Not In Our Bedroom!
Posted by Andrea
Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Before JT and I married we completed 20 weeks of Biblical premarital counseling at our church. Our counselor helped us explore our relationship more deeply and guided us as we pondered the decisions needed to make our family function successfully.
Over the course of those 5 months, JT and I came to several decisions. One of the more obscure decisions was about television. We decided that we only wanted one television in our house and that it would NOT be in our bedroom.
Nearly 6 years later, our family room still houses the only television we own. We saved our pennies and purchased a great one, a large flat screen with a DVR (an absolute must have when you have children and/or only one television in the house!). How have we survived? By learning to wait, using our time more wisely, and of course setting the DVR!
Apparently keeping television out of the bedrooms of teens is a good idea too. A recent study by the University of Minnesota School of Public Health has shown that teens who have televisions in their bedrooms are less likely to engage in healthy habits. A bedroom television compromises the amount of exercise teens obtain, adversely affects the amount of time teens spend interacting with their families, and limits the teens’ intake of healthy foods. Does this surprise anyone? I don’t think it should.
JT and I don’t have a television in our bedroom and we will not permit the girls to have them in their bedrooms either. We’re increasingly disturbed by the filth found on television at all hours of the day. Besides that, we’re big on family here, so we’re enjoying our time together without the constant distraction of television. No, we’re not ready to toss the toss the television (at least not yet); we just don’t want it to become a substitute for quality time with those we love.
Tags: Family time, flat screen, Marriage, television
Here Here!!! We’re the same. We have no TV in our bedroom, our girls can only take the mini one with the DVD player attached to their room with permission and only for the purpose of privately watching a family-friendly movie we’ve approved (they’re 13 and 9), and my son (15) just got one in his room last year, but he’s so used to not having one and not watching a lot, it may not get turned on more than 2-3 times a month, with the exception of watching a VCR tape with the girls. Yes, we still have an operable VCR and boxes of tapes in the garage, and we still use it. Our family TV in the living room is ancient, but still shows such a clear picture that we can’t part with it just because. We don’t watch enough TV to care. We’ll be one of the families purchasing one of those converter boxes before next year, just to get pictures on our dinosaur!
So we’re not the only ones!
Honestly, we’d just rather keep our bedroom as our special “sanctuary” and when there’s no TV there we can do just that.
I think we’ll be doing what you do with the portable DVD player and preapproved movies. You are really on top of things! I LOVE that! Your hubby is blessed to have a gem like you.
Thanks for the visit.
We only own one television, and DVR is the best invention!
We also concluded that our kids were not allowed to have computers in their bedrooms either, at least not internet access. No phones as well (does anyone do that anymore?), even cell phones until they are old enough to foot the bill.
Our kids are pretty young yet, but their internet access is limited to open areas where anyone can walk by and see what they are doing. Also, their email account info must be submitted to mom & dad, so we can monitor emails coming in and out if need be. We trust our girls, but we want the option to intervene if we feel behavior or activities become dangerous.
I also think it is a good idea to know what music is on your kid’s MP3 player. (if they have one)
I think one of the biggest blunders some parents make is giving their kids all these new technologies, and not monitoring them or at least keeping them accountable for how they use them and what they access on them.
Thanks for your visit and comments:)
I agree that the DVR is a wonderful, wonderful invention! Our kids are preschool age and my hubby and I have already talked about a few of the ideas you have mentioned but you’ve given us more food for thought.
Have a wonderful weekend!