So this seems to be a hot topic out there....How do you feel about having a TV in your kid(s) room? Even if you don't have kids yet, you probably have an opinion.
When I was little I didn't have a tv in my room. I think I was maybe 10 or older when I got my parents 1970's tv that got, like 10 channels. Later I got a bigger tv, and when we moved here (I was 15) I got cable.
For me, it didn't hinder academics or anything like that. I honestly spent more time reading than watching tv anyway.
B doesn't have a tv now but when he's older he probably will. I personally don't have anything against it.
So, what's your take? Will you? Won't you? Do you? Don't you?
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I am a homeschool mommy to 4 kids (ages 12, 9, 6, and 4). My kids have a tv in their rooms. They were to be atleast 4 before we put a tv in their room. What we have done, is they also each have a TIVO. That way they really only watch recorded shows that I can monitor. They don't have to watch commercials (sometimes those are worse than shows). All tvs are hooked up to just basic cable, none of them have a cable box in their room.
I have no problem with tvs in kids rooms.
I am a school teacher with two degrees in education. I have a 7 month old and she will probably for sure have a TV in her room when she gets ready to have one. She isn't really interested in TV much right now. My neice is 5, my sister in law is the a school principal, my neice has had a Hello Kitty TV/DVD in her room for about 2 years now I think. It certainly hasn't hindered her any. I don't have anything against it. That being said, I can not stand a TV taking up slack time at school simply because there's already so much else to do in that time period. That's what I think but I bet I'm in the minority.
I have 2 kids 3 and 18 months and I doubt I will ever put a TV in their rooms. We have enough TVs in our house that if they need to watch something they can on those TVs.
My husband and I have decided that our kids won't have TVs in their rooms. Their rooms are places that they can read and play, but not watch TV. We also don't have a TV in the playroom. I just worry about stifling their imaginations. I'm not opposed to TVs, but I'd prefer if they picked up other activities to do when they're bored. I also won't put them in the car. I have too much fun talking to them and listening to their commentary about other cars and what they see to get a TV.
I can honestly say that I don't know. Right now, I would say "NO WAY!" I feel like the commercials are filled with junk and having access in their room is a little too isolating for my tastes. We actually don't have a TV in our house right now and haven't for about four months. But I also know that I said I would never let my daughter watch any TV and we regularly watch shows on netflix. I think each parent has to decide what is important to them and give other parents that same right. And each child can handle different things.
We have our first baby girl in November. Her room (previously a guest room) already has a tv because we're leaving the armoire that holds the tv in there. I will probably find it useful for myself in the middle of the night for feedings. :) When she gets older, we will just make sure certain channels are blocked on not only her tv, but all of the tv's in the house. There are more inappropriate things on tv these days than appropriate.
I'm not a mother yet (still dealing with IF), but I won't put a tv in my kids' rooms. My husband and I don't watch TV in our bedroom, so our kids won't be watching TV in their rooms either. I didn't have a TV in my room until I was 18 and at college, so I don't see why kids would need a tv in their room. We have enough tvs in our house that they could watch something if they wanted.
i am preggo with my 6th baby and my other kids have tv it doesn't bother me, and actually they rarely watch TV in there rooms. i say whatever works for your family is fine but i cant stand when people have a opinion and only think theres is right.
I don't have kids yet, but I will allow a tv in the room with them. I don't see a problem other than them possibly staying up late watching tv when you are asleep, but you can set boundaries and if they don't stick to them...tv is gone. I had a tv and never took advantage of it. Now with the way that you can lock channels, parents really don't need to worry too much in my opinion. I will just lock to bad channels.
I never had a tv in my room growing up (neither did my brother), and I think it helped with family togetherness. We did have two "family rooms" with tvs, so my brother and I could watch tv without fighting over what we liked. We ended up watching alot of shows and movies together as a family, and I think it was great. I never felt like I needed one in my room or was missing out on anything. I hope to do the same with my kids, but I'm not going say I'll never let them have a tv! I don't have kids yet, and I know it's not smart to say..."I'll never...with my kids"!!
