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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To think it's not ok for a holiday play scheme to have tv on all day?

41 replies

Cherrypie32 · 28/07/2012 21:52

DS is going to a local holiday club for 2 days a week this summer, we have previously been used to private nursery and village pre school settings. His first session is on Monday but a couple of friends whose kids have already started were surprised to be greeted with a whopping great tv playing a Disney film. It is apparently on all day. Now I'm not anti tv by any means, if DS was at home he would most likely watch a bit of CBeebies at start/end of the day, and an odd DVD if tired, but AIBU to be uncomfortable about this at paid for childcare setting?

OP posts:

WorraLiberty · 28/07/2012 21:54

I doubt he'll be forced to watch it though?

Some kids will want to and some wont

HumphreyCobbler · 28/07/2012 21:54

I would not be keen on this at all.

They can watch tv at home, I wouldn't be at all impressed by tv being on all the time.

MammaTJ · 28/07/2012 21:56

I would be fuming, they could stay at home and do this, for a lot less than a holiday club costs!! The whole point of going to something like this is that they get entertained in a way they would not at home!!

Original poster

Cherrypie32 · 28/07/2012 22:04

No he will not be forced to watch and I actually don't think he will as there is of course other activities to do but it does strike me as lazy on the organisers behalf for starters. My friend was also told that they would put the Wii on later which disappointed me again as we are trying to avoid the whole computer games etc (he's only 4.6) thing for now.

OP posts:

McHappyPants2012 · 28/07/2012 22:08

Why can't children do what they want on holiday. I would hate to be dictated to what I can and can't do on my holidays

gordyslovesheep · 28/07/2012 22:10

If there are kids of different ages in the scheme it's not a bad idea to have a quiet tv room for littler ones to go and rest in - or big ones!

WorraLiberty · 28/07/2012 22:12

Exactly McHappy

I don't get why anyone would be up in arms to see a TV if they're child probably won't be watching it anyway.

As for the Wii, well many kids find that fun as well as a good form of exercise.

Some of those kids won't be able to watch TV at home because they'll spend most or all of their holiday in structured child care.

A good club will have all sorts of things that kids enjoy and some of those things will involve TV and computer games.

Original poster

Cherrypie32 · 28/07/2012 22:14

You see I have also thought about it from that point of view, he starts school in Sept and if he did holiday club then it wouldn't be much holiday fun for it to be like school. DH pointed out that he would probably love to play on the Wii. I suppose i was wondering if this is quite normal for after school clubs, playschemes etc especially considering the organisation is rated OFStEd outstanding.

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squeakytoy · 28/07/2012 22:14

"I would be fuming, they could stay at home and do this, for a lot less than a holiday club costs!"

Only if their parents were at home though.. which is the reason most of them are at the club I would imagine.

It is school holidays, which are not meant to be educational.

FlouncyMcFlouncer · 28/07/2012 22:15

There will be kids who find it very hard to join in with 'strangers' and will be much happier watching TV.

TBH all I'd be aiming for is that my child doesn't spend the whole holiday miserable and bored. If TV and Wii mean he or she comes home happy, I'd not be complaining that they weren't 'stimulated' enough.

ScarletSmellyFeet · 28/07/2012 22:16

Our club has a tv room and I like it. DD3 is a quiet child who likes her own space and needs time to herself to calm down as she gets over tired due to her VSD.

I've asked club to pop her on a bean bag in front of cbeebies if she gets a bit wheezy and DD will sometimes take herself off and sit in the tv room just to get away from all the yelling and tearing about.

Original poster

Cherrypie32 · 28/07/2012 22:17

Btw I'm not 'up in arms' about it, just questioning its place.

OP posts:

WMittens · 28/07/2012 22:18

I would not be keen on this at all.

They can watch tv at home, I wouldn't be at all impressed by tv being on all the time.

So you expect someone to interact with your child, but it's OK for you to dump them in front of the box to keep them quiet?

greeted with a whopping great tv playing a Disney film... AIBU to be uncomfortable about this at paid for childcare setting?

Absolutely, because I bet that DVD isn't licenced for public or paid viewings, so they're breaking the law.

