Do your kids have electronics in their rooms?

[GreenKitty]

I am just curious if anyone lets their children have TV, video games, phone, computer, etc in their bedrooms. My siblings let their kids and we are talking 6yrs and under! Then I hear it from my kids...LOL

 

Editing to add: We do allow cd players for music and books on cd, in the bedrooms. I didn't count them in the poll as, around me and the people I know, it's a normal thing to have. I would feel lost without my music! :)

[Jennifer in MI]

Ummmmm . . . NOPE!!!! My oldest is only 12, but he shares his room with his 10 and 7 yo brothers. (That, in and of itself is enough to make most people gasp in horror!! LOL) Honestly, I can't imagine allowing ANY of that in my kids' bedrooms before they leave this house. Maybe, a cell phone when my oldest is a bit older. But, that'd be it!

 

 

Okay have to edit - I MAY allow a gaming system up there at some point. (Sorry - I missed that originally!)

[Legomom]

No we wouldn't even consider it. Same goes for my nephew who is 14 years old who lives with us part-time. They have plenty of access to those things in the common area of the home. I could go on and on with my reasons.

[Kathleen in VA]

There is a CD player on one of the dressers for listening to music and audio books. They are also allowed to listen to their ipods (not purchased by me, btw - they were gifts). This is especially nice because my youngest son is bothered greatly by my oldest daughter's piano practicing :). He used to cry in his bed (I guess it really grated) until he got the ipod for Christmas. She's really quite good, actually, I think it was the repetition and the loudness.

 

No tv's, video games, computers, though.

[Mom2legomaniacs]

My boys share a room and have a cd player that they sometimes use for when they go to sleep. We don't have video games or anything like that. We only have one tv, in the family room. We aren't an electronic family.

[Crissy]

None here. The TV is in the family room, as are their computers. We don't have any of the big game systems, but they each have a Nintendo DS that they purchased with their Christmas money last year.

Still, they always ask whether or not they can use them.

[ayau]

I hear it from my kids, too, that they don't get the electronic games (the hand-held ones) or that they don't get to play computers as often as their neighbors (who are around their age). One of our neighbor's kid has a tv in her room, and she's only in 2nd grade. But I think it's somewhat sad, when the families are spending a Friday night at home, in different parts of the house, watching tv.

 

But I don't know where to draw the line sometimes - all their friends seem to have Club Penguin memberships, or Webkinz, and my kids' greatest wish for their birthday...was a membership or a computer game! Sometimes I wonder if not having it just makes them want it more.

[Kay in Cal]

Cd players, and they do have Nintendo Ds (handheld) that they can use if they have earned tickets to spend for screen time. They can earn up to 3 tickets a day by completing thier morning/afternoon/evening responsibilities, each one good for 1/2 hour of screen time. Today they have none... :glare:

[Tap]

Yes to computer but no internet.

Yes to video games (they are only allowed in thier rooms in fact)

Yes to TV but they only have small 19" with DVD players and no TV access. The TVs are only for games and movies.

 

 

I should probably edit to add ds is 13 and dd is 9. They didn't have anything other than CD players until they were 7-8yo.

[rockermom]

I voted no because the one who lives with us (turning 1 year old in 7 hours :confused:) doesn't and won't (except for the cd player, of course... he already loves to listen to books on cd while we're playing in there).

 

My stepson has a tv in his bedroom because he sleeps in the living room with his grandpa at his mother's house and they leave the tv on all night. He can't sleep without it. If it were up to me, there wouldn't be one in there either but that started before and without me.

[nancypants]

I put "no" but eventually we will let them have music in their room...

 

We have a "never" policy for all other media in bedrooms (even ours - though sometimes we watch movies in bed on our laptop) for several reasons. I know plenty of people who put their babies to bed by playing videos over and over for them. :001_huh: I must confess, I will never understand that concept no matter how hard I try.

[King Alfred Academy]

Technically they have a tv in their room, but it is only on maybe once/twice a month when I need a break. Our apartment is soooooo small that there is no other place to put it where I can have a private moment.

 

No video game systems, no cable (bunny ears only), no nothing really except for DVD player, tv, and computer in the whole house. Actually thinking about getting rid of the tv completely when we move this summer.

[Jane in NC]

This may be age dependent. My sixteen year old has a computer (no internet) in his room. He also has a phone. But we do not have any game systems in the house, period. Not our thing. We have one television set, too many computers, lots of devices on which to play music or to play music with.