We have basic cable. We have no TV in Sam's room and don't plan on having one.
We don't have one in our room either. The only time we did is when my husband worked midnights. I could only sleep with the TV on when he wasn't home.
I didn't grow up with one in my room. My parents didn't watch much TV, so my brother and I would just watch what we wanted in the living room. We only had an antennae with 3, sometimes 4 local channels.
We have 2 35" TVs - 1 in the living room and 1 downstairs with the exercise equipment.
I have a 9yr old, 6 yr old and a 15mo old they don't have tv's in their rooms. My oldest has a computer screen that can be used as a tv. but it's not hooked up to anything other than the playstation. I don't think we have a need for them to watch tv in their rooms, we also don't have a tv in our bedroom. I am not against tv's in the bedroom perse we just don't have any in there! lol :D
My opinion is basically the same as yours on the tv dilemma. BTW, I like the new button for I Don't Wednesdays!
I puffy heart TV. It is a lifesaver. Yes, I sometimes use it as my babysitter so that I can have 30 minutes to get something done. (You don't hear a lot of moms confes that do you?) Caroline loves all things Noggin, Marley and Me, and The Little Mermaid. We have a TV for her room, I am just in the process of painting a TV stand for it. Until it is finished, the whole family will be enjoying Noggin. {smile}
I have 4 kids, and they all have tv's in their rooms. When they were learning to sleep in a "big kids bed," it helped them go to sleep to watch a video before bed. Very rarely do the watch tv in their room more than 30 minutes to an hour. As long as you actively parent and don't just let them lay around watching tv all day (in their room or in a family room), a little quiet time with tv can be a big help.
I don't think kids should have TVs in rooms - I think they should be out in the open watching TV so mom and dad can keep an eye on them. And during the day while my son is awake, at this stage of the game (he is 7, there is no need for me to be watching something that is not appropriate for him. Now, I do have a TV in my room so if I have company over and he isn't feeling well, he can go in my room and watch a show. But then again I also limit the amount of TV he watches - TV is a special treat...like we do "Movie Night" on Friday nights with popcorn. But otherwise I think kids should be playing outside when the weather is nice and inside with their cars, dolls, paints, playdoh, reading books, playing board games, etc. TVs in rooms cause isolation and for me, that is not why I had children. And as a child of three and only one tv in the house, we learned to take turns - I think that was good for us and we didn't learn to expect to get our way every time.
This is a funny one for me since we don't watch TV. It would be hard to imagine having a TV in Aaron's room, but I guess things change.
I think that it is best to keep all computers and televisions out in a common area so that children are not tempted to view inappropriate things. They may not plan to watch bad things, but they can run into it and if the tv is in their room, they can continue watching without too much concern about parents finding out. Same with the internet. All need to be out where other family members are present.
My daughter is three and I have a tv in her room for videos only and the only time she watches them in there is if we are watching a movie in the living room so she can watch her movie. No cable hooked up. My 20 year old son had one and never watched it he would rather be out and about. So he doesnt have one in there now. He does however have his computer now that he is older in there but when he was younger no computer in his room....:) I think its all how you handle it and anything in moderation is ok if its not harmful to them.
I was one of those mothers that swore I'd never had a tv in my children's room. Oops!
Their tv isn't hooked up to cable, so they can only watch their movies in their room. They usually only watch it during nap & to go to sleep at night.
My daughther is 15 and she has had a tv in her room since 1st grade. She turns it on from time to time but spends more time reading than watching tv. When she received her tv we told her there were rules that went along with the tv. If I had to do it all over again I would. She is in all honors classes and did just fine with a tv.
