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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:
DownWithThisSortaThing · 25/04/2018 13:50

My sons nursery do this at home time between around half 5 and 6, maybe earlier. I’ve honestly never given a shit about it, never bothered me at all.

SleepingStandingUp · 25/04/2018 13:57

Tobebythesea You pay £££ for a rounded care package not just 10 hours of hard core educational training. Are you that aggrieved at your child having 30 minutes down time?

Flockoftreegulls · 25/04/2018 14:03

At our nursery they did this in the afternoon for the kids who no longer had a nap while the others were asleep.
I really don't see what the problem is, it's 30 minutes of quiet time after lunch.

Original poster
HippityHoppityWho · 25/04/2018 18:43

He does 10 hours a week over 52 weeks, it’s his free hours so I only pay for his snacks.
It narks me because he watches tv at home, I dont send him to nursery to watch tv and my other child’s nursery never watched it nor had a need to. Surely there’s other ways to relax than learning to be a brat watching Peppa fucking Pig Grin

That said, I can’t and won’t leave anyway, as all nurseries here are jam packed and he has a good time otherwise. It’s just not a thing I’ve experienced before.

OP posts:
stopfuckingshoutingatme · 25/04/2018 18:58

Jesus ! Can’t the staff have any down time ?

Remember many kids are there 4 -5 days a week fully time

Pengggwn · 25/04/2018 18:58

It doesn't bother me personally. I don't think it should be banned or anything. So, if I changed my mind and it did bother me, I would move my child rather than complain at the nursery staff.

Original poster
HippityHoppityWho · 25/04/2018 19:56

Jesus ! Can’t the staff have any down time ?

Yeah, it's called free play.

OP posts:
TeenTimesTwo · 25/04/2018 20:00

Staff down time is not when children are doing free play!

MollyAA · 25/04/2018 20:00

This reply has been deleted

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

Shimshiminysheroo · 25/04/2018 20:19

Think it speaks volumes about the ethos of the nursery tbh, not my cup of tea

Blaablaablaa · 25/04/2018 20:29

Surely if it was such and issue and harmful to children then Ofsted would pick up on it. Only in the world of Mumsnet do people have such an issue with kids watching TV.

I really feel for nursery staff sometimes if this is what people complain about

Original poster
HippityHoppityWho · 25/04/2018 20:54

Blaa- if you'd read my last response you'd see I don't have an issue with TV, I have an issue with it at NURSERY. He watches it at home, he doesn't need it at nursery too.

OP posts:
waterrat · 25/04/2018 21:02

I think tv if the kids are doing a long day is fine but I would also not want my 3 year old walking into a setting and the tv being on - my 3yr old is at pre school and the arrival time/ greeting/ start of the session is really important - it's a time they learn to become independent, move away from you and get excited about engaging in activities.

If it was me I would expect the all day kids to be in a separate room - my daughter doe s9 til 3 and when the afternoon children arrive she is off having lunch so they settle in separately.

I have to say it sounds slightly badly managed but in a 5 hour session half an hour of tv won't kill him. -it just doesn't make it sound like a great pre school.

our pre school doesn't have any telly at all...but it's only 9 til 3 so kids aren't doing such a long day.

waterrat · 25/04/2018 21:02

for those who say kids 'need' tv as downtime - obviously I use a lot of tv for this reason with my own kids but lets face it - its bollocks isn't it - tv has only existed for about 50 years - and humans have survived for tens of thousands of years without it before that.

Idontdowindows · 25/04/2018 21:03

I skipped over this thread for so long because I was trying to figure out why 30 minutes of nursery TV got you naked. Shock

Neato · 25/04/2018 21:03

YABU

It is 30 minutes.

MN is a weird, weird place at times.....

hobnobsaremyfavourite · 25/04/2018 21:11

Mumsnet really is the gift that keeps on giving
Comedy gold

WineDrinkerMe · 25/04/2018 21:14

The people saying their nursery doesn’t have a tv. Neither does ours. They watch it on the laptop 🙊

Blaablaablaa · 25/04/2018 21:16

@hippity but it's 30mins. Seriously - a complete non-issue

CountFosco · 25/04/2018 21:20

We didn't put the kids to one nursery we looked for precisely this reason (regular TV time after lunch). I don't think it should be necessary in a nursery setting and think it's indicative of another issue (probably understaffing). I also agree with the OP that if her DS is only going for his free hours then it becomes even less appropriate. I think some screen use in nurseries is OK with the older children as part of their more structured learning but that should be ad hoc and not a regular session. There are plenty of better ways for the kids to have some quiet sitting down time after lunch, number one being a member of staff reading to a group.

Eggzandbacon · 25/04/2018 21:24

Nursery’s are often staffed to the minimum requirements. The ‘free hours’ has put many nurseries in financial trouble.
The TV is useful for engaging the children with minimum supervision and fewer staff.

mine used to do it at the end of the day so they could clean all the floors and have the children in a small space.

zzzzz · 25/04/2018 21:26

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

silver1977 · 25/04/2018 21:31

Oh one of those who runs to Ofsted for every niggle...so annoying. People like that do not realise the consequences of their actions...get a life and worry about 'real' things.

zzzzz · 25/04/2018 21:36

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Blaablaablaa · 25/04/2018 21:41

@zzzzz it's not instead of reading its in addition to - nobody has suggested that by watching 30 mins (seriously that's all) of TV they are being deprived of valuable reading time.

I take it you replaced all TV viewing time with reading time in your household?? Or did you find a healthy balance?

I honestly feel MN is some parallel universe sometimes.