AIBU to be annoyed that my 5 year old is watching tv during 'wet play'?

[missdeelite]

Just wondered is this common practise at all primary schools? Apparently today was wet play due to snow on playground, and when the children can't play outside they watch videos in the hall - today was Kipper. I like to control what tv they watch and for how long, usually I use it as something to 'wind down' to while I prepare dinner as this is peak tantrum/fighting time. I think too much tv is not good for little ones, with all the expertise and training within a primary school do they really need to resort to tv for entertainment? And is this good for their learning in the afternoons? I'm not overly uptight about tv but don't think given all studies about too much tv and impact on children, their development, links to obesity etc that this is very good example.

BTW this is 'outstanding' infant school with healthy schools status.

We certainly didn't do this in wet play in my day!!!! (Now I sound old!!!)

DD not in school yet, so I'm not sure if it's normal practice, but I remember my primary school doing the same thing in unpleasant weather.
I understand your wanting to limit their tv time, but if it's age appropriate things they were watching and it's only once in a while, I wouldn't be too concerned personally
I do remember the bus driver sticking on Blade on the way home when was about 11 though... But that's a whole different story

Umm, you do sound a little bit uptight about it. What do you want them to do instead? You can't have the whole school running around in the hall ('elf and safety) and at 5, presumably most of their "lesson" time is painting, sticking etc. Also, not to get all teachery on you, but activities require much more supervision than cartoons and teachers do need to eat lunch, grab a loo break, prepare the classroom for the next set of activities at some point. Genuine question - what would you prefer?

Its still playtime.
Are you really making a fuss about kipper?
"not overly uptight about tv" !!!!!

It was probably for about 15 minutes and used as a treat.

I doubt your dc will have come to any harm at all.

Sigh

They spend all day working, where's the harm in spending wet play relaxing in front of a TV show?

The teachers need a rest too.

Chill out.

Oh FFS.

The teachers need their break too you know!

I LOVE Kipper

Yes, it's common practice in very bad weather.

And I hate to tell you, but they'll probably be watching a few video clips during the day on their interactive whiteboards as part of their learning (maths- and phonics-based usually).
So you'd better think about how much you let them watch at home...

Assuming this was the longer break at lunchtime, you need to remember that they are in the care of midday supervisors, not teachers.

There is a much lower level of supervision than during lesson time and there are several classes to entertain. I think 20 mins of a DVD is a good idea tbh, something harmless and quiet. You can't have dozens of kids charging around inside.

"I'm not overly uptight about tv" Well, you are, a bit.

Over the course of the day they've probably not watched more than an hour of cartoons. It's no biggy.

You need to get out more.

YABU , they won't get square eyes

What did you do at wet play in your day? The teachers' strikes in the 80s meant that at long last teachers were entitled to a lunch hour (I say entitled - I still don't know what one looks like. But it's the prinskiple after all. )

So if you are really old like me your teachers may still have had to supervise you.

no uptight? nah you dont sound it at all...

what do you think will happen to your child if they watch Kipper?

Will it stunt her development? I doubt it

Will it turn her into a problem child? I doubt it

Will it have an impact on her future career? I doubt it

And guess what.. it wont make her fat either!

Chill out..

YABU.

Lunchtime controllers do not have expertise and training, and they do not have a big enough hall to let the entire school full of children run around. They can't all go to their separate classrooms because there aren't enough staff to supervise them if they are not all contained in one or two places.

I would question why they weren't allowed outside though if they only got wet play because of snow on the ground. Both my dc's school and the school I work at allowed children out to play if they had coats and suitable footwear as well as school shoes, and that's what I thought most schools did and should do.

Are teachers in the UK paid during their lunchbreak? (I am a teacher though not in the UK and I am not.) We are not on duty at that time, although typically use it to prepare. So presumably it is the auxiliary staff who sort out wet lunchtimes.

What would you suggest they do with a horde of infants then?

yabu
we watched videos in wet play in school in the 90s so its not that new of an idea! really dont see that it will do them any harm.

" given all studies about too much tv and impact on children, their development, links to obesity etc that this is very good example."

If you've read all of the above studies, you'll realise that sitting for 15-30 minutes watching something age-appropriate on a wet day will do no harm whatsoever.

You do sound overly uptight, by the way.

WHen I was wee, wet playtime meant being stuck in teh classroom bored out of our minds while some of teh rougher kids chucked stuff about. There was no supervison (at least not of teh "big" ones- the wee ones got looked after by 2 P7 girls) we would have loved to watch a bit of TV

YABU

You do sounds quite uptight about TV actually.

Yes it is common practice. Wet play is a nightmare. All those kids chomping at the bit needing to have a break form learning, often no where to have wet play but in the classrooms (in my school we only have one hall and it needs cleaning after lunchtime so no wet play in there).

What do you want the lunchtime supervisors to do with them at wet play? Sometimes the kids need some downtime, some peace and quiet, rather than having all the lego out or something.

No harm will come to your precious children from wathcing 20 minutes of something once in a while when it is wet play, or the teacher needs a break, or it is friday afternoon and the kids are all going crazy...

YABU to get uptight about a small amount of TV watching on a day when outdoor play isn't possible.

have you been in a school hall during wet play? The din, the steam, the completely frazzled, non playful, non creative feel of it? I wonder what effect that has on afternoon learning.

Ridiculous to worry about effect on learning and obesity for a short emergency provision.

When I was little, wet playtime meant we got soaked in the playground....

My 5 year old watched Star Wars during 'Wet Play' today.

Yabu and neurotic.

At lunch time there are far fewer staff to look after the children, teachers and TAs will be on their lunch break or getting ready for the afternoon session. The school probably have the option of children in the classrooms with midday supervisors popping in or keeping the younger age groups together and watching a DVD. it doesn't happen often and will not lead to obesity.