Putting a TV in a child’s bedroom is often heavily debated. I know some families who treat their child’s bedroom as a playroom and believe a TV is an essential addition, and others who think they shouldn’t have one until their older teen years, fearing what they might watch when parents aren’t around.
I’m in the camp of getting a TV in there when the child is on the younger side. As soon as they hit about 7 and are comfortable using the family TV without help, then I think why not?
After all, kids are known for their super early mornings, who is it hurting if they stick the cartoons on at 6 a.m. and buy you a couple of extra hours sleep?
When is the Right Time to Put a TV in Your Child’s Bedroom?
Although I’m happy to share my opinion on the subject, my opinion isn’t as important as yours. It’s essential to make sure you’re comfortable with whatever you decide, so if you hold a little longer, it isn’t really going to matter.
If you’re genuinely unsure about what age is the best age for a bedroom TV but have no strong opinions either way, it’s worth reading around the subject and asking friends who are parents to help you reach a decision.
As mentioned above, I think 7 is about right for my family, but I’ve also put a TV in my children’s rooms when for short periods if they’re not very well and want to spend time watching TV and sleeping. I would put our bedroom TV in their room from being about 4 or 5 years old if I’ve got a poorly child. It helps keep them entertained while they’re feeling bad, and it means they are not bringing their germs into the rest of the house.
What age do other families is right?
Some research around the subject of children having TVs in their room was conducted by Reliant. They surveyed over 600 parents and found some interesting results!
Out of the responders, 96.4% said that their children watched TV shows, with 51.6% of parents saying their children watch live TV. My kids love to stream what they want when they want it, but will happily watched scheduled shows on the children’s channels.
The majority of children start asking for a TV in their room from being at infant school, and 33% of parents but a TV in their child’s room when they were infant school age (ages 4-7).
What type of TV Should Your Child Have?
While any TV will probably do the trick, it’s worth thinking about getting the most out of it. For example, a lovely 4K TV will be with them for all their needs through the years. While they might only be using it to watch Peppa Pig when they first get a TV in their bedroom, as they get older your child will probably want to use streaming services and hook up gaming consoles.
Another option is to let your child take a tablet upstairs with them. It’s not quite the same as a TV, but will allow them to watch TV shows in their room when they need some quiet downtime. Around 54% of the parents surveyed said their children us a tablet or iPad to watch TV, so it could be a great way to test if they’re ready to be sensible with a bedroom TV.
This post is in conjunction with Reliant Direct but all thoughts are my own.