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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Should I expect my DC to get to go outside?

32 replies

verbeier · 20/02/2015 23:53

My DC are at a childminders (wrap around care) and nursery respectively. When I signed them both up, I stressed that outdoor time was crucial for us and I was told that fresh air and going outside was important and regularly done blah blah blah. At the nursery, it turns put that there is a rota to use the garden and the maximum each room can have a day is 30mins. Some days they don't go outdoors at all.The childminder does not even take them out to her garden (on sunny days, during ten hour days). The only time my child has been out to the garden was the day we visited the house to sign up. Now it boils my blood that I was effectively conned at the point of signing up with these entities...please tell me there are childcare options out there where they DO get proper outdoor time? Or do I need a nanny?

OP posts:

Rabbishes · 20/02/2015 23:55

Time outdoors and outdoor play is part of the EYFS, I'd raise it with your CM to find out what provision she is making for this.

WorraLiberty · 20/02/2015 23:57

I wouldn't keep my kids indoors for nearly 10hrs on any day, unless they were really ill and unable to walk.

YANBU, that's ridiculous.

BackforGood · 20/02/2015 23:59

Agree with others - it's part of the EYFS, but also, surely just good for your own sanity as much as anything else!
Doesn't she take them out and about...to the park, etc. ?

With 'wraparound' I can see that it's not always that appealing after school, on the dark, rainy nights, but for the full days, that's ridiculous.

Original poster

verbeier · 21/02/2015 00:01

What really irks me is that nursery recently got an outstanding rating, with a report about 'frequent nature walks' and the like. Such lies. All it seems at the moment is endless Disney DVDs....every time I pick up early they look guilty and say (unprompted) "oooh its only for 5mins". Meanwhile my daughter now knows the storyline to ever child's film going... That's it, I'm bloody moving both of them!! Thanks for confirming I'm not mad..:)

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halfwayupthehill · 21/02/2015 00:03

My cm takes the kids to the shops if they are lucky. In four full days they have been to the park once. She is good in other ways.

Original poster

verbeier · 21/02/2015 00:03

Back - no, my DD was there for two consecutive days this week, 10 hours a time. She literally didn't leave the house. Both days were crisp but really really sunny! I had assumed she would go to the park, as a minimum. I feel really guilty. :(

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Callooh · 21/02/2015 00:05

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk Guidelines.

Rabbishes · 21/02/2015 00:07

I have to admit, I do let my mindees watch TV or a DVD at the end of the day as part of winding down ready for collection. So the last 20-30 minutes of each day. It's always age appropriate and I try to relate it to their interests wherever possible, I have three pick ups between 5.30 and 6 so there's no point having an activity on for that half hour.

Now and again, as a treat or if we've had a particularly busy week or if they're poorly (but not poorly enough to be at home, eg the sniffles), then we make popcorn and watch a DVD.

We do lots of outdoor activities though and my toy room opens directly into the garden so even if they don't all want to go outside, the ones that want to can and the ones that don't want to don't. I can still supervise both and join in with both.

There is no wrong weather, only wrong clothing ;)

Only1scoop · 21/02/2015 00:08

Have you actually spoken to the nursery and Cm about your issues? Have your dc been there long?

I don't think my dd ever watched a dvd at nursery in 4 years....that doesn't sound great.

I'd speak to them. Ask when they next have their 'nature walk'....ask Cm 'how long did they play out for today' see what is said.

littleladyluna · 21/02/2015 00:09

I recently did a placement at a nursery close to me where I was told if OFSTED inspected that the children were taken to the park everyday, in reality it was more like once a week. I was appalled. I think they relied on the fact that parents didn't have much knowledge of the EYFS so couldn't object - it is an oversubscribed and expensive nursery. Really poor behaviour on their part.

Your CM, should be following the same framework so you can definitely question her on it.

YANBU, I'd be very annoyed too.

Original poster

verbeier · 21/02/2015 00:09

Thanks Callooh. I spend most of my days feeling guilty for one thing or another :D Its just such long days - it would do MY head in not being outdoors...obviously we are a bit if a mismatch and I need to find another childminder and nursery.

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Rabbishes · 21/02/2015 00:12

You can ask your CM to do things, you know. Yes, she's self-employed and not your employee so she doesn't have to do what you say but she should be willing to work in partnership with you (also an ofsted requirement) and if you want your DC to have more outdoor time she should consider whether/how she can provide this. It's a reasonable request to say "can they go in the garden more often?"

