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Should I put a TV in my kid’s bedroom? I won’t be doing this anytime soon, but probably not for the reason you think.
Please read this post, in its entirety, before you comment, because you will see that this is simply what we have picked for OUR family, but certainly not to say that it is right for YOUR family. ♥ ‘Different strokes for different folks.’
I allow TV time. I allow electronic time. I allow time for apps and games… but they all happen at times that we have given permission. So… will I allow our kids to have a TV in their bedrooms? To have their phones or electronics in their rooms? No… but it is probably for a reason that is different from what you may think.
“Mom, can I PLEASE have a TV for my room? All of my friends have one!” Yes, our kids have asked me about it… often. I always say “No.” I just won’t cave on this one for many years. I’m sure that by the time that they are getting ready to head off to college, our plans on this will have changed, but for now, I hold my ground. I never had a TV in my room growing up and I don’t want the kids to, either. The reason, however, is probably not why you think.
The real reason is that we have four kids and if I put a TV in each of their rooms, I don’t think that I would ever see them… OK, I’m sure I would, but it would be much less than I see them and hang out with them now.
Have you ever heard the old song:
With fewer walls to separate
Where you eat and sleep so close together
You can’t help but communicate
Oh, and if we had more room between us, think of all we’d miss
Love grows best, in houses just like this”.”
That kind of sums it up, in a way… being with your family is the best way to bond with your family.
I want to be where my kids are and I want our kids to be where we are. I want to enjoy our time together while they are young and living at home. I want to be able to talk to them about what they see and laugh with them at all of the funny parts in the show. I want to interact with them and I want them to interact with one another.
Each of our kids have their own bedroom and to think that they would be off watching a show, in their room, without us just makes me feel like I would be missing so much time with them.
Our children are growing up so quickly. Their time with me is getting to be less and less, and soon college and other adventures will be calling their names. This is the time for us to grow as a family and for our kids to learn to really become each other’s best friends.
For that reason, Mickey and I won’t be putting a TV in our children’s rooms just yet. I know that one day they will grow up and want to do things without us (in fact, I’m sure of it), but for now, we are going to work really hard at building these bonds that will last a lifetime and this is just one way that we are doing that.
What do you think? Would this work for your family?
Remember… we only have a few years to really be present in their lives. Let’s spend these years wisely.
ps- I want to invite you to sign up for my FREE e-mail series called One on One time. It is completely free & I will send you this calendar to get you started. 🙂
I love this. And if our lives were any different I would do the same. However my daughter had a computer in her room and she watches Netflix and other shows on it. She loves documentaries and fact based programs about animals and also engineering programs. She watches for about 2hrs a day after coming home from school (I am at work) and then plays outside from 3pm onwards till I come home. This works well for us as she received the intellectual stimulation she needs and is usually covered in mud by the time I get home. When I am home we spend all our time together, no screens for the rest of the day unless we are sitting together researching some topic of interest to her. Our time together is short as you said. Need to cherish it.
I will be doing the same as you. I didn’t grow up with one in my room. And it forced me not to watch inappropriate things I might have snuck onto my TV otherwise. I don’t want me kids watching things they shouldn’t for their age.
I also agree, that keeping one TV in the house creates more family time. Also having to share a TV and the shows forces the family (not only the kids, but the parents as well) to compromise, take turns, and share.
As the mother of four adult children, I think that you are on the right track. Once they are teenagers they will naturally gravitate to their bedrooms. This time in your childrens’ young lives is when they bond with each other. This is how they learn to play nicely with others. This is the time they will remember being with family. Save the tv’s until they are tweenagers at the minimum. It also prevents the parents from separating from the family unit as well. It is so easy for even mom and dad to separate themselves from the family to watch to miss out on family time, too. Great job mom.
Cindy aka Maid of Cotton
Thank you!
I agree 100% I did grow up with a tv in my room but I won’t be allowing it for my children. I want to foster an atmosphere of togetherness in my home which I lacked growing up. Also, kids are so spoiled these days, need I say more! Netflix, On Demand, a multitude of cartoon networks… :/ Everything is at their fingertips, anytime any day. Let’s learn how to take turns watching our preferred shows or movies. As a parent I’ve made many sacrifices regarding tv, I’m very sensitive to what my husband and I watch as well as the kids.
I love where you are coming from in this article! There is the added problem with electronic equipment in bedrooms (even when off) emitting “waves” that interfere with a good night’s sleep!
I completely agree! My two oldest, who have since MOVED OUT never had them in their rooms either. I heard all the whining and complaining, but even if they were 17 and given someone’s old TV, (yes, this happened) they could not have it connected to our signal, but it could sit in the room (black) so their friends thought they had one. 😜😂
My husband just came to our room and asked me if we should put a TV on my daughter’s room, and immediately I felt the same you are talking about. She is 8 now and I know sooner that later, she will be spending time with her friends and listening music in her room and we will not be the center of her life anymore. I just don’t want to lose these precious moments we have now with her. Yes, we are tired of her watching her movies in our TV (we have the TV in our room), but as you say we seat with her and watch HER movies all together. I think I’ve seen Peter Rabbit 20 times ;P. So, I don’t think we will be putting a TV in her room any time soon.
LOL – Yep. That’s exactly how we felt, too.