TV on or off with visitors

Person_one

I do think there's a difference between 'entertaining visitors' and just having people be in your home all day/weekend, and having the TV on is not always a deadly sin! It really does depend on the people/circumstances and most of us can tell when its appropriate or not.

Kynthia

It depends. If friends pop round to see me then I would turn the tv off. I can't stand it when I go round a certain friend to see her for the evening and she has the tv on loud for the whole time. I find it distracting myself and I feel that our communication is affected. However seeing close family is different, we're not so much 'visitors' as hanging out and spending the day together. We're part of the household and tv may be on or off and we may watch programmes we like or not. It's very relaxed and easy.

lostinrates

Dunroamin wrote: »

Perhaps they're too polite to tell you. My best friend does this and it drives me up the wall, although I've never told her so.

I have music on specifically to enable me to entertain. . Its a difficult balance. I find some noise difficult and find mysic( or radio or tv) a buffer. I'd not leave tv on ever with people in the house, nor talk radio, but music on softly...and well chosen for the visitor , seems a fair compromise.

I have a friend with ME who does find music hard and I always turn it off for her though.

Dunroamin

lostinrates wrote: »

I have music on specifically to enable me to entertain. . Its a difficult balance. I find some noise difficult and find mysic( or radio or tv) a buffer. I'd not leave tv on ever with people in the house, nor talk radio, but music on softly...and well chosen for the visitor , seems a fair compromise.

I have a friend with ME who does find music hard and I always turn it off for her though.

I sometimes have music on when people come for a meal - it's having it on from dawn to dust that niggles me. (Although I wouldn't comment on what people choose to do in their own homes.)

maman

Rev wrote: »

I could only see myself doing this for a 'formal' visit and I can't say I get those so anyone who knows me well enough to visit my house would not expect me to stand to attention.

Sorry for the pun but I would definitely turn it off to give my visitor my full attention. I'd turn it off before answering the door and put it on record if I was in the middle of a programme. Only exception, as others have said, if we'd invited people round to watch a match with us.

Bangton wrote: »

I can't stand it when I visit people and they put/leave the TV on. My older brother is a sod for this - their telly is on morning, noon and night. I can't abide it!!

Actually - it annoys me more than I thought - I can feel myself thinking my brother needs telling to knock it on the head as it is infuriating!

I could have written that. My brother's exactly the same. I suppose it's his choice but I feel he rarely makes much effort for visitors (we live 200 miles away so don't get to see him that often). He seems to hate lingering and chatting over a meal and can't wait to get back to his tv. I suppose it could be worse and we could have meals on trays in front of the damn thing!

I do enjoy television but never watch before 8 p.m. When our DGD was little we used to have a TV in one of those cabinets. She really believed we didn't have one at all as she never saw it on. BTW, we have one TV in the sitting room and that's it. Radios are another matter.....

the_rottweiler

Usually off, but on hols in Ireland 2 weeks ago, my cuz was staying with us and he mentioned a documentary we might like to watch.
Suddennly a photo of my Mum and Dad in the audience of a concert in 1956 popped up on the tv screen.
We know the photo as it was published in an irish paper 20 years ago so Mum got a copy at that time

Frith

I never leave the TV on if I'm not actively watching it. Any if someone came round, I wouldn't be watching it, I'd be talking to them!

Rev

Reading this thread has genuinely amazed me that people pay so much attention to the TV in both their own and others houses.

Honestly. Unless it was a formal thing it wouldn't even enter my head head to turn the TV off and were someone to then the TV off when I went into their house I'd find it odd. I really would. I'd hate people to be so formal with me. But as I have said, not a single person I've ever visited has turned the TV off and I've never done it for anyone else.

If I'm talking and enjoying a conversation I don't notice the TV.

tooldle

My inlaws do this. If we go over for lunch on a Sunday, the tv is always on. It will stay on right through the meal, and the inlaws are often watching it whilst eating. The start of the Grand Prix is a particular favourite. FIL will often ask MIL to lean back from the table, so that he has a clear view of the tv!
Drives me mad. I think it is very rude.

xcarlyx

Usually turn it off; however when my brother comes round he puts the tv on.