 

Jane

[hsmamainva]

My response varies!

 

My 17 year old has a computer in her room and a TV and a phone (but it's the house phone -- if her friends want her, they usually dial her cell phone)

 

My 14 year old has a playstation in his room

 

My 8 year old doesn't have any electronics in his room

 

My 6 year old has a TV with a DVD player, but there's no access to television on it -- it just plays her children's DVDs (Dora the Explorer and the like)

[partyof5]

No electronics in bedrooms here. We have one tv in the living room only which won't change. I feel strongly about not having every family member disappearing to their respective rooms to hang out alone for the evening. I'd rather we mostly be together if possible, and one tv helps foster that. We have one family computer in the same room too.

 

We have no game systems...yet. I imagine that is in our future but it would be in the main living room as well.

 

My kids talk about their friends' Wii games but right now it's kind of nice to have that be a special treat at those homes...they get their fill during a visit with a friend and come home without complaints--for now! :001_huh:

[nukeswife]

My kids are 9, 6.5 and almost 3.

 

Here's what they have

 

9y/o ds- 19" tv, DVD player, PS2 gaming system, nintendo DS and ipod shuffle hooked with speakers to hook it up at night.

 

6.5 y/o dd- 19" tv, DVD/VCR combo, nintendo DS and ipod shuffle with available speakers for at night.

 

almost 3y/o ds- 19" tv, DVD player

 

All three have digital cable on their tv's and a child's remote called a Weemote that has the 10 channels they are allowed to watch programmed in.

 

We also have a 32" LCD tv in dh and my room with a DVD player and an Ipod docking stereo. The Living room has a 42" projection TV with DVD recorder, DVR cable service and the Wii. Kids play room has 27" tv with DVD player, Gamecube, Leapster TV and InteracTV.

 

The kids also have about 100 DVD's to choose from including many Disney titles, Scooby Doo, Veggietales and many others.

 

Almost forgot to add that my kids also have a desktop computer in the school room, which joins onto the play room they can use for whatever games they have. They've shown no interest in the internet yet, but I'm sure they will soon enough. My dd uses on online phonics program but my dh put a link to it on the desktop for her to connect right to it.

[ncmomo3]

We do allow cd players for music and books on cd, in the bedrooms.

 

I voted no, but mine also have cd players and ipods. :001_smile:

[Andie]

I am just curious if anyone lets their children have TV, video games, phone, computer, etc in their bedrooms. My siblings let their kids and we are talking 6yrs and under! Then I hear it from my kids...LOL

 

Editing to add: We do allow cd players for music and books on cd, in the bedrooms. I didn't count them in the poll as, around me and the people I know, it's a normal thing to have. I would feel lost without my music! :)

 

 

Our kids share a laptop - it's home base is the office, and that's where they go online. They all have music in their rooms, two kids have GameBoys. No one has a TV in their bedroom.

[Guest Shanna]

Nope...never.

 

The.bedroom.is.for.sleeping.

 

They.do.have.a.CD.player.

[Guest Shanna]

Oh.they.do.have.ipods.also.but.we.put.the.music.teachings.and.audio.books.on.for.them.

[*anj*]

Our kids have cd/cassette players in their bedrooms, but that's all.

We have no intention of allowing any of the other items in our children's bedrooms. As others have stated, we have several reasons for coming to this decision.

We are not really into electronics. We don't own any gaming systems or anything. Our kids enjoy playing them at other people's houses, and that's just fine. We might look into getting a Wii at some point because we can see the opportunity for interactive play that doesn't involve just sitting on a chair. But still, that would go in our living room.

[H.S. Burrow]

but they are not used very often. Each of the kids has a TV in their rooms and the dvd player & game system they share is in ds room. That's it. Most of their day is spent in the school room, family room, kitchen or outside.

 

As with anything, only items we approve are available to them. Both computers and internet access are in the school room. Digital cable is in the family room only....and TV viewing is done as a family....but every now and then DH & I like to watch something that may not be appropriate for dc....that is when they may play a video game, read or watch a dvd in their room.

 

Lights out & electronics off around 9:30pm.

[momofkhm]

The computer has it, but they don't know the password to get into it. I even have too ask dh what the password is half the time.

[I talk to the trees]

But dd does have a combination cd player/ radio/ alarm clock. She rarely listens to the radio, but occasionally plays cds. Dh and I are both musicians, so that's perfectly fine with us.

