What are you buying your kids for Xmas?

[hlane]

I haven't read the whole post but from what I have read I'm sure I'm a minority here but I say get your dd the TV. My feeling is they are only kids once so why not give them what they want. I have two ds, 3 1/2 & almost 5. They have a TV, DVD player, VCR, & satellite in their room plus in our bedroom & the living room. In the living room they also have PS1, Gamecube, Xbox, and hundreds of games. They are getting a computer from Santa this year. I want them to have all I can afford to give them.

 

[LynnTH]

I too am in the minority here. My DS6 and DD4 both have TV's in there rooms along with DVD/VCR Combo. They do not get to watch TV whenever they want but they do need downtime also. Once they get ready for bed and get into bed we turn on a movie or cartoons ( I think they only know a couple of channels - Disney, Nick and Caroon Network). Then we set the timer for 30 minutes. Most nights they are asleep by the time it shuts off. This is their way of unwinding and relaxing. We also rent movies alot and they pick out their movies and my DH and I pick out ours. So, we are all able to watch our own movies without us having to watch theirs or them watching ours (which in many cases we wouldn't want them watching anyway).

That being said we are giving our kids a trip to Disney this year also. We are going the end of February and they don't know about it.. They have kept saying how they want to go back. And we keep telling them that trips are expensive and hopefully someday we can get back. Santa will probably bring them some games for their leapsters(which they both got last year for Christmas and I highly recommend this toy) and a few other toys as well as Disney Dollars. I am also going to get them each the new Video Now player that is out that plays cartoons/shows but is also interactive and will play games. I thought this would be great for the plane ride or in the car in general. They can share the PVDS as they now share the leapster cartridges.

Other than that I am kind of waiting to see what else new is coming out for the holiday season. Last year I bought a bunch of stuff and then ended up bringing alot back once I saw all the new things that came out. (That's the downside of shopping early). I'm just setting aside my Christmas money and will buy some here and there but wait more til I see what is coming out.

 

[MrsPete]

I haven't read the whole post but from what I have read I'm sure I'm a minority here but I say get your dd the TV. My feeling is they are only kids once so why not give them what they want.

Have you read this study?

KIDS WITH BEDROOM TV SETS HAVE LOWER STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, STANFORD/PACKARD STUDY SHOWS
STANFORD, Calif. – Want to improve your child’s standardized test scores? You might want to start by booting out the television that likely occupies a place of honor in your youngster’s bedroom and booting up a computer elsewhere in the home.

A new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University indicates that third-graders with televisions in their bedrooms perform significantly more poorly on standardized tests than their peers without. Conversely, those with access to a home computer earn higher test scores. The differences persist regardless of the amount of time the students reported spending on homework.

“This study provides even more evidence that parents should either take the television out of their child’s room, or not put it there in the first place,” said Thomas Robinson, MD, director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.

Robinson is the senior author of the research, published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. He collaborated with lead author Dina Borzekowski to survey about 350 third-graders at six public elementary schools in northern California in 2000. Borzekowski is an assistant professor in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.

The researchers found that more than 70 percent of the students reported having a television in their bedroom. These students scored between seven and nine points lower on standardized mathematics, reading and language arts tests than did their peers. Conversely, those with access to home computers scored between seven and nine points higher than those without. The highest average scores were netted by students with computer access and without a bedroom TV; students with a personal television and without computer access at home scored the lowest, on average.

“ This study doesn't prove that putting a television in your child’s bedroom will decrease his or her test scores, but it does add to the increasing evidence that it’s not a good idea,” said Robinson, who is the author of previous studies showing that decreasing children’s television viewing reduces obesity, aggressive behavior and nagging for advertised toys.

The researchers can’t conclusively say why television has such an effect on test scores. Surprisingly, the students who reported spending the most time watching television also claimed to spend more time on homework and reading than kids with more limited exposure, perhaps because they tend to have more difficulty with schoolwork in general. The researchers speculate that the link may have more to do with other factors, such as the fact that children with bedroom televisions have been shown to sleep less than their peers, or that the minority of parents who allow a home computer but prohibit a bedroom television may be more engaged in their child’s education.

