<p>I've had a computer in my room since i was 5.</p>
<p>It started off in my parents room, but then got relocated to my room when we re-organized furniture. In 8th grade I bought my first computer (with my own money) and that then went in my room. I purchased another computer for myself in 10th grade because my old one was getting slower. I then got myself a new computer freshman year of college.. which i had till this past summer when it died. I bought a laptop during my junior year, and just about three weeks ago i bought myself a new desktop for my room. </p>
<p>My sister inherited my parents old computer when she was in 5th grade. she continued to use that until she purchased a new computer for herself when she was in 8th grade - which she still has today and she's currently in 11th. </p>
<p>my 18 year old cousin who was living in our basement has had a computer in his room since about 9th grade as well. i gave him one of my old computers that year, and he bought himself a new computer in 11th grade.</p>
<p>my 7 year old cousin who was living here has one of my old laptops in her room which she loves to play paintbrush on. (haha)</p>
<p>Basically... we all have computers in our room, and we've all purchased them ourselves... because it's not parents responsibility to provide a computer for their kids.. just something we all wanted on our own. We also have one main "family" computer in the living room... which my parents replace every few years with a new one.</p>
<p>We also split the cost of networking the house together - router, cables, etc. I paid half of our internet bill starting in 9th grade till i left for college. (we had dial up and since i was the one who wanted the internet we split it.. i got half the hours, and my parents and sister shared the other half) My parents now pay the full thing because when i went to college they made the decision to switch to cable internet.. so it's all on them now. nobody monitors where anyone goes on the internet, and there are no times to be on or off the computer, or to be home or in bed by.</p>
<p>Haven't had time to read the whole thread, but we're wireless and everyone has their own laptop. Son doesn't live here any more, but brings his laptop when he comes to visit. There is a desktop of recent vintage in my bedroom, which d. uses for her music downloads to IPOD, because for some reason the IPOD won't work with her laptop. (It was supposed to be my main work computer, but I like the laptop better -- though I am thinking of getting a larger LCD monitor for it and using it to watch DVD's, as I do not have a t.v. in my room). There are an assortment of ancient desktop CPU's scattered around various places in the house.</p>
<p>Anyway, the laptops go where their owners go. There are times when we are all sitting in the livingroom on our respective laptops - I've even sent email or chat messages that way. (Not as bad as it sounds: Although the computers obviously are networked via the wireless router, we usually find it easier to transmit files to one another by email).</p>
<p>No computer or TV in either childs' room. They never asked for either and we never thought about it. I don't think we would object; the subject just never came up. They tend not to be home enough to need privacy.</p>
<p>All three of my kids, ages 17, 11, and 7, have computers in their rooms. They connect to the internet via a wireless network that we have in our house.</p>
<p>All of our four Ds, and my husband and I, each have our own computer. Our house is wireless so theoretically we could use them in any room but usually they're in each of the kids' rooms, and my H and I have ours in our respective studies. Occasionally, when they are home from college, the girls will set up theirs in the kitchen just to be in the center of things. :)</p>
<p>All of us have laptops (me, mom, dad, brother, and sister). We also have 2 desktops for more powerful stuff. It's a nice setup with wireless networking and everything, but looks a little funny to have 3 or 4 people in a room on laptops...</p>
<p><em>is poor, so some of the ages would have been earlier if we could have afforded them</em>
<em>is 16 years old</em></p>
<p>I had a TV in my room ever since I was 5, and the computer (first one we got when I was... 11 I believe) has always been in my room (since I'm the only one who knows how to use it (which is why I'm the one who has to go to the parent forum instead of my mom, who can't even turn on a computer)). My mom trusts me enough to know I won't get into any trouble or caught by any "sexual predators". I couldn't imagine having to work with all the noise of guests in the living room area though.</p>
<p>My kids have never been allowed to have TVs in their rooms -- for many reasons. I didn't want them to get "too used" to watching TV. I didnt want them watching network TV (they still don't). I didnt' want them to use TV to "put them to sleep" and I wanted to know what they were watching. </p>
<p>We have a "computer room" upstairs with computers and desks for each kid. Our kids have so much homework and so little free time after sports that they don't have time to "fool around" on their computers.</p>
<p>i don't know, i have had a tv in my room.. ever since i can remember.. i remember when i was really young i had a 9 inch black and white tv... and i barely ever watch it.. i have every intention of not purchasing cable when i live on my own... so i don't think all kids will get used to watching tv or this or that just because they have a tv in their rooms. i just started watching a show a few months ago (the office, on nbc at 9:30 on thursdays)... and that's probably the only show i've watched more than once... since i love lucy when i was a little kid. :)</p>
<p>fendergirl, I think it really depends on the kid. Some of my middle school students have their televisions on in their rooms for hours at a time and do use it to fall asleep (or to stay awake). I'm always trying to get them to read more at home, but the electronics are much more appealing. That said, I have quite a few students who prefer books to anything else. TVs in their rooms probably wouldn't be to their reading detriment in the least.</p>
<p>My son's room is too full of books to have his computer there, too. Both our computers (or rather his and what remains of mine) are in the same room, not for parental monitoring purposes but because the location is convenient and the room is bright and sunny.</p>
<p>Years ago, right after he outgrew cartoons, my son decided broadcast TV was dull. Although he doesn't have a much higher opinion of cable TV, it's irrelevant since cable isn't available here and satellite signals don't reach the house. A TV in his room would be merely a dust collector. I literally cannot remember the last time he watched a TV show of any kind.</p>
