When to put a TV in a child’s bedroom?
We all like to think of our kids bedroom as a sanctuary, a place for them to rest and relax and get a great nights sleep. Yet as they got older it also becomes a place for them to have time to themselves, to study, hang out by themselves or with friends and just to indulge their own interests.
At some point or other most parents will wonder ‘is now the time to put a TV in my child’s bedroom?’
Have you come to this point yet? Perhaps you are completely anti bedroom TV’s and this isn’t an issue for you – but like it or not it probably is something your child will, before long, request. So what is the right age for this and what factors do we need to consider?
A look at the data on when to put a TV in a child’s bedroom?
Over at Reliant you can find some amazing TV deals that could really meet your child’s bedroom entertainment needs – but first you have to way up if they are ready for a TV
Clearly a huge amount of kids want TV’s as you can see from Reliant’s research around this area below but this doesn’t mean they are actually ready for it.
Some questions you might want to consider
My personal view as a psychotherapist is this. All children are different and you have to look at your unique child, regardless of chronological age and ask yourself the following questions
- If they had a TV in their room do you trust they would only watch it for agreed time frames?
- if they had a TV in their room would they promise not to use when studying/ falling asleep or to watch programmes that are not suitable /previously agreed
- If they had a TV in their room would they still spend plenty of quality time with their family
- Are thee any real benefits to them for having a TV in their room or can you foresee this causing arguments and clashes that neither of you need?
It is well worth talking over such questions with your child before you invest in a TV as it really can cause issues and contention if there isn’t clarity and agreement about the rules.
The benefits of TV in the bedroom for a child
Thee are a few benefits to kids having TV’s in their bedroom that may not seem obvious at first:
- Children get to be social all day at school and sometimes when they are relaxing they crave space and time alone. having a TV in their bedroom enables this
- For kids who live in larger families a TV in their room means they are not having to compete for the remote control either (and the same for parents)
- A TV in the bedroom makes a child feel a little ore grown up and independent too and this is important to kids.
- Many kids do watch TV on their laptops of r aids but this encourages them onto the internet/social media too. A TV is more focused viewing and avoids the social media distractions.
Of course you want to make your child’s room a space they love but you will want to carefully consider adding a TV . You can find out more on setting limits on electronic devices here
Final thoughts on When to put a TV in a child’s bedroom?
You know your child best and your family set up and what works for one family won’t necessarily be right for another – so in my view their is no set age you have to work out what is right for you. i think this is true in almost all aspects of parenting.
Tak a look at this post on the benefits of TV for kids