“A television in a child’s bedroom has become the norm,” said Robinson. “From the parent’s perspective, it keeps kids amused and out of trouble. But with this arrangement parents are giving up any control of how much and what their children are watching. They have no idea if they’re watching all night, or if they’re watching violent or sexually explicit content, or content or advertising that promotes alcohol or drug use.”

But cheer up Mom and Dad—there’s still hope. Some of Robinson’s future research will focus on developing effective ways to help parents extract televisions from their children’s inner sanctums.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

IThey do not get to watch TV whenever they want but they do need downtime also. Once they get ready for bed and get into bed we turn on a movie or cartoons ( I think they only know a couple of channels - Disney, Nick and Caroon Network). Then we set the timer for 30 minutes. Most nights they are asleep by the time it shuts off. This is their way of unwinding and relaxing. We also rent movies alot and they pick out their movies and my DH and I pick out ours. So, we are all able to watch our own movies without us having to watch theirs or them watching ours (which in many cases we wouldn't want them watching anyway).

I agree that kids need downtime, but I think that allowing children to read in bed or just before bed is just as relaxing. It has been routine in our house since my oldest (now 9) was 3 for me to read to them every night. My dd no longer wants me to read to her, so she reads in her bed while I read aloud to her younger brothers. All of my kids know they will be getting at least one book each from me, not Santa or anyone else, for each holiday and if they find a book they want I rarely say no, although sometimes I will tell them to wait until I find it cheaper. They do watch tv, but I know exactly what they're watching all the time and there are shows on Cartoon Network that my children are not allowed to watch, even some of their daytime ones. They know now to change the channel immediately when they come on, but I'm still there if they don't.

I definitely don't think that my kids are entitled to have as many game systems or tv's as they want just because they are only young once. Those are just things. What I would rather do is show them as many experiences as I can with vacations, day trips, etc. so they can learn what is important and spend time with them so they learn that they are what's important to me. The things I buy them won't teach them that. I'd rather buy them things they can learn from.

I think most people know this already, but just in case I want to suggest reading the toy reviews on Amazon before deciding what to buy, even if you aren't going to order it from there. I think it really helps you know if you're getting what you want from a toy.

 

[kkaisu]

My DD is 13, she wants a new stereo and an Mp3 player. My plan is to get her an MP3 player - looking at Creative NuVue - lots of colors, same features as an IPOD, $100 less and some decent speakers she can play it through for her room, instead of a stereo.
I will also get her some clothes and a caller ID phone for her room.

On the TV issue - my daughter did not have TV in her room, but she did watch ALOT of TV(way too much my sister said) when she was little . Guess What - she gets all A's and B's, is active in volleyball, choir and dancing and rarely, rarely watches TV anymore. She does have one in her room now and I think she only watched it this summer late at night when she was lying in bed. It's your child. My DD would have loved a princess TV, If I would have been able to afford it and they had them then, I know she would have had one.

 

[hlane]

Have you read this study?

KIDS WITH BEDROOM TV SETS HAVE LOWER STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, STANFORD/PACKARD STUDY SHOWS
STANFORD, Calif. – Want to improve your child’s standardized test scores? You might want to start by booting out the television that likely occupies a place of honor in your youngster’s bedroom and booting up a computer elsewhere in the home.

A new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University indicates that third-graders with televisions in their bedrooms perform significantly more poorly on standardized tests than their peers without. Conversely, those with access to a home computer earn higher test scores. The differences persist regardless of the amount of time the students reported spending on homework.

“This study provides even more evidence that parents should either take the television out of their child’s room, or not put it there in the first place,” said Thomas Robinson, MD, director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.

Robinson is the senior author of the research, published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. He collaborated with lead author Dina Borzekowski to survey about 350 third-graders at six public elementary schools in northern California in 2000. Borzekowski is an assistant professor in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.

The researchers found that more than 70 percent of the students reported having a television in their bedroom. These students scored between seven and nine points lower on standardized mathematics, reading and language arts tests than did their peers. Conversely, those with access to home computers scored between seven and nine points higher than those without. The highest average scores were netted by students with computer access and without a bedroom TV; students with a personal television and without computer access at home scored the lowest, on average.