BackforGood · 21/02/2015 00:12

My dc are older - went to CM long before the EYFS was invented, but CMs have always taken them out and about. Some days (eg when they went to toddler group) there might be less time literally playing outside, but they'd have had a big community hall and bikes and climbing frames and stuff to play on there, so physical activity which happened to be inside, but they'd also walk there and back so did get some fresh air.
Other CMs we used over the years would regularly be in the garden when I got there to collect, or just on their way in if I wasn't early. As I say, this was long before they actually had to.

Original poster

verbeier · 21/02/2015 00:17

The nursery is really going downhill in my opinion- my first child never watched a DVD or TV there and now its every day, it seems (same staff and management). I wouldn't mind a wind down 20 to 30 minutes, but as she's telling me the synopsis of films it seems like a lot more. I pick up at all hours, sometimes lunch, sometimes mid afternoon, sometimes late afternoon and at the moment, chances are that at all these times there will be a film on. The childminder, to my knowledge, does not usually let them watch TV or DVDs. Theres a plus but I am going to try and get a replacement setting for them both.

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MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 21/02/2015 00:19

Find a CM with a small house - they will have to get out and about, for their own sanity (I used to be a CM with a small house... also all my mind eyes were close in age to my DC - I think it worked well as all DC were then automatically treated like my own... you wouldn't keep your own child in watching DVDs 10 hours a day unless you or they were very ill)

Seriously YANBU at all to change CM and nursery. .. I think any CM who tried to look after my younger 2 without outdoor time would be demanding I remove them after a day or 2... A lot of kids go stir crazy kept indoors, no matter how livelythe craft aactivities on offer...

MrTumblesBavarianFanbase · 21/02/2015 00:21

"Mind eyes"? Mindees. ..

Original poster

verbeier · 21/02/2015 00:22

I find the CM a bit scary - we found it very difficult to find one who would go to my daughters school (she was the only one we found!). If I can find a new one, I would rather just leave. I don't think my DD likes her at all. Its kind of the icing on the cake really...

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Rabbishes · 21/02/2015 00:25

I agree with MrTumble, children need to get outdoors for their sanity and mine! Last week they were impossible, didn't want to do anything structured, didn't want to go to the park, didn't want to play. I ended up in my front garden (usually off limits to mindees as it's "my" garden) doing my weeding and some planting, one mindee wanted to help me while the other mindee and my DC had a whale of a time doing handstands against the side of the house. It was quite chilly outside but they had coats on and it did them the world of good to go wild in the fresh air for a bit. By the time we went back inside they were more than ready to sit down calmly for reading/homework and their tea.

Littleturkish · 21/02/2015 00:29

My CM never ever has a whole day inside- every time I come to collect, unless there is awful weather, the back door is open and children are free to go in and out with toys in use and mud kitchen being 'cooked' in! Makes me so happy to see- wouldn't want it any other way!

teacher54321 · 21/02/2015 07:58

That's terrible on both counts. I work with EYFS and have a Ds who's been at a nursery and childminders. In both settings he was outside for AT LEAST 2 to 3 hours every day.

Watching DVDs at nursery? That's bad. Nothing wrong with 20 mins here and there or a film as a treat. But not every day.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 21/02/2015 08:05

My DM is a CM and they are told they must take their mindees out fir fresh air every day. Not that they should need to be told but they are.

Id be very very unhappy about being indoors every day.

Trooperslane · 21/02/2015 08:16

They definitely need to be outside every day and I'd be really pissed off about the DVDs too.

Imi22sleeping · 21/02/2015 08:20

I'm a cm I get the kids out every day even if it is in the garden. It's quite tricky as from 12-3 most days I have babies napping so its needs to be quiet time then I have a school pick up but I do try everyday

ShadowSpiral · 21/02/2015 08:20

YANBU.

The nursery my DC to has a big garden, and a smaller yard that opens onto the under 3 room that's exclusively for the little ones. So no nonsense about rotas to use the garden and only one room being allowed outside at once.

They say that they're out there in the garden most days (weather permitting), and certainly in the warmer weather, every time I picked them up on a nice day all the kids were either in the garden or on the way in from the garden. They also do trips to the local park but i'm not sure how often these are. They're inside at the minute when I pick them up - still getting dark when I normally collect them - but there's often muddy clothes being sent home for me to wash, so they're evidently spending time out in the garden.

Original poster

verbeier · 21/02/2015 08:44

I really appreciate all your responses...as we had this in two different settings I was thinking this is just how things are...I am going to get cracking looking for a new setting! Thank you!

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