HumphreyCobbler · 28/07/2012 22:20

Well actually I DO expect someone else to entertain them if I have bloody well paid for it. They do watch tv at home (rather than being DUMPED in front of it) as well as all the stimulating activities I provide for them as a stay at home mother

I see nothing in my post to lead you to think that I don't interact with my child. How aggressive of you.

Boardiegirl · 28/07/2012 22:21

a good club will have much more structure than tv! i was co-ordinator of all our playschemes some years back and we NEVER had tv even if it peed with rain all week, i'd have been horrified if any of my staff even suggested it...they didn't because they were too conscientious and wanted the best for the children. Playschemes should do what it says on the tin...PLAY.
Havin tv on all day teaches that it's acceptable to spend large amounts of their leisure time lolling about.
Rant over.

Viviennemary · 28/07/2012 22:22

Can't see the harm in this if there are lots of other activities. It will give children time to chill out. I'd rather my child was watching TV and happy than miserable doing activities they didn't want to do.

WorraLiberty · 28/07/2012 22:23

It sounds like a perfect mix to me

Yes, some of them could watch TV at home

But then they could also do arts/crafts/other activities at home too.

HumphreyCobbler · 28/07/2012 22:24

yes, a well run playscheme would not rely on tv being on all the time.

If they show a film, that would be acceptable imo, but not every day. I have a problem with children dipping in and out of stuff. I prefer them to watch something all the way through.

I should perhaps add that even when I was working I was at home in the holidays so have never sent my child to a holiday club. One advantage of teaching. I would not show a film in my classroom either.

WorraLiberty · 28/07/2012 22:25

Boardiegirl that's a shame for the kids

It sounds like a 'school from school' by the way you describe it.

Not all kids want to play every minute of every day...especially when they're on a well earned break from school for the Summer.

How would you like to spend your holiday doing the same things you have to do at work...with no 'chill out' time at all?

HumphreyCobbler · 28/07/2012 22:26

advantage as in I didn't have to pay

skateboarder · 28/07/2012 22:31

Would your ds be inclined to watch it all day or not? The hol club my dc attend does have a tv/ games room and they tend to use it at set times. They also have a quiet area, outdoor activites available all day, day trips (x 2 per week), library area, craft and messy play areas.
There is no way my son at the same age would sit still and watch tv all day if he had the opportunity to do lots of other things.
The playworkers also encourage the children to do other things throughout the day.
I think flouncy makes a good point too

Original poster

Cherrypie32 · 28/07/2012 22:36

I haven't got children at school yet but if I remember correctly from my dim and distant past you don't get to play all day there. So holidays are for playing right? Boardiegirl's post seems perfectly reasonable to me, you sound antagonistic Worra.

OP posts:

Original poster

Cherrypie32 · 28/07/2012 22:41

No, don't think he will watch all day as he is far too active but to a parent new to this sort of child care it feels lazy to me that's why I am interested to read responses.

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Boardiegirl · 28/07/2012 22:44

my schemes were not 'schooly' at all, just lots of fun. we did have a quiet room, outdoor stuff, crafts but also things you dont do at school. theres plenty of time to 'chillax' at good clubs but it doesnt involve a tv.
btw imo the majority of children DO want to 'play all day' just not at the same thing, thats why schemes offer loads of variety. our largest scheme was a Flagship scheme and i dont think it would have gained such an accolade with a tv on all day.
i think the point the poster was tryin to make is that if she had known she could have made a more informed choice.
technology is obv a huge part of the future but childre should still be encouraged to have fun for fun's sake not be entertained by technology.
eg i do like postin on mn but wouldn't want to pay to go somewhere and it was there too, thatd b boring. however, if there was an unusual activity that i thought looked like fun i would want to join in, and if i didnt then i would look fr another original thing to do, cos i can do mn at home.

WorraLiberty · 28/07/2012 22:46

I'm not being antagonistic at all?

You've just said you don't have school aged kids... yes?

Well there will be kids at that club who have been at school all year and who want to chill and relax for a while in front of a TV...I'm sure they won't be encouraged to watch it all day long.

There is a happy medium to be had here you know.

Some kids spend their lives going to breakfast club, 6hrs of school and then another 3hrs of after school care.

The rarely get a chance to do anything unstructured so a happy mix is the way to run a club imo.

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