“ This study doesn't prove that putting a television in your child’s bedroom will decrease his or her test scores, but it does add to the increasing evidence that it’s not a good idea,” said Robinson, who is the author of previous studies showing that decreasing children’s television viewing reduces obesity, aggressive behavior and nagging for advertised toys.

The researchers can’t conclusively say why television has such an effect on test scores. Surprisingly, the students who reported spending the most time watching television also claimed to spend more time on homework and reading than kids with more limited exposure, perhaps because they tend to have more difficulty with schoolwork in general. The researchers speculate that the link may have more to do with other factors, such as the fact that children with bedroom televisions have been shown to sleep less than their peers, or that the minority of parents who allow a home computer but prohibit a bedroom television may be more engaged in their child’s education.

“A television in a child’s bedroom has become the norm,” said Robinson. “From the parent’s perspective, it keeps kids amused and out of trouble. But with this arrangement parents are giving up any control of how much and what their children are watching. They have no idea if they’re watching all night, or if they’re watching violent or sexually explicit content, or content or advertising that promotes alcohol or drug use.”

But cheer up Mom and Dad—there’s still hope. Some of Robinson’s future research will focus on developing effective ways to help parents extract televisions from their children’s inner sanctums.

I can speak from MY experience only but I grew up in a household where we did not own nor were we allowed to watch ANY T.V., even at school or a friends home. I can tell you that neither me or my 3 siblings turned out any better or worse then our peers who had and watched TV.
When I said in my previous post the my ds had TV etc in their room I did not say I allowed them to watch whatever they wanted or as much as they wanted. As a previous poster stated my kids use this as a way to relax at the end of the day. They watch Disney, Nick, Cartoon Network, or a DVD that we get from the library. I turn on what they are going to watch, set the timer and that's it.
I think op has to do what she feels is right for her dd just as I do what I feel is right my my ds.

 

[8 Ears]

This thread has me so fired up that I have tried not to post! If my son's had not been able to watch TV how would they have learned so much about volcanos? Youngest DS was going to school telling his teacher this and that he had learned about them. Her comment was, you will learn about that in another grade. Learn about it later? He HAD already learned it from Discovery! Oldest DS went to school asking his teacher to tell him more about "The String Theory" in 7th grade. His teacher had NO CLUE what he was talking about. He had to take the video in to show and prove to his veterened teacher what he was talking about. Oh, do you also know that Buffalo roll in the dirt a certain way when it is mating season? Yup, we learned them from Discovery too. How about WW 1, 2, Vietam and the Korean wars? I would bet most of you out there know a blank, blank less than my children 11 and 13 do! Do you know there is Vermont's Little Grand Canyon that you can go to and walk around? Very nice place I may say! Yup, saw a show on it on TV, went to it and had a WONDERFUL time! What about the Berumda Triangle? How much do you all know about that? They now believe at least in part that it had something to do with our minds reversing the sea and sky as far as planes go. How many of you sit as a family and watch the Travel Channel? Do you have conversations concerning the different clothing, foods, traditons for when a male "becomes a man"? I am and Ed. Tech, OK not a "teacher" but I understand that learning happens or can happen ALL the time! You do not have to be sitting behind a desk to become educated!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes there are many shows out there that I do not think have any educational value BUT if you set limits TV is a very good tool. Working in the school system I see how many parents are. They tell their child to do one thing and turn around and do just the opposite. What do you think they are learning there folks?????? Just last night I was not going to stop at a stop sign that in my opinon is in a foolish place. There would be nothing wrong with it only being a Yield. I nearly coasted through when DS made the comment that in a little over 2 years he can get his permit and wondered how I would feel if he "coasted" through it. I came to a complete stop!! Lesson in learning for the both of us here!!!!!!!!

Well, said in the beginning how fired up I am about this thread. I will end now but let me assure you I have MANY, MANY more examples if any of you need them.

Oh, how about going to an antique store to look around? How things have evolved. Are they going to learn that sitting in the class room. We love Antiques Road Show! How much things cost 100 years ago, what they are worth now. How long did it take the average person to safe to purchase that item. How long would it take someone now. We will say I, DH or both of us make this much and hour, how many days would we have to work just to buy THAT? I believe this is Math?!?!

