something they like

When its the same episode of Lazytown over and over and over again its a different story.

ntlbell

*Page* wrote: »

I didnt make up the rules i never said i did but i do abide by them.
.

Your abiding by someone elses rules in your own home?

it's sounding more like a prison each post. tell us more.

sounds like a joy of a household kids come home have dinner and have to listen to some nonsense about what you did for the day.

where do i sign up.

Nevyn

ntlbell please see the charter in regard to respecting other peoples parenting styles and choices.

ntlbell

not sure what i did to disrespect it?