I am really glad that you asked this so I can read different ideas and such. Piecen will be 3 in December and we've been talking about whether or not he should have one in his room. A few of the reasons we want him to is that he will become a little more dependant and watch some things on his own without having us right beside him (he is an only child after 8 years of marriage) and he will spend some more time in his room. We will pick and choose and won't put cable in there only movies and will limit his time if we decide to do this BUT we don't want it to become the only thing he wants to do b/c now he loves being outside and is very limited on how much we allow. It has never been an issue but sure don't want it to become one. I'm not sure if I am for it or against it right now... I sure like him being in the living room where I know whats going on at all times :D Would you allow Brayden at this young age?
My daughter is 2 and she has a tv in her room. Most of the time she never watches it, I'll just turn it on the kids music channel and she sings and dances while she plays. I also like to have it to put in a dvd from time to time to have some quiet time or if I need to have 30 minutes to get something done!
Personally I don't think kids should have tvs or computers in their rooms. That way you can better monitor what your kids are watching/doing. Even the most trustworthy kids may be tempted to see something inappropriate plus even if what their watching is ok sometimes nasty/scary/dumb/inappropriate commercials come on. Ya know?
I feel the same way you do!
Its like most things..once they have it, they dont want it anymore! lol
Landon has had one since he was 3, but hardly ever watches it!
No real reason for the age, we just had an extra 13 inch with dvd so I put it in there!
We have a 13 year old and she still doesn't have a TV in her room ... although she asks repeatedly for one. I have been the holdout ... I worry that we will never get her out of her room if she has a TV in there! She has a gameroom with a TV, there is a TV in the guest room that she can use and if she wants to watch a movie she can use any of those TVs or go to the theatre room.
I teach Kindergarten and I had one little friend this year who would watch TV for all hours ... you can well imagine he was a gem the next day. HA!
Ok ... I just posted a comment under my husband's name. OOPS!
I have a 5 year old and she has had TV since 2. She did not have cable until the last year, it was only used for videos before naps and bed at night. Now she has cable, but she does not control the remote and we set the timer for how long she can watch TV. Still, the only time she watches it is afternoon down time (sometimes a nap falls in =)) and bed time. My almost 3 year old son has TV, but no cable. He watches movies before naps and bedtime. I have to say it made the transition to big beds sooooooo much easier!!! To each their own, but I am happy with our choices!!
My son is 3 and we don't have tv in his room, probably will not for the foreseeable future. I also don't believe in letting children have computers in their room. I don't have a problem with my son using either, but I want to make sure that parental guidance is always available!
I don't remember at time growing up that I didn't have a TV in my room and I turned out quite fine. Needless to say the things on TV may be a little different now...However, I'm expecting my first son anytime now and he already has a TV with satellite in his nursery. (Which is actually probably more for us at first but still it will stay there)
I have two kids (4 and almost 2) and they don't have a tv in their room. They watch in the living room or in our room.
1) There's no real room for tvs in their rooms.
2) They watch too much as it is.
3) I don't want them watching when I'm not able to hear/see what they are watching.
4) Maybe when they are older but I don't know.
My children are now 11 and 15 - neither have ever had a TV in their rooms. To each their own, though; to me, it depends on the child whether a TV in their room would be detrimental. My son would never leave his room if he had a TV - my daughter rarely spends time there, so it wouldn't matter for her. They do have a TV in their basement hangout room.
I guess I view the bedroom as a place to retreat, relax, and sleep. A tv would interfere with that.
I have a tv in Natalie's room and Landon's although his is never used. It is nice when I need to do the dishes and a need a little distraction for her. And in all honesty she has learned a lot of things from sprout and noggin (thats all she watches). The main thing I want to say is, if you have it on a stand, anchor the stand and the tv to the wall. I watched a terrible show about accidents where the toddler was climbing and the tv fell down and killed him. In fact we achor EVERYTHING big in the house to the wall. we do watch our kids, but they are quick.