OK, really signing off now

Oh, oh I have more! Oldest DS wanted to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials than he learned in "school", we taped and wathced and rewatched a show on it. Yup, can only watch it if you had a TV!!!! Now in October we are taking a bus trip there because he does not feel as though he knows "enough"! Would we have gone without watching the show, maybe, maybe not?!?! The point is had only touched on it in school and went to the TV to learn more. We have also researched more on the "gulp" computer! He was sitting in front of a tube, was he wasting his time away? I think not.

Limits, guidlines, supervision

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

Have you read this study?

KIDS WITH BEDROOM TV SETS HAVE LOWER STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, STANFORD/PACKARD STUDY SHOWS
STANFORD, Calif. – Want to improve your child’s standardized test scores? You might want to start by booting out the television that likely occupies a place of honor in your youngster’s bedroom and booting up a computer elsewhere in the home.

A new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University indicates that third-graders with televisions in their bedrooms perform significantly more poorly on standardized tests than their peers without. Conversely, those with access to a home computer earn higher test scores. The differences persist regardless of the amount of time the students reported spending on homework.

“This study provides even more evidence that parents should either take the television out of their child’s room, or not put it there in the first place,” said Thomas Robinson, MD, director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.

Robinson is the senior author of the research, published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. He collaborated with lead author Dina Borzekowski to survey about 350 third-graders at six public elementary schools in northern California in 2000. Borzekowski is an assistant professor in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.

The researchers found that more than 70 percent of the students reported having a television in their bedroom. These students scored between seven and nine points lower on standardized mathematics, reading and language arts tests than did their peers. Conversely, those with access to home computers scored between seven and nine points higher than those without. The highest average scores were netted by students with computer access and without a bedroom TV; students with a personal television and without computer access at home scored the lowest, on average.

“ This study doesn't prove that putting a television in your child’s bedroom will decrease his or her test scores, but it does add to the increasing evidence that it’s not a good idea,” said Robinson, who is the author of previous studies showing that decreasing children’s television viewing reduces obesity, aggressive behavior and nagging for advertised toys.

The researchers can’t conclusively say why television has such an effect on test scores. Surprisingly, the students who reported spending the most time watching television also claimed to spend more time on homework and reading than kids with more limited exposure, perhaps because they tend to have more difficulty with schoolwork in general. The researchers speculate that the link may have more to do with other factors, such as the fact that children with bedroom televisions have been shown to sleep less than their peers, or that the minority of parents who allow a home computer but prohibit a bedroom television may be more engaged in their child’s education.

“A television in a child’s bedroom has become the norm,” said Robinson. “From the parent’s perspective, it keeps kids amused and out of trouble. But with this arrangement parents are giving up any control of how much and what their children are watching. They have no idea if they’re watching all night, or if they’re watching violent or sexually explicit content, or content or advertising that promotes alcohol or drug use.”

But cheer up Mom and Dad—there’s still hope. Some of Robinson’s future research will focus on developing effective ways to help parents extract televisions from their children’s inner sanctums.

Well this certainly does not apply to my house - both my children have TV's in their rooms and both are honor roll students - my DS earns all A's and B's and my daughter is all A's and consistently she has scored 99% on all her standardized state wide testing every year since 1st grade. She is in the top 1% of the state for her age level. They have had TV's in their rooms for a few years and it does not effect their grades at all - and why is that,because I am the parent and I set the TV limits just because it is in their room does not mean it is a free for all to watch as much TV as they want - I really do not know why I continue to read these threads as I certainly must be a horrible parent according to the perfect parents here. YES my kids have TV's in their rooms. Yes my kids eat raw cookie dough, Yes my kids go to sleepovers, YEs my kids read Harry Potter and Lemony Snickets - THis could go on and on - I know I am not perfect at being a parent but itdoes get tiring to see so many "perfects" out there telling others how horrible it is to do something that would Never be done at their house. I do the best I can and it seems to be working at my house since my kids are well behaved and get good grades. This post isn't meant to be to any one poster it is just my opinion so please no one take offense.