 

-Robin

[runningirl71]

I put down tv and video games. Our son's room is basically our family room in the evenings. We have a very small home and our living room doesn't have room for the piano and tv. :) We hang out in our living room together a lot, but on family movie night (once a week and we have NO cable, just a tv box we can watch videos on) we hang out in Forest's room. Also, my kid's play on their nintendo (actually it is Dad's nintendo he got from my parents when we were first married) maybe once a week in the evening.

 

So, although our son has these things in his room, they are family property and there are only certain times they are in use.

[SusanG]

Both our kids have tvs with dvd players in their rooms, because when we upgraded our own bedroom tv and the living room tv, they inherited the old ones. My son probably hasn't turned on his tv in 3 or 4 years, and my daughter has friends over to watch a movie in her room every month or so - other than that, the tv eas only on once this year, and that's when she was sick and had to stay in bed for 2 days. She has an mp3 player with speakers in her room, which she sometimes listens to at night. Both kids have Nintendo DS game systems, but for some reason they prefer playing them in the living room, and they never take them into their room. Their computer and video game consoles are in the living room.

[LibraryLover]

There was not an option for our situation. My 14 year old has a tranistor radio for sports games, as we don't have cable for his beloved Red Sox.

 

My 14 & 15 year olds have DSL games, and I am pretty sure they must play them in their rooms at times.

 

My 19 year old has a laptop. He also has a cell phone.

 

My 14 year old has a school lap top which has internet access only at school. It has word processing and a flash drive for school work.

 

My 9 year old and my 15 year olds share a room, so my 9 yr old has probably played with the DSL in her room.

 

We have one TV in the playroom, where the computer is.

 

We have a Speak Out phone we load if the kids are somewhere we are not (sports practice, fi). I have a cell, dh has a work Blackberry and our oldest has a cell phone.

 

We are working towards each child having a laptop, however. And as soon as my sister gives me her old TV, I will have one in my bedroom. ;)

 

We have a landline in the kitchen and our bedroom. I don't see why the 3 younger kids would need phones, as they never answer the phone. It could ring all night, and they don't seem to hear it.

[Pamela H in Texas]

All of those things are done in common areas of the house. I am very against computers, tvs, vcrs, phones, etc in bedrooms.

[TravelingChris]

There was no way I could answer this directly. I said no but the reality is not in the real bedrooms. However, my middle child has been temporarily (2 months so far) been displaced to our office/guest room and that has a computer in it. Even when she was in her own bedroom, she could go into the office anyway. My oldest who is 19 and home due to depression recovery does have his own computer and own cell phone he either has paid for or is paying for on his own. We don't have tvs in bedrooms except the master bedroom which is mainly used for exercising (we have a treadmill in our room) or for early morning news. We don't own any game systems at this time (we are seriously considering the Wii). Neither of my underage children are the least bit interested in telephones. What electronics they do own is stereo or boom box system.

[Scarlett]

Dh and I (married almost 25 years) have never had a tv in our bedroom. The other night he dreamed we put a big flat screen on the wall that was clearly set up for tv in our room and (in the dream) I said, 'wow, I love this, we should have had it this way all the time.' :lol: But no, not happening. I don't believe in tvs in the bedroom, although I wish for it at times and enjoy it in hotels and all that...and besides my fundamental stand against it, dh is a MAJOR flipper and he would drive me crazy with the channel flipper.

 

And ds8. He is a tv addict and it is bad enough in the common areas. I certainly will not allow a tv in his room. He's had a CD player before...but it is currently in my kitchen so I can listen to Dave Ramsey as I cook supper. I have an IPOD that ds8 listens to, but I approve the music and rarely does he do it in his room.

[Retired]

the TV is not connected to cable or rabbit ears. They have a set time to play. We have never had a problem with non compliance. We don't watch TV. The computer is in a open place.

[Parrothead]

Dd only has a CD player and her Gameboy in her room.

 

We have only one TV and won't have any more. We each have our own computers but they are based in the living room. We also have a PS2 and a GameCube that are attached to the TV with the DVD player. I'm a big video game player so...

[Dayle in Guatemala]

We don't have electronics in the bedrooms (except a TV in ours) because I didn't want my dc to create a life of their own in their rooms and not want to mix with the rest of us! I saw it my friends growing up and I didn't want that with my dc.

