TV in children's bedroom?

Faith177

I had a tv in my room from the age of about 6.

I knew that my bed time was 7pm and God help me if I was caught with it on pass that time. If there was something special on then I was allowed to stay up later but I had to ask. It was normally a football game.

I usually just watched tv downstairs as that was where the Sky box was and I liked to watch that more.

I got a computer in my room at age 11 but no Internet access up there until I think 17. Any Internet had to be used downstairs but from age of about 15 I use to be up till 1am on it.

My mum also had my own phone line put in for me at about 14 as she was sick of answering my calls and taking messages.

My mum didn't mind she trusted me and if I complained I was tired then no sympathy it was my own fault.

Having the tv ect in my room I don't think did me any harm. I always knew it would be taken away if I broke the rules. I wasn't an anti-social child I was hardly ever in as I had my cadets to keep me busy but when I was home I spent most of the time downstairs with my mum. We used this time to catch up and we would set the world to rights.

I don't think there is a right age to let kids have these thins it all depends on the kid and how much you trust them.

margaretclare

meritaten wrote: »

sorry - but to me, the bedroom is no place for a tv unless the person is ill!

but then, I am rather old fashioned (Old Style), and only have one tv in the house anyway! (and one landline phone and a very basic mobile which only either phones or Txts).

Just like DH and I. The idea of TV in children's bedrooms started about the same time as colour TV back in the 1970s. My first husband and I took the decision that there was no need for more than one TV in the house and now, after widowhood and remarriage, there is still only one TV in this house. I won a portable TV in a competition once but I gave it away to a woman who'd been recently widowed and wanted it in her bedroom 'for company'.

There have been TV programmes which highlighted the downside of children having TV and various electronic items in bedrooms. Some of them were actually affected educationally - their memory was affected, their reaction times, they were sleepier and less attentive.

mummyroysof3

my 5 and 7 year old have a tv in their rooms that only play dvds as does the tv in the back room downstairs where they play. they dont play in their room much tbh so it doesnt bother me. the 7 year old has just started using my laptop to use for the schools website but has to use it in same room as me or his dad.

jamesmorgan

My kids have TV's in their rooms, but in reality they are rarely used. They tend to use their PC's for most of their media access - either DVD's, catch up TV or increasingly Youtube. The use of TV's is increasingly a generational divide (much as previous generations used to use the radio). I could ban the use of PC's in their rooms, but as most of their homework now requires access to a PC this would seem somewhat counter-productive. I find a better approach is to educate them on reasonable usage and hope they are mature enough to take note.

lowlitmemory

I am only 24 and never had a TV in my bedroom while growing up - nor did the majority of my friends. I don't have a TV in my bedroom now as I don't see the need really. Too much screen time near to bedtime really messes up my sleep.

I don't think we will allow our children to have TVs in their bedroom either. Perhaps if we were able to afford a house with a playroom, they could have one in there, but I think bedrooms should really be peaceful areas for sleeping in. Nowadays you can easily 'record' shows if there are two on at the same time so that way everyone will be able to watch what they want, even if it's slightly later.

Estateprincess

I'm 26 and the first time I had a TV in my bedroom was when I moved in with my ex at the age of 21!! It hasn't done me any harm not having one when I was younger.

Even now if I watch TV in bed I find it hard to sleep straight afterwards and usually have to read for half hour to wind down.

I did have my own laptop from the age of 18 and used that for DVD's etc but there wasn't so much 'Catch Up' available on the net then so never used it for TV programmes.

If (when) I have children they won't be having a TV in their room until late teens at the earliest (and I HATE games consoles so no need just for them) I want to encourage family time and compromise with regards to TV programmes.

Plus, as lowlitmemory said, most houses can record programmes and if not the catch ups are easily found online if there was a clash.

Lunar_Eclipse

boiler_man wrote: »

My DDs have got a laptop (with parental controls) and Hifi in their bedroom, but no TV. DVDs can be played on their laptop.

We have two televisions downstairs so the family are not forced to watch the same programme all of the time.

As they are 11 and 15 they seem to be in the minority of their friends with no TV in their room. Are we being unfair not letting them have one?

No, not at all.

I have an 11 & 12 year old; none of their friends have a TV in their bedroom. I will also never allow it as a general rule, but there are always 'full house' occasional exceptions. Same applies to computers & phones here, because isn't that what living rooms are for?

DH & I also follow this unwritten rule, which I think is important, and no doubt helps.

peachyprice

heretolearn wrote: »

The parents who say their child never watches after bedtime, hmmmm, possibly. I'm a light sleeper and quite a few times when I've been staying at a house with children I've been woken up to the sound of a TV/games console coming on about half an hour after mum and dad go to bed...:rotfl:

Nope, 100% sure she doesn't watch it after bedtime. She has her story and is asleep by 9.30, with her bedroom door open, she's still asleep when we go to bed at 11ish, with her door still open, and still asleep when OH gets up for a pee, around 2am (I know, he should get that checked).

newcook

I remember getting a little B&W tv for my 11th birthday – but it came with conditions!

- No late night tv was allowed (I was told if I was caught, the plug would be cut off!! I don’t know if my mom would have gone through with but never watched it late just in case!)

- if it was something that was also on the tv in the living room, I was to watch it down there.


However, this was also many years ago when there were only 5 channels to choose from (and channel 5 was v.new!) and I think most of the channels stopped at a certain time anyway so there was no such thing as ‘late night tv’!

pukkamum

I had a tiny black and white t.v in my room when I was about 15 and i would watch Prisoner Cell Block H and old B&W films into the early hours, therefore my son has a t.v but it is for his xbox only and that is on a timer.
DD 6 doesn't have one but I let her and DS watch a film on his xbox sometimes on the weekend as a treat.