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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to be narked by 30 minutes tv time at nursery?

204 replies

HippityHoppityWho · 24/04/2018 23:36

My son starts nursery at 1pm twice a week for 5 hours. When he arrives the lights are usually off and the children are sitting and watching tv via the projector. I've been told this usually goes on for half an hour, and is so the children who have been there all day can have a chill time.

I understand that, but I'm not keen either on my son walking into nursery all excited to then sit down and watch Peppa Pig or whatever they've put on. Why can't they just let the kids chill that want to without the TV so that the others can free play with the lights on?

AIBU to be annoyed by this?

OP posts:
Quartz2208 · 25/04/2018 08:14

Yes agree with Laiste TV often goes on at primary school particularly on wet afternoons and at the end of term - DC have often watched films (and this is a highly rated school)

GIving children some downtime after lunch to set them up for the rest of the day sounds sensible

my2bundles · 25/04/2018 08:16

Yes it's a different environment but when toddlers are in nursery for 10 hours a day they still need down time. As for school CBeebies s often used n early years, my year 5 ds still watches films related to topics. Tv will be used in various ways in childcare and school settings so 30 minutes at pre school age really is insignificant in the long run.

BarbarianMum · 25/04/2018 08:16

I think half an hour of tv in a full day of nursery sounds fine. A good idea in fact. If you dont like it, put your dc in for mornings only or, if this is not possible, find another setting.

NetVolume · 25/04/2018 08:21

As a pp said , it's probably so that the staff can tidy up a bit.

I used to work in a SEN setting in a school and we would have to get the children sat down so that 5/6 of the staff members could nip around and tidy up. We had to do this twice daily otherwise the room was a tip. They were sat watching counting songs on YouTube.

WineDrinkerMe · 25/04/2018 08:22

Kids have years and years of education ahead of them. All I care about is that they are happy and stimulated while I’m at work. Half an hour of downtime in front of the tv during an otherwise busy day? A non-issue.

Looneytune253 · 25/04/2018 08:23

I’ve never seen a nursery use the tv like this but tbh all I’ve seen have a quiet time after lunch where the children are expected to have a lay down or play quietly. I agree with the pp that suggested dropping off half an hour later? That would be the better suggestion if your lo would struggle with quiet time. Most children do need to rest a little even as they get older.

PurdysChocolate · 25/04/2018 08:25

YANBU I would be totally unimpressed if I found out DD was watching TV at nursery.

ICantCopeAnymore · 25/04/2018 08:27

I worked in a very naice private nursery when I was in University doing my teaching degree.

It was the norm to have half an hour of a Disney film after lunch. It gave the children time to sit and let their food go down, nap or just chill out and the staff time to clean up and set out the afternoon activities.

I never heard any complaints but this was going back 18 years and parents were more... normal then.

IveGotNoClothes · 25/04/2018 08:27

My d's' nursery doesn't even have a tv in the room.

He goes in at 1, half way through the day and has to play with the staff as all the children are asleep.

I'd find it weird more than anything.

Sleepyblueocean · 25/04/2018 08:29

It wouldn't bother me. A lot of the children will only just have dropped their afternoon nap and will need some calm time at that time of day

pitterpatterrain · 25/04/2018 08:31

I would find it a bit odd, most nurseries I have used / looked around wouldn’t have a tv

Counting games / letter videos on the iPad for small groups I have seen albeit in the more chaotic nursery that DD went to for a bit - they had a lot of part time attendees so more switchovers

Allmyshilldren · 25/04/2018 08:32

It is sitting in a dark room watching a bright flickering screen really down time? Sounds quite stimulating to me. The children at the nursery my DC goes to lie them all down for a nap around 1pm. The older ones get comfy and have books read to them.

user1493413286 · 25/04/2018 08:34

That’d piss me off and I can’t see why it’d be necessary. A much better chill out time would be a staff member reading them a story.
If it’s so they can get other jobs done that’s still not an excuse as they could have some staff doing that and some sitting with the children.

MessyBun247 · 25/04/2018 08:35

Some kids are in nursery from 7.30 until 6.30. Half an hour of chill time is fine and probably needed if they are busy doing activities for the rest of the day. Nursery can be really tiring for them. If you don’t like it, move your child somewhere else.

youngnomore · 25/04/2018 08:35

It would bug for about a second. Then I would re think that it’s nursery and not a University lecture they’re sitting in.

Namechange128 · 25/04/2018 08:37

Yanbu. My DCs had quiet time where they lay down and either had a nap or read a book, or sometimes for the older ones there'd be one staff member in a corner reading quietly for the ones that really wouldn't lie down. For the younger kids they should be napping, and for the older kids mine always used to have to tidy up their own plates etc, so there was some tidying to be done but not huge amounts.
TV is fine to me on a rainy day, or if they are showing a clip or a song, but not just 30 mins veg time.

Thehop · 25/04/2018 08:38

No yanbu

I wouldn’t like it.

I work in a nursery and we don’t have a tv at all. Chill out time is with books in a cosy area of children want it.

Tawdrylocalbrouhaha · 25/04/2018 08:39

Hah! wednesday is a non work day for me and DS has already watched twice that much TV. (We are going out soon, no need to call SS).

10 hours is a very long day for a pre-schooler, especially as most of them don't nap. I can see the sense in an enforced quiet time, although my DS's nursery achieves this by story time in the gap from 12:45 to 13:15 when the morning children have left and the afternoon children not arrived. It also gives the other staff time to clean and set out the afternoon activities.

Fridasfridgefreezer · 25/04/2018 08:39

Ofsted are not coming in because of 30 mins telly. Hmm.

My childrens’ nursery does this, I’ve no problem with it. It’s half an hour out of a 8/10 hour day.

Fridasfridgefreezer · 25/04/2018 08:41

The thing is, it’s ok for you not to like it, everyone feels differently. However if it really bothers you maybe find a different nursery.

Laiste · 25/04/2018 08:45

MessyBun247 - Some kids are in nursery from 7.30 until 6.30

This is true. Multiple days per week. For those children the nursery are replacing a day at home. Half an hours TV is pretty harmless isn't it? In the context of little ones being there all day long? Reading circles, sitting singing ect. also goes on i expect.

OPs son is arriving mid chill out session for the all day children basically.

SleepingStandingUp · 25/04/2018 08:46

Yabu. Its 30 minutes out of 5 hours.
My son who is nearly 3 does 3 hours. 1 hour outside, 1 hour inside plus snack time, 15 minutes outside then they suit in their coats watching nursery rhymes on TV til their collected so another 15 minutes. He can still count and do his colours, he still gets time to play in the sand and build stuff, he still gets plenty of exercise

WineDrinkerMe · 25/04/2018 08:46

Ofsted 😂😂

CatLadyToddlerMother · 25/04/2018 08:47

My DDs Nursery do this, but it's after a child has finished their meal so staff can concentrate on those children still eating which I'd actually prefer as I'd hate for a child to choke/struggle to eat and go unnoticed. DD loves it, and it's usually something fun and educational like Mr Tumble or Numberbloks (is that still on?). Can't get wound up about it. And OfSted even mentioned it in the last inspection report saying it was a good way to keep children quiet and occupied while they focused on others.

megletthesecond · 25/04/2018 08:48

Yabu. Some children will have been there since 8am. 30 mins downtime is fine IMO.

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