To the OP of this thread - if you know your DD wants that Princess TV - get it for her and don't let others judge you or make you feel bad for your decision. Like I said both my kids have TV's and game systems in their rooms and they are both honor roll students. In fact video games have helped my DS with his Auditory Processing problems - they have improved his processing speed and helped him with reading. He is an A/B student and doing very well in school. It all comes down to limits.

 

[Disneyglobegirl]

This thread has me so fired up that I have tried not to post! If my son's had not been able to watch TV how would they have learned so much about volcanos? Youngest DS was going to school telling his teacher this and that he had learned about them. Her comment was, you will learn about that in another grade. Learn about it later? He HAD already learned it from Discovery! Oldest DS went to school asking his teacher to tell him more about "The String Theory" in 7th grade. His teacher had NO CLUE what he was talking about. He had to take the video in to show and prove to his veterened teacher what he was talking about. Oh, do you also know that Buffalo roll in the dirt a certain way when it is mating season? Yup, we learned them from Discovery too. How about WW 1, 2, Vietam and the Korean wars? I would bet most of you out there know a blank, blank less than my children 11 and 13 do! Do you know there is Vermont's Little Grand Canyon that you can go to and walk around? Very nice place I may say! Yup, saw a show on it on TV, went to it and had a WONDERFUL time! What about the Berumda Triangle? How much do you all know about that? They now believe at least in part that it had something to do with our minds reversing the sea and sky as far as planes go. How many of you sit as a family and watch the Travel Channel? Do you have conversations concerning the different clothing, foods, traditons for when a male "becomes a man"? I am and Ed. Tech, OK not a "teacher" but I understand that learning happens or can happen ALL the time! You do not have to be sitting behind a desk to become educated!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes there are many shows out there that I do not think have any educational value BUT if you set limits TV is a very good tool. Working in the school system I see how many parents are. They tell their child to do one thing and turn around and do just the opposite. What do you think they are learning there folks?????? Just last night I was not going to stop at a stop sign that in my opinon is in a foolish place. There would be nothing wrong with it only being a Yield. I nearly coasted through when DS made the comment that in a little over 2 years he can get his permit and wondered how I would feel if he "coasted" through it. I came to a complete stop!! Lesson in learning for the both of us here!!!!!!!!

Well, said in the beginning how fired up I am about this thread. I will end now but let me assure you I have MANY, MANY more examples if any of you need them.

Oh, how about going to an antique store to look around? How things have evolved. Are they going to learn that sitting in the class room. We love Antiques Road Show! How much things cost 100 years ago, what they are worth now. How long did it take the average person to safe to purchase that item. How long would it take someone now. We will say I, DH or both of us make this much and hour, how many days would we have to work just to buy THAT? I believe this is Math?!?!

OK, really signing off now

Oh, oh I have more! Oldest DS wanted to learn more about the Salem Witch Trials than he learned in "school", we taped and wathced and rewatched a show on it. Yup, can only watch it if you had a TV!!!! Now in October we are taking a bus trip there because he does not feel as though he knows "enough"! Would we have gone without watching the show, maybe, maybe not?!?! The point is had only touched on it in school and went to the TV to learn more. We have also researched more on the "gulp" computer! He was sitting in front of a tube, was he wasting his time away? I think not.

Limits, guidlines, supervision

Well said! I agree with you on this too!

 

[DVCLiz]

Whew - for a minute there I was afraid test scores for my children would be dropping by the hundreds of points. But 7 to 9 points just doesn't seem that significant to me.

I am always amused by the anti-TV people, who assume, no matter where the TV is located, that parents who allow TV viewing automatically give up all control of what their children are watching. I mean, if you are a parent who allows TV viewing in your home, are you really so out of touch with your children that you wouldn't go in and out of the room, see what your children are watching, make sure they had the TV turned off at the appropriate time, fell asleep when you intended them to, etc.?

Don't you do all these thigns as a responsible parent? I might let my DD fall asleep watching TV on my bed (I do have a TV in my room because I'm a grownup!!!) but I know what she's watching and when she turns it off or goes to sleep, because I'm sitting in the room right next door watching TV myself or reading.

Do these people think we put the children and their TVs in a separate wing of our enormous mansions???LOL!!!!