[ChristusG]

My kids are only one and four....so this isnt such a problem for us yet. Plus, my kids dont have a bedroom either. They co-sleep with us....but they do have a playroom. There is a TV in the playroom, but it is not hooked up to the cable. There will definitely be no cable in there, or when they get older as well. We have it in the playroom so they can watch DVD's with permission from me, since I only allow limited screen time. Sometimes when DH and I are watching something in the living room, I will put on a DVD for my 4 year old back in the playroom.

 

Hooked to the playroom TV is also the Click Start learning system from Leap Frog. I allow my 4 year old to play this sometimes during her quiet time. Again, with permission from me.

 

My kids will definitely never have internet in their rooms. Too many things for even the best of kids to get into on there. A computer will be considered as they get older. Depends on if they need it for schooling, or games, or what. That will be on a "if we see fit" basis.

 

Ipods and stereos are fine with me. Video games will probably be a no-go in the bedrooms. Especailly since I limit screen time. They can play video games on the living room TV. The only cable in the house is in the living room and our bedroom....however, we never watch it in our room.

[Audrey]

I am just curious if anyone lets their children have TV, video games, phone, computer, etc in their bedrooms. My siblings let their kids and we are talking 6yrs and under! Then I hear it from my kids...LOL

 

Editing to add: We do allow cd players for music and books on cd, in the bedrooms. I didn't count them in the poll as, around me and the people I know, it's a normal thing to have. I would feel lost without my music! :)

 

I put "No. Absolutely not." However, I really only just mean the no part. I'd be okay with him having a computer in his room when he's older, but he wouldn't be allowed to spend hours up there unsupervised.

[Jenny in Florida]

However, they do both have cd players/radios in their rooms.

 

They both have laptops, too, and we have wireless internet in the house. So, my daughter has occasionally taken her computer into her room to work on a project. Mostly, though, she uses it in the living room or on the patio.

[elegantlion]

My son has a TV and PS2 in his room. He rarely watches TV in there and plays his game minimally. He has a friend who loves the PS2 and he serves as a great example of video game overload. He has a computer in the classroom, but only goes online with permission.

[RoughCollie]

My kids want all that stuff in their bedrooms. The answer is no, absolutely not, and it will not change until they are adults. They have iPods and boom boxes, and I don't mind that.

 

I want to know what my kids are doing on the computer and what they are watching on t.v., and I don't want to have to patrol the bedrooms to supervise them.

 

I know my kids, and they will stay up all night playing on the computer and watching t.v. if they could. Net Nanny and parental controls on our television take care of those items in the rest of the house while I am asleep.

 

We have one landline phone and it is in the dining room. The use it to talk to their friends. Too bad if we can hear the conversations they have ... this was how it was when I grew up and we didn't die from it. Only DH and I have cell phones, and I give mine to a child if s/he needs it. All of the kids' friends have cell phones, but I don't see the need for my kids to have them.

 

I also don't want the kids hibernating in their rooms. We use our bedrooms for sleeping, mostly. The kids can spend all the time they want in their rooms to read or nap, but there isn't much else to do in there since they don't play with toys any more, and since pillow fights have been outlawed.

 

We have one television set and two computers, all for shared use (except this computer -- I am THE BOSS of it). The t.v. is in use mostly, and always, during Red Sox games. If a game isn't on, the kids can watch something on t.v. (pre-approved) and they can play with the Wii, with screen time limits firmly in place.

 

My kids think I get the Meanest Mom award because of all this, by the way. Their friends have all that stuff in their bedrooms. I told my kids that what they really want are studio apartments, and when they can afford to pay for their own place, they won't have to go by my rules any more.

 

RC, Hard-hearted, Unrelenting, Unflinching MomBoss

[Jean in Newcastle]

ds10 has the computer he bought with his own money (earned through his baking business). He only has computer time for 1 hour on Fridays. I trust him totally with it in in his room.

[Unicorn.]

CD players only. They did each have a game boy advance, but all but one has been lost. The remaining one resides in our living room. When my dc complain about other kids having stuff in their room, I reply by saying "We love you more than their parents. Those parents put those things in their rooms to get rid of their children!" So far it's working- how can they argue w/ that! :0)

[Kelli in TN]

Sarah has a TV with cable and her own personal computer with internet and no filter in her private rec room.

 

Gabriel has a TV with cable (except when he is being punished, then the cable is unhooked for awhile) and a computer with no internet in his room.

