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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think nursery shouldn't be outside for eclipse?

42 replies

speedbird17 · 20/03/2015 13:34

Pictures on nursery fb of all the children stood out in the garden to watch the eclipse. Not a one of them wearing eye protection, using a pinhole projector, box or similar.

I am floored that they could think this was responsible in any way!

So glad I didn't send in my DD today as she was feeling a bit under the weather. Do I talk to them about it, raise it as a concern or just let it go?

OP posts:
Artandco · 20/03/2015 13:37

It was cloudy here, couldn't see a thing so it's no different that a normal day

Do you not go outside in summer? You aren't supposed to look at the sun at any time of the year, it's only during eclipse it's mentioned as people are trying to look at it. I'm sure most kids have had the sun in their eyes in August

ErrolTheDragon · 20/03/2015 13:41

Yes, art, but the difference with the eclipse is that it's specifically about the sun and so people are inclined to look at it. There's adults on MN who should have known better who've done it this morning. The OP says the children were 'in the garden to watch the eclipse'. I hope that it was like here - enough cloud to allow a filtered view.

TBH not sure there's much point mentioning it now, the next eclipse isn't till 2026.

timeforacheckup · 20/03/2015 13:44

At dds nursery they weren't allowed outside until it was all over which I think was pretty standard around here.

seriouslypeedoff · 20/03/2015 13:45

I think yabu, but only because here you could see it through the clouds so wasn't glaring here.

ouryve · 20/03/2015 13:46

A normal, or rather a sunny day in August is bright, Art so your pupils adjust. It's rather gloomy during an eclipse (enough for some people's full headlights to be on a good 20 minutes before its peak, this morning) so your pupils are dilated, but the bits of sun that you can see are just as bright. As the total amount of light entering your eyes is less than usual, during an eclipse, protective reflexes don't kick in, so you are more likely to permanently damage your retinas.

seriouslypeedoff · 20/03/2015 13:48

Why would you speak to them? Your DD wasn't there and there isn't another one for a while. So not really sure how you would broach it. They may have asked all the parents as they went in?

MNpostingbot · 20/03/2015 14:07

Call me naive, cynical even, but this don't look at the eclipse thing seems to be all a bit over the top and probably entirely driven by people being scared of getting sued.

These eclipses happen around the world frequently enough that if it was genuine problem we'd have 30 per cent of the planet blind by now.

What about the cave men and women, they didn't have the bbc reminding them not to look at an eclipse so how come they didn't all go blind?!

It's like the 'you must turn your mobile phone off on a plane'
If there was really a risk plane crashes might be causes if you received a call they wouldn't let the phone anywhere near the plane

GetMe · 20/03/2015 14:11

Well there was a chap on the radio who looked at an eclipse through sunglasses many years ago and it seriously damaged his eye sight. Best 'over the top' to save one persons sight in my opinion.

Not sure how I feel about the nursery, probably not worth the risk.

iklboo · 20/03/2015 14:13

How come cave men & women didn't go blind?

How do you know they didn't?

Dangers of looking at the sun are widely known round the world. Other countries' own TV networks, education etc tell their own people not to do it. The BBC isn't World Telly. Grin

Sirzy · 20/03/2015 14:15

I think it was a bit daft of them really.

I signed a form to say DS in reception could go out to watch it but the school were providing the children with glasses to watch it

GetMe · 20/03/2015 14:16

I don't think cave men and women had 24 hour TV whipping them into a frenzy about seeing it either!!

MrsHathaway · 20/03/2015 14:16

Our preschool made a point of having the BBC1 coverage available for the children to watch (ie fairly boring for them a lot of the time so they wouldn't sit square-eyed) because it's worth a look but not worth retinal damage.

Bunnyjo · 20/03/2015 14:20

DC's school all went out to watch the eclipse - including the nursery children. All of them wore protective glasses and were fully supervised.

MrsBojingles · 20/03/2015 14:31

I don't recon cavemen knew there was an eclipse happening

MNpostingbot · 20/03/2015 14:32

Ibkoo, I don't know the cavemen didn't go blind. If they did, well I was already impressed they hunted wooly mammoths, even more so if the were doing it by touch and smell.

I'm well aware the bbc isn't world tv. Point being that we didn't have wall to wall warnings 200 years ago, there were still eclipses and as far as I'm aware the history books didnt report blindness on a massive scale during the eclipse of 1880

MNpostingbot · 20/03/2015 14:33

No Mrs bojingles, they probably didn't and probably thought what the f£@@ is that?!?

But pretty sure they looked at it

Dawndonnaagain · 20/03/2015 14:35

Call me naive, cynical even, but this don't look at the eclipse thing seems to be all a bit over the top and probably entirely driven by people being scared of getting sued.
You're naive. 70 people lost their sight during the last eclipse. A few hundred more permanently damaged their sight.
It is dangerous.

MNpostingbot · 20/03/2015 14:37

Source of this 70 please?

I'm not doubting you, like I said, I'm naive, but where are you getting the figure from?

MNpostingbot · 20/03/2015 14:41

Found it. Although technically not what you said.

Was the royal college of opthamologists.

However they said there were 70 cases of solar retinopathy and temporary loss or partial loss of sight. All 70 of which had completely recovered within a month and most could 'see' within hours of the incident.

So, I am naive, it's clearly not a good idea. Probably worse for developing eyes as in this case.

But I'm right it's never going to cause global blindness!

Doyouthinktheysaurus · 20/03/2015 14:42

I think nursery were foolish but as your dd wasn't there I guess it's up to other parents whose children were there to complain if they are concerned.

At ds2's primary they said Ks2 would be outside but not Ks1 because it's just too challenging ensuring they are all behaving responsibly.

I sent mine in with glasses but there was bugger all to see thanks to heavy cloud anyway.

ShadowStone · 20/03/2015 14:44

I didn't even think to ask nursery if they were staying inside for the eclipse when I dropped DC off this morning.

I just assumed they would stay in as it would be a right pita making sure loads of pre-schoolers kept eye protection on.

Worried now.

Roobo · 20/03/2015 14:46

I wouldn't complain because your child wasn't even there and it's not like it's going to happen again anytime soon!

I found the whole eclipse hype a bit annoying anyway. This amazing, rare, must see event. Only one golden rule... DON'T LOOK! Confused

YNK · 20/03/2015 14:53

They used a pinhole camera?
So the children were watching a projected shadow?
In fact, in order to see the projection they would have their backs to the sun!
What's dangerous about that?

There is less actual sunlight during an eclipse than before or after it surely, so no reason to stay indoors!
Looking at the sun directly is never a good idea, but the nursery staff weren't asking the children to do that.

You should be thanking them for making sure the children took part in a historical natural event which won't be seen again in decades!

Original poster
speedbird17 · 20/03/2015 14:58

YNK you misread not a single one of the, had eye protection nor did they use pinhole projector or similar. I asked about it and have been told, we kept them looking down the whole time.

Glad I didn't send her in, nothing more to be done/said I guess now.

OP posts:
Original poster
speedbird17 · 20/03/2015 14:59

MNpostingbot the whole turning your phone off isn't a load of crap, trust me.

OP posts:
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