<p>Since we have a dial-up connection (what? they still exist?), it's safe to assume that no one downloads videos or music from the internet.</p>
<p>When we built out our basement 5 years ago we also built out our S's bedroom and a seperate office for him there as well. His computer is in his office down there with a wireless connection to our high speed connection. It has never been a problem at all for us or him.</p>
<p>i just don't think tv has that much of an effect on peoples grades... i mean, maybe i'm wrong. i just feel that for kids who let tv interfere with their grades.. if the tv wasn't there, it would just be something else... i mean, i personally just think it's something that people like to point the finger at instead of taking the blame for their actions.. but that's just me.</p>
<p>fendergirl, I'm with you on that. I've never thought that tv was the demon that a lot of people think it is. I've often wondered, too, how they know it's such a demon and so worthless if they don't even watch! ;)</p>
<p>While there is much on tv that is, indeed, 'utter crap', as one of my Ds always says, there is also much that is valuable, well-written, well-acted and well-produced, educational, informative, and <em>gasp</em> even entertaining! As someone who is a news junkie, loves dramas, mysteries, movies, I can't imagine being without television. I should add that I am also an avid reader and probably read between 40-50 books a year for pleasure. That, work, running a household with four Ds and several pets, and spending time on CC! still allows me time to relax in front a favorite tv show a few nights a week.</p>
<p>My Ds have all watched a fair amount of tv while growing up. They are all A students, they read, participate in sports, theatre, and music. I like to think that some of what they've seen on tv has contributed (much like their reading, playing sports, travelling, music lessons) to the very aware and well-rounded young adults they are now.</p>
<p>alwaysamom -- I agree with you that TV is not such a terrible thing. S2 likes to watch the History channel and Discovery channel, and S1 watched the SciFi channel when he was at home. He doesn't watch any TV in college, though they have cable/TV in their room -- there's just too much to do.</p>
<p>That said, I agree with a previous poster about the isolating effects of TV/computers in bedrooms. We have 4 computers/4 people -- S1 has a laptop at school, H has a laptop for work, S2 has an Imac in his room (no internet access, so is just gathering dust) and we have a desktop with cable modem and wireless router in the study. I really don't worry as much about computers as I do about TV. We never allowed the kids to have TVs in their rooms -- they were for sleep and homework. If they want to relax, I would rather have them in the family room.</p>
<p>We have never allowed them to have a computer in their rooms. We did have it in our laundry room for years but found that it was still isolating. In the past year we purchased a new computer and put it in the family room. They didn't complain to much. I did notice a huge drop in IMing by my son. If he had a computer or TV in his room he would never sleep. As it is we often fine him with the TV on or using the computer long after he should be sleeping. We finally put a password on the computer that he doesn't know and we shut it down at 10 PM.
My oldest now that she has graduated from highschool has her own laptop and she uses it wireless when she is home. Her brother has on occasion borrowed it in the late evening hours. We have since had to tell her that she needs to know where her laptop is when she goes to bed. We have on occasion if she is home but not sleeping at home taken her laptop up to our room at night. My dear sweet boy can be quite resourceful and sneaky at times.
At my youngest D's school at back to school night the principal discussed how so many of the students get up at night and play computer games that they are sleepy at school the next morning. Also that they are IMing while they should be doing homework. They suggested taking the internet cable to bed with the parents at night.</p>
<p>We have since had to tell her that she needs to know where her laptop is when she goes to bed</p>
<p>when my D was home I swear she would sleep with her laptop.
Now that she is living in a townhouse- I really don't think she uses her desk in her bedroom- ( it was covered) she either is at her office in the lab or she uses the coffee table.
We dont really have many computer games but I find that soduku is very addicting!</p>
<p>Emeraldkity- my son has ADD and can get hyperfocused. He is a very good poker player and has discovered internet gambling. We don't allow him to play but he does try to sneak around that rule. His latest obsession is some computer game I think it is counter strike. With either he would stay up all night playing.</p>
<p>My boys (now a HS freshman & senior) each have tv/computers in their rooms. The computers they got early on.... they shared one in the living room until the older boy was in 7th gr. With his LD (dysgraphia) it was determined that he would benefit from a computer for hw, etc. So we got him a laptop for his bedroom, (since replaced with a desktop) and put the formerly shared living room computer in the younger one's room (he was in 4th gr at the time). They also had internet in their rooms However, they didn't get televisions/cable in their rooms till their 13th bds -- not a day sooner! The caveat to their computers/internet is that they can NEVER have private passwords, and they know that at any given time, I might go on their AOL accounts/hard drives & search around. Never been a problem for the older one, I have, on several occassions, caught the younger one in questionable activity. But he knows the risk, and has no choice but to accept the rules. They both IM during hw time... but it's not a big problem. If anything, they're both pretty proficient at keyboarding! I actually see them "conferencing" with friends re hw on occasion, too (though, I admit, the internet is more often used for recreation than hw). My husband & I also each have our own computers for work... and we have 2 laptops which float around the house as needed. The older boy does a tremendous amount of video editing... which drains his cpu's resources, so I frequently find one laptop in his room so he can be multitasking while editing. So.... we have 6 computers in the house... and I must say that maintaining them from viruses & other disasters is a full time job for me!</p>