The question of a television in a child’s room divides the minds of parents. Is it allowed or not? Does watching TV harm the child’s development? As controversial as this point can be discussed: Under certain rules, “the boob tube” is not a problem for the little ones.
As soon as children are of “televisionable” age, they want to have a say in the program that is watched. There are plenty of offers for children’s programs, and there are also dedicated channels for children. And often, when parents are thinking about buying a new TV set, they say that the little ones will then have to get rid of the old set… And then there’s the eternal and old parenting issue: should the child have its own TV set or not? As with many fundamental parenting questions, there is no clear pro or con here either. In case of doubt, each family must decide for itself.
It certainly doesn’t hurt children to grow up completely without television, just as it’s fine, conversely, to allow them to watch age-appropriate programs. If you allow your children to watch TV, you should consider limiting their TV time, depending on their age. One should keep in mind that besides watching TV, there should be time left for playing with friends.
Also, if the child has their own TV, you have less ability to control their TV-watching behavior. You can’t expect children to be reflective about their own television behavior. So if there is a TV in the child’s room, clear rules of use are not wrong. In this way, you can prevent the time they spend watching television from increasing ad infinitum.
The German Federal Center for Health Education has published recommended usage data for children watching television as an aid for all undecided parents.
