Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Screen time in nursery

63 replies

GloriaPritchett · 26/04/2017 21:42

I went to see a nursery today. It's the only one with places nearby so my hands are really tied.

The rooms and activities were lovely and clean. The staff were very friendly and caring... but there was a computer in the corner with 4 little boys glued to it. They were playing a pac-man type game and I mean glued. They didn't look up the whole time I was there.

Is it marvellously PFB to tell them that I do not want my DC using a computer?

OP posts:
Busybee233 · 26/04/2017 21:48

I used to have dyslexic lessons and play a PAC man type learning game computers are a thing of the future and at that age a little bit of time on a computer won't hurt them as long as it isn't the same children on it each time

Downtonishabby · 26/04/2017 21:50

Yip

He won't be sat on it all session, they usually have 10 minute blocks.

Primaryteach87 · 26/04/2017 21:50

This is a massive issue for me. There is absolutely no need or evidence that children of that age need to be on computers at nursery. It's lazy.

mikado1 · 26/04/2017 21:53

Agree with PrimaryTeach wholeheartedly, absolutely no need.

Original poster
GloriaPritchett · 26/04/2017 21:54

I am of the 'no need' opinion. I was in for about 30 minutes and the same four boys were on it the whole time.

It really worries me. I see such a difference in my DS when he's allowed more than 5 minutes of time.

OP posts:
Astro55 · 26/04/2017 21:54

Unfortunately technology is the children she future

The child may not have access at home and is there for me facinated

Same as some boys for example don't have girls drssinv up box or girls don't have toy cars

They need to learn about this stuff -

UppityHumpty · 26/04/2017 21:55

I bet those kids were ones who don't have any screen time at all at home.

Mistletoekids · 26/04/2017 21:55

Agree with primary teach

Xmasbaby11 · 26/04/2017 21:55

How old were the kids? At dd's nursery they sometimes have screen time from 3 plus. It's limited and the games have learning goals.

Original poster
GloriaPritchett · 26/04/2017 21:57

It was that purple website with tiny avatars on the homepage. I've seen my niece on it. Definitely not educational.

OP posts:
DonkeyOaty · 26/04/2017 22:04

IIRC the EYFS requires children to have understanding that technology is used in school, in the home and elsewhere and that they can use technology for particular purposes.

I'm old now and my darling children didn't have this in their little pre fab village preschool. Not sure I would have wanted it tbh.

Kittykatmacbill · 26/04/2017 22:18

It was one of the main issues that i pulled my dds out there old nursery.

Calvinlookingforhobbs · 26/04/2017 22:23

'future' or not, Steve Jobs himself didn't start using a computer until he built his own as a teen and quite famously didn't let his kids have screen time! All evidence shows that it damages early brain development. Not PFB at all!

Astro55 · 27/04/2017 12:34

It only damages brain development if they play hours of mindless games

There are so many good games - matching sorting colours numbers all aimed at nursery children

There's also hand eye coordination and language skills as they work together to do the game

Plus the little boy may have had to earn his screen time

KinkyAfro · 27/04/2017 12:48

What about their eyesight?

StrawberryJelly00 · 27/04/2017 12:58

Do they nursery limit the children's time on it? Is it just on for use all the time?

Looneytune253 · 27/04/2017 12:59

To be fair, it's within the eyfs(curriculum for under 5s) to teach (or enable) children to use technology. Starting with the youngest children with electronic or similar toys that move or have to press buttons. In a pre school room i can see how useful being able to teach them to use a computer would be. Its a skill that all our children are going to need to learn as technology is a big part of a lot of jobs etc. I will add that as long as the screen time is not excessive though. I have been known to use my iPad at times when it's relevant to the child's interests or there's something specific they can do. I think you are being a little bit pfb. Maybe ask how long they spend on there at a time and revisit if your child turns into a TV watching zombie within the first few days.

JustAKitten · 27/04/2017 12:59

YABU

Sammysquiz · 27/04/2017 14:45

I would be unhappy about that. I appreciate there may be technology used in a nursery, but there's a diffence between being plonked in front of pacman and using an educational game with an adult who's interacting with the child.

Astro55 · 27/04/2017 15:21

and using an educational game with an adult who's interacting with the child

Yes because there are enough staff to do that AND god forbid teaching kids to be independent and occupy themselves

BrandMombie · 27/04/2017 15:50

When I choose my DS preschool, one big selling point was the lack of technology. They had the leapfrog style laptops, which my DS has at home and is very good for phonics etc. I'm against my DS, aged 2, playing games on the iPad and phones, so this was important to me. I am childcare trained, and have worked in several nurseries. Some allow a couple of hour long movies a day, and some allow the basic 10 minute clips/games etc. Maybe request a few show arounds, all at different times, and you'll get more of a feel of the place.

LaurieMarlow · 27/04/2017 15:55

I'm not terribly precious about tech, but I don't like it in nursery.

Firstly because I think there's no need, plenty of things they can be learning there without tablets. Secondly, I fear it's a slippery slope. It's a very easy way to entertain kids, it must be so easy for 10 minutes to turn into an hour.

I removed DS from a nursery for the excessive TV watching. One staff member in particular was putting it on every day for a significant amount of time. I didn't think that was good enough.

LovingLola · 27/04/2017 15:55

So 4 nursery aged boys were playing on the computer for 30 minutes and no adult was engaging with them?
Yes, I would have a major problem with that.

beargrass · 27/04/2017 15:56

Agree with primaryteach

The 'it helps develop motor skills' line sounds like music to tablet makers' ears. We managed before, didn't we? What about using toys, meccano, that kind of thing? To me, a big draw of nursery is the lack of tech. This would put me right off.

Lottapianos · 27/04/2017 15:58

'There is absolutely no need or evidence that children of that age need to be on computers at nursery'

Completely agree. Children do need to learn to use computers - but not at 3 or 4 years of age!