Whar age is accetable for a tv in childs room ?

luckyfrank

I've 18 month old and he's a little mad thing very hyper

Only time he settles is when he's watching tv i think its hi-5 or something like that

My girlfriend wants me to put a tv in his room so she can put him in the cot while she does the housework, im a little dubios as to putting a tv in his room so early

Does anybody have an opinion on the matter i dont know what to do

Nevyn

Personally none.
Mine two are going on 11 and 8 1/2 and while they have cd players and reading lamps they
won't be getting a tv in thier room until they are at least 16.

Can you not get a playpen so that he can play in that down stairs while she gets things done ? They cost a hell of a lot less then a tv.

ntlbell

I think it's a very bad idea to get a child used to sitting in front of a numbing box regardless of what room it's in

but like the lady of death says I think 16 or so but hopefully if they have got into the music and the reading habbit etc they won't need/want a tv in their rooms

IsThatSo?

+1 on Thaedyals post

I wouldn't leave an 18 month on his own in his bedroom unless he was asleep. My 16 month old may watch some TV or play with his toys while I am doing housework but the sittingroom door stays open, I come in and out and he can wander out to find me.

If I have jobs to do upstairs then he comes with me, but no way is he more than a few feet from me at any time.

He is not a hyper child though, but having a hyper child is even more reason not to leave him alone in a bedroom. (I am assuming that the bedroom is upstairs here and therefore more than a few feet away) They learn how to climb out of cots very quickly!!!!

I don't intend to let my children have a TV in their room until they are in their teens. I just don't agree with it, I would prefer not to have to do it in teens either but I am sure I will be coaxed :pac:

mymo

Definitely try the playpen, my daughter never slept in the day and was very lively. She could walk at 10 months and climbed like a monkey by 18mths. I know it's hard get things done but I'd be very nervous of leaving a lively child with a tv in room, or in the cot (especially if he's a climber).
Invest in some good toys, things to take apart and that make noise. Cardboard boxes are great too. Look for the larger size playpen, that can fold easily. Talk away while you work or play music and sing, at that age they love being involved in whatever you do.
My girl is 11 now and has never asked for a tv, she has a radio and many books and toys. Many of her friends have tv's, some even computers and play stations in their rooms. Don't get me wrong she loves watching tv and movies but has other interests.
I would try all idea's first.

Redpunto

I will not be letting mine get a telly until they are bout 15/16.

I would leave an 18month old alone in a cot for a certain length of time - mine always go where I go - yes the housework might not all get done but I would not be stickin a baby in a cot in front of the telly. It'll set up really bad habits latter on that will be impossible to break.

embee

A tv in a toddlers room is, IMO, an awful idea.

Very young children need to establish good sleeping habits. The bedroom needs to be a defined rest and sleep zone only. Putting stimulating things like televisions into toddlers bedrooms is only going to open the proverbial can of worms.

My daughter has nothing in her room bar her bed and a nightlight. She sleeps 7pm to 7am every night without disturbance and has done since she was walking @ 14 months.

luckyfrank

Thanks for the comments guys i didnt think it was a good idea myself

byhookorbycrook

21!!! A tv in a bedroom for a child who can be "a bit hyper" is a disaster, tv will neither help to calm them down or to learn concentration. Many children presenting with difficulties at school age have had tvs in their rooms from an early age and hence never get the chance to get lost in a book, concentrate on toys and puzzles etc.

Queen-Mise

Our son was 7 when he got a TV in his room.

Recently someone told me that their toddler has a TV in their room, only for use for when he goes to bed. They put the telly on, with a 30 sleep timer, and they tell the child the fairies take the telly away after that. The child accepts it, and hey presto, no more horrid bedtime nights.

If my son had been a problem to get to sleep, I would definitely do the above, just because telly is in room, doesn't mean child has to watch it 24/7

Kildrought

When you are elderly and bedridden....otherwise life's just too short for wall to wall TV

lostinnappies

Never, its such a bad idea I could go on for hours about what you'd be letting yourself in for but simple answer is DONT DO IT:D

EcoBrats

We have actually got rid of tv from our house all together because I didn't want to end up sticking my 16 month old ds in front of it during the day because it was easier.