 

Justice has a TV with cable (except when he is being punished, then the cable is unhooked for awhile) in his room.

 

Shalom does not not have a room. She is roomless. She is supposed to live with Sarah, but she prefers to live with Justice. So she floats between the rooms. Either way, she has access to television but not computer.

 

We have rules for the three youngers, they may not watch TV without permission. If they break the rule the TV comes out of their room for awhile.

 

Sarah has no rules.

[Peela]

Even though ddalmost14 (how long do I have to keep saying that? ) has a computer and a dvd player and tv screen in her room....she doesnt use them...they have there for the convenience of guests and because the other tv's etc are in my bedroom and dh's bedroom (yes, we have separate bedrooms). So, when the kids want to watch a movie, and I dont, they can.

That may happen once a month! (more in holidays).

We dont allow her to have her online laptop in her bedroom, because it feels like it would be askign for trouble, she is very computer and internet literate and a social livewire.

 

I don't really "believe" in allowing kids to have electronics in their bedrooms, but it is just a practical thing and not actually used very often. As a fmaily, we dont watch tv at all, only dvds, anyway, and probably only one or two a week, unless we are hooked into some series (like Star Trek) in which case, its mostly together in my room.

 

We have no tvs in public areas of the house. Only computers.

[Soph the vet]

As one who grew up with unlimited TV in my bedroom, I am vehemently opposed to having it in any of my dc's bedrooms. We have one TV in the family room, no cable, and we watch DVDs and I watch the news (worthless, I know:lol:). We have one computer, in the schoolroom. We have no video games (they are addictive).

 

When I was a child, I was allowed to spend all of my waking moments watching whatever I wanted. I even ate meals in front of the TV. This is a tragedy. When I think of all those precious hours wasted. I really think my IQ would be ten points higher were it not for that TV.

Soph

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Just a CD Player-they both love audio books at bed time!

[mazakaal]

I have enough trouble controlling their 'screen time' without them having anything in their room. I can't imagine allowing anything in their room right now. When they're teenagers and have proven that they have self-control and are responsible, I may allow some electronics, but not right now.

[GreenKitty]

I was considering putting a small tv in my oldest childs room to do programing on. Actually we used to have it set up to do in another room, but had to move it out. Hm.

[Closeacademy]

They have a CD/Tape player which I use to play soothing lullabies while they go to sleep and in the summer they have a fan. They use electricity but no, we don't put TV's or anything like that in their room--too much temptation to stay up all night that way.:001_smile:

[skissugar]

we have a tv and ps2 in our bedroom.. the kids well they have a cd player for their music at night, and ds has a mp3 player. Other than that no electronics in the bedrooms.

 

We have a "game" area set up in our garage with all the other game systems, wii, n64, vsmile etc.. set up for the family.. they watch tv and movies in the living room.

 

I grew up with a tv, vcr, computer etc.. in my room. Did not really help me become more social with my family. My brother who is 12yrs younger than I am lives at home, has every conceivable game sytem out there, stereo system, desktop and a laptop, dvd player etc.. all in his room. He would come home from school and go in his room and not come out.. friends would come over they would go in his room and only come out for food or bathroom. eta: my brother stays up all night playing games.. then sleeps when hes not in school during the day (he graduated high school this year) Im not seeing how this is going to help him get by in college..

 

THIS is not healthy! I am choosing to have my kids out socializing with the family.. not seclude themselves.. now that being said our "game" area is in the garage, semi secluded BUT they must ask permission to play and there are time limits.. typically once one goes in, we all follow anyway, and enjoy the game as a family.. or if there are friends over the door is open to the kitchen, so we can hear and comment as needed.

[Sasharowan]

My guys get cd players, mp3's and handheld games in their rooms, but are still limited on playtime. There wasa computer in the boys room, but it died. It was an old one that had no internet and limited games cause it was so old.

[Night Elf]

Yes, everything and anything! We have a small home and it's much easier for each of us to have our own stuff in our own rooms. Our common areas are one kitchen with an eat-in area and one small family room. There is simply no room for multiple computers and video game systems in the family room. If I could afford it, I'd purchase a laptop for everyone. But so far only DH and I have laptops. The kids all have desktops.

 

We've never limited screen time for our kids and have had no problems. We are firm believers in technology and were proud when our children were able to use a computer independently by age 4. :)