TV in children's bedroom?

Mado

broace wrote: »

I think some of you people need to loosen up! I'm 20 and have had a television in my bedroom since about the age 8, and most of my peers also were in a similar situation. It's pretty uptight to put T.V restrictions on someone of Secondary School age, and showing them that you trust them to make good choices and take some personal responsibility is only a positive.

Uptight maybe but:
Watching TV is a passive activity that should be limited for everyone and in particular for children. At the very least, watching it in a communal room makes it social
TV in bedrooms have been shown disrupt sleep for many people. Bedrooms should be kept are quiet room to sleep in!
Many kids watch innapropriate material on TV, and many watch far too much of it (and heaven knows how much rubbish is available these days)

We never eat in front of TV, but sitting together at the table most days and we switch it off when there is nothing watchable . And we talk!!!!

valk_scot

My kids are 11 and 16, they both have a TV in their rooms but they're only there for the Wii and XboX, they're not connected up to an arial. The older one has only recently been allowed to have pc access in his room and I pull the LAN cable to his room at bedtime, evil mum that I am. DD does have an old DVD player too as her Wii doesn't play DVDs but I'm a night owl with sharp ears, I'd know if anything was on after their bedtimes. Yes, the 16 year old still has a bedtime, on school nights anyway!

polkadot90

I never had a tv in my room growing up and i still don't at 22. My OH grew up with one in his room and in the years we've lived together, he doesn't want a tv in our bedroom.
Bedrooms are for sleeping...and other things. Not watching tv, if my little one wants to watch tv he can do so downstairs!

^ I sound like my mother!! ARGHH!

debbieblueeyes

Hi, my 9year old asd son has a tv in his room but he mainly plays his ps3 and dvds on it, it is connected to freeveiw which he only watches(rarely) cbbc, he is not allowed any tv/ps3/dvds 1/2hour - 1 hour before he goes to sleep.In this hour he gets ready for bed and we read stories then its lights out. im a light sleeper and our walls are thin so i can hear him get up etc.He knows hes not allowed to use the tv/ps3/dvds unless me or hubby say so.He knows there are consequenses if he breaks the rules.:)

markelock

two of mine have tv's in their rooms. great for a few weeks, then they lose interest, so they only watch maybe 45 minutes a day.

Janepig

One of my colleagues is buying her DGS (14) a 42 (yes 42!!!) inch tv for his bedroom for christmas. We all told her she was mental. I haven't even got a tv that big in my living room!:rotfl::rotfl:

Anyway, DD and DS are 9 and 6, they share a bedroom (through choice, don't ask!) and haven't got a tv and are not likely to have one in there. They would literally watch the box 24/7 if they got the chance so there's no way I'm giving them the opportunity. They watch tv for about half an hour or so before school in the living room while I'm getting changed and the tripe they watch has to be seen to be believed, although I'm a converted "Regular Show" fan now, but Adventure Time and The Crazy World of Gumball.... words fail me!!

DD's been on sleepovers where some of her friends have had tv's in their rooms and she's mentioned it, but hasn't asked, probably because she knows she's not going to get!! Cruel mother I am!!

Jx

themull1

My kids have got tv's, sky multi room, and both have got a laptop. They certainly wouldnt want to watch our programmes, and i wouldnt want to watch theirs. I can't think of anything worse than watching a programme with my mam and dad! I trust my daughters with the laptops, and they know when i tell them to put them off that they stay off. I've never had any problems.

bossymoo

I'm a hypocrite, I have one! But my kiddies won't be getting one till they are in their teens. I was out a couple of days ago and a toddler was having a tantrum in a shop. I didn't bat an eyelid as I have a 2yo too, lol. Until the mum said "stop that !!!!in noise or I'll take your telly out of your room". That astounded me. As much for the language as for the tv bit to be fair.

gibson123

It's never been an issue, I don't have one in my bedroom so it's just always been accepted that we don't have TV in our rooms, she can take her laptop anywhere but TBH doesn't watch much telly

milliebear00001

Don't do it! TV - nope, laptop - definitely no! Two ten year olds were reported to me (I'm a teacher) last year by a concerned parent because they'd been watching 'Babestation' in a child's bedroom!

Even if you manage to regulate viewing/surfing now, do you think you'll be able to do that when they're fifteen? Much, much harder to take it away once they've got it, than it is to simply not get it in the first place.

Just to add, even with parental controls, laptops in rooms are a definite no. The year 5s and 6s have often horrified me with tales of the things they've encountered on line (not to mention the ease with which they can be approached by adults on social networking sites and games sites). Please, keep the laptop/PC downstairs where you can see what they're doing.