Admittedly my housework does take a little longer but he loves helping me out around the house. He puts washing in the machine for me and the takes it out when its done. He loves sweeping with a broom and having a go a hoovering. And it I'm cooking then I have him in a sling so he can see what's going on. He'll be more domesticated than his daddy in no time!

Getting rid of tv has also improved the relationship between me and my partner. After a long day at work it is all too tempting to just stick on the telly and stare at it for the evening. Not we talk more, read more and get everything done in a day that we need to.

siobhan.murphy

my son now 11,loved the tv from a very early age,3 months id say!It was handy!.
It has done him the power of good,I was able to feed him durning teletubbies!
but he learned great concentration from tv,so much so when teletubbies were over we could go to the computer and by the time he was able to sit up he was typing on the pc looking for cartoons (with a bit of help)he was able to write by the time he was 2 1/2,
now he enjoys nature and wildlife programmes and is a clever boy with a vast amout of knowledge.
he got a tv in his room when he was v.young,he would nod off watching it and like the other lady the timer was set for 30mins,
now saying all that what might be good for me may not work for someone else.


I do think that a mother needs all the help she can get in order for her to carry on some sort of routine,
and if it comes in the form of a loud box in the corner so be it!!

Orion

I won't even have a TV in my bedroom - never mind in the childrens' one. I have 4 computers in the house but only one TV - and tbh one TV is all I want in the house. Using the TV as a babysitter is not a good thing imo. There are other ways to stimulate children.

di11on

The American Acadamey of Pediatrics recommends that children under 24 months should not be exposed to television.

Link: http://abs.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/48/5/505

Interestingly:

American Behavioral Scientist wrote:

...Although one study finds positive associations of language learning with exposure to some children’s TV programs, other studies find negative associations of viewing with language, cognitive, and attentional development.

beth-lou

I would say never have a tv in a childs room. It discourages them from reading and imaginative play. 20 mins of supervised tv for young children is more than enough. The house work can wait and baby and it's development is far more important than a clean house.

A tv in older childrens room is a bad idea too. You have no way of monitoring what they are watching and again it stunts reading etc. I think it's very lazy parenting to use the tv on a daily basis, and it damages their abilty to concentrate for long periods of time. While they are watching tv they are being spoonfed information and don't actually absorb very much of the information presented. Their brains become lazy and they can suffer in school as a result.

A little tv is fine, but it shouldn't be used as a babysitter and definitely shouldn't be in the bedroom.

ntlbell

beth-lou wrote: »

A little tv is fine, but it shouldn't be used as a babysitter

I think this is the most important part.

Depending on the age of the child there is some very good doco on discovery, history channel etc etc and a small amount of monitored time is fine.

Same with gaming etc it can stimulate imagination but again it needs to be on some form of clock.

But using a TV as baby sitter is a very dangerous road to go down and not having time to get house work does is a very poor excuse especially in the early most important years of a childs life.

ManFromAtlantis

ye can make all the excuses ye want but a tv in a childs room even up to 18) is just bad and lazy parenting.
if they must watch tv id recommend say 1 hour at the weekends on sat and sun but do you really have to have the tv on during the week. and no im not mad.
have ye ever heard of kids reading books? this thing about ' my child just wont settle' rubbish ............. sounds like lazinesss and phrase rod and own back come to mind.

Nevyn

ManFromAtlantis please read the charter about civil posting.
While people disagree with other peoples parenting choices it is not
accpetable to call them "bad and lazy".

BIRDCAGE1

I would agree with most of the posts here, I will never put a TV in my kids bedroom, its bad enough that they have it downstairs in the living room, and that they have their games consoles etc,.. but a bedroom is suppost to be a place to relax and calm the mind so you can get a good nights sleep.

seanybiker

I was about 12 when i got a telly in me room. Maybe 13 or 14. Cant remember properly. Never done me any harm. I have my inter cert and thats all lol. Seriously.i was a fecker though