 

[fiveforall]

As an educator who recently spent six months studying the effects of television on adolescents, it is my conclusion that television can only harm children if parents allow it to do so. If I were to let my kids watch trash TV for hours upon hours and neglect their homework and family, then yes, it is harmful. However, in my own loving home, all of my kids have their own televisions. They spend about an hour each week night, more on the weekends, watching tv and playing games. They are involved in soccer, karate, church, and most importantly, we spend time reading and just relaxing together. My kids are extremely bright. TVs are not the problem---bad parenting is.

Anyway, to get back on topic, my kids will receive the following:

DD(10)-XBox, XBox games, minutes for her phone, books, and clothes
DD(7)-DVD player, books, clothes, board games, soccer equipment
DS(5)-baseball and soccer equipment, hockey tickets, Gameboy games

 

[DVCLiz]

DD11 has recently renewed her interest in Gameboy. She had the original Gameboy and now I believe the one she has is a Gameboy Advance. I know there is something new out, so what should I get if I decide to do this for Christmas??

She will also get her first real "teen" accessories. A lighted makeup mirror for her vanity, a basket with deodorant, makeup remover, nail polish and manicure sets, and some "real" makeup like mascara and lip gloss, etc.

But she has also asked for some "toys" so I'm at a loss about that. She has enough art sets and board games to last a lifetime!!! What still fits the description as a "toy" for a 12 year old????

 

[Miss Kelly]

Well this certainly does not apply to my house - both my children have TV's in their rooms and both are honor roll students - my DS earns all A's and B's and my daughter is all A's and consistently she has scored 99% on all her standardized state wide testing every year since 1st grade. She is in the top 1% of the state for her age level. They have had TV's in their rooms for a few years and it does not effect their grades at all - and why is that,because I am the parent and I set the TV limits just because it is in their room does not mean it is a free for all to watch as much TV as they want - I really do not know why I continue to read these threads as I certainly must be a horrible parent according to the perfect parents here. YES my kids have TV's in their rooms. Yes my kids eat raw cookie dough, Yes my kids go to sleepovers, YEs my kids read Harry Potter and Lemony Snickets - THis could go on and on - I know I am not perfect at being a parent but itdoes get tiring to see so many "perfects" out there telling others how horrible it is to do something that would Never be done at their house. I do the best I can and it seems to be working at my house since my kids are well behaved and get good grades. This post isn't meant to be to any one poster it is just my opinion so please no one take offense.

To the OP of this thread - if you know your DD wants that Princess TV - get it for her and don't let others judge you or make you feel bad for your decision. Like I said both my kids have TV's and game systems in their rooms and they are both honor roll students. In fact video games have helped my DS with his Auditory Processing problems - they have improved his processing speed and helped him with reading. He is an A/B student and doing very well in school. It all comes down to limits.

Very well said. Thank you!

 

[Brier Rose]

Have you read this study?

KIDS WITH BEDROOM TV SETS HAVE LOWER STANDARDIZED TEST SCORES, STANFORD/PACKARD STUDY SHOWS
STANFORD, Calif. – Want to improve your child’s standardized test scores? You might want to start by booting out the television that likely occupies a place of honor in your youngster’s bedroom and booting up a computer elsewhere in the home.

A new study by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Johns Hopkins University indicates that third-graders with televisions in their bedrooms perform significantly more poorly on standardized tests than their peers without. Conversely, those with access to a home computer earn higher test scores. The differences persist regardless of the amount of time the students reported spending on homework.

“This study provides even more evidence that parents should either take the television out of their child’s room, or not put it there in the first place,” said Thomas Robinson, MD, director of the Center for Healthy Weight at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford and associate professor of pediatrics at the School of Medicine.

Robinson is the senior author of the research, published in the July issue of the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. He collaborated with lead author Dina Borzekowski to survey about 350 third-graders at six public elementary schools in northern California in 2000. Borzekowski is an assistant professor in the Department of Population and Family Health Sciences at the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins.

