Am I being PFB? Watching films at nursery

[MonkeyPJs]

AIBU and PFB? Need a reality check here ...

PFB is almost 4, and at nursery they have decided to have a "film" day later in the week when all of the children watch a film together. I asked what films, they said maybe the Lion King.

Before I could think it through, I asked them not to show the middle section where Mufasa dies. While PFB loves the Lion King, I made the decision not to show that section about a year ago after PFB got very very upset about the idea of me or DH dying, and parental mortality in films (Nemo, Frozen etc) does really affect them. Death is something I get a lot of questions about, and PFB has had nightmares about. I don't want that part of the film shown in a situation where I can't be there to explain it.

I know now I should just watch the whole thing with PFB beside me to explain it, but don't have time before film day.

Am I being terribly PFB? It all just came out to the nursery teacher, and I walked away feeling like that parent ..

There are bat shit crazy comments on here.
Since when have nursery workers been teachers.
You need a level 3 to manage a room, the equivalent of one A level.
A teacher usually needs a degree and a PGCE.
No disrespect to the majority of cc workers who do a fab job. i'd expect a teacher to have good English skills and not write roll play and ask if child had brung teddy

reallytired who said that play based learning isnt real learning?

And if you think nursery workers are really thick and lazy then I guess you've never worked with preschool kids in a UK nursery?

They can't just recruit random people, they need qualifications. Thick and lazy people won't get those qualification s, will they?

You need a level 3 to manage a room, the equivalent of one A level. - Nope. There has to be a level 3 person in the room but they don't have to be in charge. And my level 3 qualification is equivalent to 2 A levels.

The quality of nurseries and nursery workers varies a lot. Some are great and some are crap. Unfortunately there are many more positions for staff than there are good staff. Crap staff can always find somewhere to work.

Good nurseries have highly qualified staff who are not thick or lazy. Sadly some nurseries do have thick and lazy staff. As TiggyD puts crap staff can find somewhere to work. Crap staff think it's ok to bung a room through of tots in front of lion king for the afternoon.

At home parents can be more discerning about what their children are ready to watch. If they don't like film they can turn it off. There is choice whether a child chooses to watch a film at home.

The UK does not value nursery workers or the work they do. Some parents are not discerning who looks after their child. Of course there are hard working and bright nursery nurses, but they are still badly paid.

I don't think you are bring pfb sorry! That part made me cry my eyes out as a child of 8, why on earth should small children at nursery age 3 and 4 watch something so miserable when there are so many other films available! That said I think it's a bit odd and lazy of the staff to be putting on films.

I totally agree with you and also think nurseries shouldn't be showing films to preschoolers! They should be outside running about in this weather not watching telly. I don't put Disney films on on my days at home. If I could avoid it wouldn't send mine that day or I'd pick up early.

There are plenty of nursery teachers who are actually teaching 3 and 4 year olds (and now often 2 year olds too). You know, people with a degree and a post graduate teaching qualification.

Imho yabu - more than likely the death scene would go over your dc's head anyway... I'm just trying to imagine what will happen when they actually are allowed to watch that bit later one...

There is a bit on the Simpsons where Milhouse used to always skip the first few minutes of finding nemo...and when he did watch it he was more disturbed then he would have been if he could have just watched it normally...

Death is not (and should not be treated as) taboo and dc's are more robust than you think.

*on

sossidge exactly. There is plenty of evidence that children who are taught by qualified teachers make better progress even with lower staff to pupil ratios.

Graduate Nursery teachers are in a good position to pick up Sen or extend the more able. IMHO an 18 year old with NVQ level 3 does not cut the mustard. They often the maturity of older staff with less qualifications for the emotional side of looking after young children, but they lack the skill to properly plan meaningful learning experiences.

There are nursery children who have already experienced breavement. When my son was nursery age a little girl in his group was killed in a car accident. The nursery nurses were ill equipped to cope with such a tragedy, never mind help the children. In fact the children were less phased by the death of one of their peers than the adults.

With the topic of death different cultures have different beliefs. Even if you were going to teach children about death showing Lion King is not the best way to do it. In fact children are best to discuss the topic of death with their own family.

Of course there are well qualified people doing the job and I think on the whole childcare workers do a great job, and have nothing against the dc watching Lion King.
My point was you don't have to be well qualified so you can't expect your nursery staff to teach.
I know of nurseries where a level 3 is the manager of the room and works with level 2 and placement students. I don't think there's anything wrong with this and a couple of my friends fall into this category. They don't teach, they care.

Anyone who looks after a child becomes a teacher. A child's first teacher is often its mother. Education makes people more effective at nurturing children in most cases.