My kids do have tvs in there rooms but they do not have cable or get any stations. It is only used for watching dvds. That way I do not have to worry about them watching anything that I have not approved of.
Hi Jenna,
Coco does have a tv in her room and has since she was about 3. Her Mimi got it for her 3rd birthday but she rarely uses it, only when she has company and they want to watch a movie.
I am ok with it for now, we'll see as she gets older and spends more time alone in her room.
My only concern with tv's (and computers) in kids rooms is that they can very easily come across inappropriate content accidentally and then find themsleves going back for more out of curiosity. That is why my kiddoes will not have tv's or computers in their rooms. I know they can come across that stuff anyway, but it can be accessed privately much easier in their rooms. As far as academics is concerned, I believe tv has very little to do with that.
hey jenna,
i wanted to know if you are a stay at home mom or work (full/part time)? You have never mentioned what you and your husband do for a living. I would like to know so I can afford a movie theater room. HAHA ;o). Love the blog!!
It's been interesting to read all the comments -- on the whole, very pro-TV.
My daughter is nine months and I really hope I never get to the point where I cave and put a TV in her room. I want my family to be together, sharing things and spending time with each other. If the family wants to watch a movie or something, we can do so together.
I have a 2 and 4 year-old (boys) and I do not think I will put a TV in either of their rooms. I do have a TV in the play room and we have a DVD player in the car, but I do not want one in their rooms basically because their rooms are for sleeping. My neices all have TV in their rooms and they keep them on all night and unless they fall asleep while watching, they are up watching TV.
Hey Jenna, I definitely will not put a TV in my children's rooms when I have kids. I just don't think it is necessary. I mean there are TVs in other parts of the house, if they want to watch it they can come out into the family room and watch it there.
I don't believe in a lot of TV with children, the boys I watch each get a half an hour show a day (obvious exceptions are made for rainy days or sick days), but why do they need to sit in front of the TV when they can go outside and play or read a book. I just don't think they are needed.
My 7 year old and four year old who both have a tv in their rooms. They cannot watch regular tv they can only watch movies. It is an occassional thing but my kids spend more time outside than inside. It has been great when they need some time to be alone and just relax.
I think it is absolutely INSANE that everyone's kid seems to have a tv in their bedroom. Children need/should find other things to do with their time besides hole up in their bedroom and watch tv nor should they watch it to "go to sleep." I was especially surprised at homeschoolers who put tvs in their kids room. If you can't stand public education, then how can you stand tv teaching your children? Whatever happened to children reading? Playing outside? Doing some homework? Using imagination and building something really cool with blocks or playing with dolls? Most of the things (including commercials) on tv are TRASH - what you put IN to a little person's mind is exactly what you get out of their little mind! By the way, I am a special education teacher and an early intervention specialist!
I don't have kids yet but when I was a kid, I started babysitting and earned my 1st tv that way. I can honestly say that I appreciated it a lot more because I had "payed" for it and earned it myself. I also took a lot better care of it because I had to work for it. I think that kids tend to take better care of things if they have to pay for them by themselves.
I have a 6 yr old and a 7 yr old. My Hubby and I have put the TV we have when we fist were married in their room along with the VCR. Since all the VHS tapes they have are either Veggie Tales, 3-2-1 Penguins, or classic Disney videos we don't mind to much. Our only rule is that at bed time they get to pick 1 video to watch out of their VT (minus Jonah(don't mind this movie its just to long for them to watch at bedtime) or Silly Songs) or 3-2-1 Penguin videos and that is it. All the other tapes are put away. They don't have cable or a converter box in their room either.
I have 2 girls ages 4 and 2 that share a room and they do have a TV. It is not hooked up to the satellite, so all it can do is play VHS or DVD videos, all of which I have picked out. I set the timer on the TV and when it goes off they're done and they know it. It works for us.
As a teacher, I saw too many of the down sides of TVs in kids' rooms. I will not be putting TVs in my kids' rooms. Sorry, kids!
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