The researchers found that more than 70 percent of the students reported having a television in their bedroom. These students scored between seven and nine points lower on standardized mathematics, reading and language arts tests than did their peers. Conversely, those with access to home computers scored between seven and nine points higher than those without. The highest average scores were netted by students with computer access and without a bedroom TV; students with a personal television and without computer access at home scored the lowest, on average.

“ This study doesn't prove that putting a television in your child’s bedroom will decrease his or her test scores, but it does add to the increasing evidence that it’s not a good idea,” said Robinson, who is the author of previous studies showing that decreasing children’s television viewing reduces obesity, aggressive behavior and nagging for advertised toys.

The researchers can’t conclusively say why television has such an effect on test scores. Surprisingly, the students who reported spending the most time watching television also claimed to spend more time on homework and reading than kids with more limited exposure, perhaps because they tend to have more difficulty with schoolwork in general. The researchers speculate that the link may have more to do with other factors, such as the fact that children with bedroom televisions have been shown to sleep less than their peers, or that the minority of parents who allow a home computer but prohibit a bedroom television may be more engaged in their child’s education.

“A television in a child’s bedroom has become the norm,” said Robinson. “From the parent’s perspective, it keeps kids amused and out of trouble. But with this arrangement parents are giving up any control of how much and what their children are watching. They have no idea if they’re watching all night, or if they’re watching violent or sexually explicit content, or content or advertising that promotes alcohol or drug use.”
.

This study is just the "flavor of the month"!
Please... if you look around anyone can find a "study" to support anything.

So they would really have people believe that if a child spends 3 hours watching Discovery channel on TV, they are so much worse off than a child that spends 3 hours playing SpongeBob on a computer??? Just because one is a computer and one is a TV...laughable!

Without giving any specifics of what is being watched on TV, and what is being done with this time on the computer, this study certainly lacks depth at the very least.

And a student that spends all of this time watching TV, is on average doing poorly in school so they have to spend much more time doing their homework and reading???

I must be missing something here, but if they are spending all of this time watching TV, how are they then spending hours reading and doing homework??

At best, I could much more easily believe the kids they asked were lying about how much time they spent doing their homework or reading, much more easily than I would believe plummenting test scores and overall poor school performace happened no matter how much they read or studied because of their volumes of time spent watching TV. Gimmie a break!

And my favorite of the bunch...Kids that spend so much time watching TV are most likely to have parents that are not "as engaged" in their child's education!
Love that one! I homeschool my kids,you can't get anymore involved than that.

And FYI, just because there is a TV in the room does not mean that all of the sudden all rules get thrown out the window!

What makes them think that it's such a given that if a child is told to turn off the TV and go to sleep they won't??

They still do what there told don't they??

And if not, that's more of a not minding your parents problem than a TV problem!

How about kids that get back up to secretly play with toys, or read under the covers with a flashlight???

But wait..that's not...GASP!...watching TV!

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

TVs are not the problem---bad parenting is.

Good point.

 

[luvmy2sams]

DD6 is getting a Princess karaoke machine, video camera & Kim Possible lamp. Possibly some new clothes and a game or two.

DS2 is getting a Buzz Lightyear tent, cowboy outfit and quite possibly the Mickey Mouse TV & DVD/VCR from Santa . Possibly a couple of new outfits and another toy.

We've got to do an equal number of presents, since that's all that concerns DD right now, so I'll have to pull everything out of the closet at some point to make sure I haven't gone overboard in one direction. We're also opting for a budget Christmas since we're heading to WDW the first weekend in January.

I'm another one in the minority that doesn't see the problem with the TV in the bedroom. DD's had one for about 3 years now (strictly DVD's/no cable hooked up), and there have been no issues. If your DD wants the Princess TV, then I say go for it!

 

[MrsPete]

TVs are not the problem---bad parenting is

I agree, with several qualifications:

TVs in bedrooms and lazy parenting seem to go together -- that doesn't mean that ALL parents who make this decision for their children are lazy, but it seems to be a trend. I've heard TONS of people say things like this: "I had to get him a TV for his own room so he'd leave me alone for a while." or "I bought him a TV of his own so I could watch something other than cartoons." Huh? Is your convenience really the best measure of parental decisions? Again, this may not be everyone's reason, but it's certainly a major reason for many people.