Different countries have different ideas on how nursery education should be run. I believe that France is far less child centred than the UK. There is still quite a lot of variation within the UK. The eyfs is implemented differently in a school setting to a daycare setting.

Op Never EVER EVER show your dc a film called Two Brothers.

It was a nice (with real people) film about two tigers, so I thought. Looked like it might be a bit sad, but probably with a nice ending. A lovely chilled Sunday afternoon film.

Ds1 had a ten minute cry to himself at the bloody awful bit (where I was - don't want to post spoilers in case) and was OK (he's 7).

Ds2 (age 5) cried for a solid hour. I've never seen him so distressed - even the happy ending, he absolutely bawled. Neither dc would let me turn it off though, it was like slow torture.

Two hours later, when he'd calmed down and was playing, I was tidying up and put the DVD back in the box. He actually shrank away from me when I came near him holding it and said 'please don't bring that over here mummy, if I see the picture on the front I might start crying again' and was welling up just at the thought.

Poxy thing went straight in the bin. Never again, without me pre-viewing a DVD first!

"Teaching" does not mean formal teaching. It means things like music/movement, doing crafts, sitting on the rug having story time, showing children how to look after plants and classroom pets, or just playing and the staff moving around talking to them about what they are doing and helping them do new things.

All the above are great. TV at nursery is not!

Penelope May be they will run about outside as well?
It's not going to take the all day to show the film, I'm sure they'll do other things as well.
If I was tired after a long day and you told me I'd got to run about outside rather than chill out in front of a screen, I'd be telling you to fuck right off. Small children unfortunately don't have this option.
What is it these days that children's every waking moment has to be filled with worthy activities. They need down time too, just as we do.
I can only hope assume that all those displaying so much angst about the showing of one film at nursery will laugh at yourselves when your dc are older. It will not make one scrap of difference to their personal/social development or academic ability. I've never heard of an adult not getting into university or failing a job interview because they were allowed to watch the odd film in their early years

Er- I've got older kids and I wouldn't want them to have been regularly watching films at nursery. I don't think that's unusual. Why can't they just potter in the garden or dream with some toys?

Teaching is explaining how to do something, acting as a role model, or providing an experience where children will learn. It's not just using chalk on a board.

Child: "I got a bobo"
Adult: [Pick up bottle]
Adult: "And now I've got a bottle."
Role modelling the desired behaviour.

Children at a table playing with Duplo. Adult sits down and builds a tower using red, yellow, red, yellow bricks to make a stripy pattern.
Expanding the experience of Duplo by suggesting a different thing to do with it and demonstrating a pattern.

The adult arranges large blocks into a balancing course. Maybe chalking numbers along it.
Providing an activity that promotes balance, numbers, perseverance, and turn taking.

All that is 'teaching'.

The nursery that my daughter attended had a policy of no TV. The children certainly had the chance of downtime. They used to sit in the book corner or play with the small world toys.

Children do not need TV to relax.

"lled with worthy activities. They need down time too, just as we do.
I can only hope assume that all those displaying so much angst about the showing of one film at nursery will laugh at yourselves when your dc are older. It will not make one scrap of difference to their personal/social development or academic ability. I've never heard of an adult not getting into university or failing a job interview because they were allowed to watch the odd film in their early years confused"

I have a 13 year old and I still think it's shit to show a full film at nursery. I feel that paid carers should be making a bit more effort.

I once put the TV on in nursery to see what would happen. It was a really good nursery thanks to me #need job so had a large range of activities and things to do both inside and out. I put cbeebies on and kept a track of how many children were watching. For the first 20 minutes all the children watched. After 30 minutes a couple had wandered away. after 40 minutes there was only one left watching. It continued like that all morning. A child or 2 would sit and watch for 5 minutes or so then go look for something to do. Children want to take part in things, not just watch them.

And it can have a place in nurseries. We used to watch Something Special at one nursery to give the children a chance to see children with various Special Educational Needs.
If the children are really into farm animals then maybe find a TV show where they visit a farm. A trip would be better but not as 'instant', or the show could be watched as a reminder of a farm visit, or in preparation of one. A Planned view of a TV show for specific learning reasons is fine with me. Watching any old thing to fill in time isn't.

TiggyD

Planned TV is very different to watching the whole of lion king. My daughter watched a video of a child being baptised in an RE lesson. Non christian children might not get the opportunity to attend a christening so watching a 5 minute video is a good way for them to see what it is like. Pre schoolers watching a carefully chosen clip is not comparable with plonking a bunch of pre schoolers in front of a film for two hours. Carefully chosen video clips is for purposeful learning and not to "chill".

Not pfb in my book - at all. I would not be happy about filmday and def not lion king. Too much upset for a 4yo in my opinion.