to be narked by 30 minutes tv time at nursery?

[HippityHoppityWho]

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?

@icantcope it's because there isn't any. Not academically robust research anyway. Poverty, poor educational settings, lack of parental engagement all have more profound effects

TV is not necessary for children to have downtime but it's a convenient way to do it. So I can see why nurseries for all the reasons stated on this thread might do it. That said I wouldn't much like it.

Agreed that we allow things at home that we don't want nursery doing. So if we are ill we might stick the kids in front of the TV. That is because we don't get sick days. Or give the kids junk food.
But a nursery is different.

@zzzzz I'm not asking you to understand my thinking at all. It's been made blindingly obvious that we're not on the same wavelength.

And yes he does - we don't limit TV but we don't watch that much either. (thanks for the judgemental tone there btw)
And no, I don't know anyone who specifically limits screen time in the strict sense of ' you're only allowed 30 mins a day ' more of a let's provide a balanced selection of activities' But then again I wouldn't necessarily want to spend much time with people who micro manage their children's lives in that way - it's just not our way.

Oh and just incase you haven't got enough to judge my parenting style on ...we have been know to visit a pub and give our child the iPad to watch so we can enjoy in drink in peace . Happy judging! 😂

This thread has opened my eyes to one thing.

If half an hour of TV at nursery is all people have to worry about. The neglect and abuse I see in my role working with children is unbelievable and the fact that people are genuinely bothered about this is hilarious.

Sorry, my sentences got a bit scrambled then, but you get the jist.

Sort of, yes. It's just such a minimal thing to be bothered about though.

Isn't nursery a childcare/ social setting rather that education ?
I still have no idea why people feel the need to put 3 year olds in " education " childcare yes !
Which in that case some kids are there all day a bit of to won't hurt anyone.

Topsyntimsmumdrivesmetogin 2 and 3 year olds follow the EYFS until the end of the Reception year at school, yes it is meant to be educational not a babysitting service. Nowhere in the EYFS does it refer to watching tv! They are meant to be learning through play and carefully planned activities to help them progress. I personally wouldn't have a problem with just half an hour of tv but this is not what people's fees/funding should be going towards. At our setting it only takes 1 or 2 members of staff to pack away the lunch area and so the rest of the staff can continue with the afternoon session in the normal way. The nursery sounds badly managed if it cannot work out a rota or system to allow for this and needs to rely on the tv!

OP your child watches TV at home, you say it isn't about money as these are your free hours, so the two days he goes to nursery cut his home TV time, how is that difficult? My mum used to run a nursery and ended up coming out of the industry after years, as the focus was on targets and formal education, there's so much more to nursery than that. Just learning to fit in a routine and with the needs of others, plus the playing, sharing, communicating etc. This teaches your child that even if what he wants to do is play, sometimes we all have to wait. Other PP have offered very sensible solutions such as taking him for mornings only or moving nursery if it offends you so much, but these are not options you'll consider. So what do you actually want? The nursery to change their schedule, which many other parents are fine with, to suit you? YABU.

Ive worked in nurseries and children follow the eyfs from birth and the learning goals are used to plan the activities. TV is not essential but technology does need to be incorporated from a certain stage either through toys or other ways. One of the nurseries i worked at used nursery rhymes on a tablet for 5 or 10 mins before lunch as a way to calm the children down before eating (so they didn't all try to run around the lunch room) and it also gives the staff a chance to put out the beds for the children that have an after lunch nap

So you get free childcare and you are complaining about it, because when you have time with your child you put them in front of the tv, how very dare the nursery do the same?

Maybe you could spend 30 more minutes a day doing something educational with your child instead of watching tv?

Maybe if you paid the nursery they could afford more staff and better cover the lunch break?

I’m sorry but you sound entitled and unreasonable.

Survey of childcare providers

Key survey results
Does your current funding rate cover the cost of delivering a 30-hours place?
Yes - 26%
No - 74%

Are you planning to restrict the days/times parents can use the 30-hours?
Yes – 37%
No – 45%
Undecided – 18%

Are you changing the amount you charge for non-funded hours as a result of the 30-hour offer?
No – 50%
Yes, we will increase fees – 49.5%
Yes, we will reduce fees – 0.05%

Do you think your business will be sustainable in 12 months’ time?
Yes – 62%
No – 38%

There is lots of mention of 'education' not meaning TV, but I was shown telly at school - and video is a massive learning medium nowadays - and can barely think of a CBeebies show that doesn't have some educational theme.

Wait until they get to school. Every film I try and watch with dc has already been watched in school.

Having said that, I'd watch horrible histories in.every lesson.if I.could.

@Flaskfan, I would be querying that to be honest. DC's school send permission slips out to watch films usually on the last day of term. Sounds a little OTT. Educational content fair enough but not films...

So you get free childcare and you are complaining about it, because when you have time with your child you put them in front of the tv, how very dare the nursery do the same?

Lol, I was waiting for this reply. I presume it's ok with you that your child's free education at school is spent watching shit like Peppa Pig then @Notevilstepmother?

And YES how very dare they do the same, because one is leisure time and the other is education.

YANBU.

Just to add to my last response to you Flaskfan, I mean films often that aren't for any good reason! I get rainy day films etc.

There is lots of mention of 'education' not meaning TV, but I was shown telly at school - and video is a massive learning medium nowadays - and can barely think of a CBeebies show that doesn't have some educational theme.

It's not on every single day at school and when they do use it, it will be for a specific educational purpose. They don't turn the lights off and force the children to watch Disney or whatever just to keep them quiet while the teachers do something else. Very different.
30 minutes doesn't sound a lot but I suspect it will often be for longer and if a child is only at nursery for a few hours a week then it could be for a significant proportion of their time there.

I used to be annoyed by this too.

Dungeondragon I'm in agreement with regards to the OP's scenario- daily, timing, dark all seems wrong. I was more addressing the sentiment that television/video and learning are mutually exclusive.