This study isn't the only one that's found a negative correlation between TV and kids' educations. That link has been clearly established since I was a kid; the difference is that kids today seem to have much more access to TVs -- more of them are able to watch anything they want, anytime they want, with or without parental knowledge.

I'm not against TV -- especially he shows that people mentioned. But in all honesty, are most TV hours spent learning about nature's wonders or watching the Teen Titans pound villans?

This study didn't address whether TV overall is bad for kids -- it only discussed kids' ownership of personal TVs in their bedrooms. Why can't kids watch the family TV? That makes it a shared activity, which the parents and children can enjoy together. In my "mansion" we have a "good TV" in the den and a 9" that's sometimes hooked up in the living room for video games. We could easily afford to buy a set for every room, but we feel that we have plenty and don't feel deprived in the least.

Finally, several people have cited case studies of individual children who've had TVs in their bedrooms and have done well in school -- good for those kids. But surely you understand that studies are about the behavior of thousands of children. Some of those children will be honors students, some of them will be drop-outs -- the study is about what happens to children on average. We're not likely to hear anyone pipe up, "I gave my kid a TV, and he's dumb as dirt." So website stories about one's own children are sure to be biased in favor of those who "beat the odds".

If you disagree with my opinion, that's your perogative. They're your children. But I want to give my kids every possible advantage in this world, including protecting them from seeing "too much" too soon.

 

[LisaR]

This is a question for those of you who have toddlers with satellite TV, DVD's three different gaming systems, Ipods and computers:

What on earth are you going to buy them for their 6th birthday or
Christmas when they are 9????

WOW! I just find it amazing that these little kids already have everything.
I thought my kids were spoiled until I read this thread. My kids are apparently very deprived.

Lisa

 

[Brier Rose]

This is a question for those of you who have toddlers with satellite TV, DVD's three different gaming systems, Ipods and computers:

What on earth are you going to buy them for their 6th birthday or
Christmas when they are 9????

WOW! I just find it amazing that these little kids already have everything.
I thought my kids were spoiled until I read this thread. My kids are apparently very deprived.

Lisa

Well, I suppose that might be a problem if I felt that I had to "one up" each Christmas. I don't.

There are always new things to be had, or maybe even a time will come that I can't provide these type of things anymore. I tell you honestly my kids are not the type that would be devestated or angry if that day ever comes.

They are appreciative for everything they have ever received, and do not "expect" things, but are thankful to get what they want for as long as we can give it to them. And I'm thankful that we are able to give it to them. It makes ME happy.

I would rather that they had things like that for a short time than have never had them at all.

Are they spoiled...yes in terms of having "things" lavished on them, but NOT when it comes to attitude or character.

We've had times of feast and times of famine so to speak, and they have remained the same good kids regardless...TV, trinkets, and all!

 

[megan4777]

DH and I already decided to give each other "Worst Mommy EVER!!!" and "Worst Daddy EVER!!!" t-shirts for x-mas. We thought about the, "Worst kid ever t-shirt" but decided not to do that until we're finished having kids and have judged them all!!! Yeah, I'm going to hades...
That being said, I DO use the Tv to tame our 2 yr old while I feed our 7 mo old. I never did until she stood on top of the coffee table and began to dance. I asked her to get down. She didn't. Ok, I counted to 3. She still didn't get down. Hmmmm, I told her that she would have a time-out or get a smack on her bottom. (I do have THAT mom stare...the one that scares you if you know something will come of it) Hahahahaha. When I asked her to sit in her chair to watch Play with me sesame her little bum sat down so fast it would make your head spin. She sat (and talked to cookie monster...oh or is he "veggie monster" now? ) for 20 min.
Our 2 yr old doesn't have a tv in her room (yet) but I'm sure she will at some point in the future. She absolutely loves watching national geographic as well as Dora/Sesame street, football and hockey (dear lord help her!!!). Your kids have great toys. We had nintendo (coleco, actually, in our "early years"), tv, crayons, matchbox cars, etc. We also had those sock em boppers that we beat the poop out of each other with...there were no knuckle marks...
You know your kids so therefore you make the decisions...but I don't see anything that says you can't give them what they asked for...
Sorry your post got turned into this debate....