Children watching TV at preschool?

[2kidsnopets]

My son attends a preschool which is part of a school. Not private.

He has told me they watch tv every day after they finish their lunch. I do believe that he is telling the truth, he is able to describe programmes in detail that I know he's never seen at home and he can sing the theme tunes to some cartoons that I'd never even heard of.

I feel this is a bit wrong. I'm not sending him to preschool so he can watch TV.
Also, as the school have never made any mention of this I had no idea be was getting screen time at school, or how much. I thought he was getting very little at home but turns out he might actually be watching quite a bit if it's on every day at preschool.
AIBU to think this is a bit wrong?

Literal copy of another thread. Yes yabu.

They don't have to tell you.

It's probably just while they are waiting for all the children to finish eating/ tidying up.

The kids have just had lunch so they need them to sit and do something calm so they don't chug everywhere while they clean up. Technology is good for children. My son takes every opportunity to be on the computer at preschool, sometimes he runs the little cartoons on there. No big deal.

TV will play part of your child's education right through to 6th form so you may aswell get used to it. F I sound harsh then so be it but to gas been part of education for a very long time, it certainly was in the 70s when I was in primary so it's not new. My now 20 year old had it and my youngest in primary had it aswell. No amount whinging on a forum will change almost 50 years if to being used in schools.

I wouldn’t worry. It’s fine. They will watch tv documentary’s all through school as part of lessons. It’s only for a little while, I wouldn’t sweat it.

i think assuming it's just 10/15 mins after lunch then its fine. they are probabky gettkng them to sit still while they tidy up. You could ask how long they watch it for.

It’s so the staff can tidy up

wait till actual school. dd watched peppa pig and cbeebies regularly as part of her education at school.

The staff need to find a way to keep children sitting down without supervision whilst they tidy up. It's probably 15 minutes. I wouldn't have an issue with that.

I don't agree with this and am quite surprised to hear it's a considered normal. It's one thing to watch Words and Pictures once a week and talk about it after (or whatever equivalent educational program is around these days) but I don't want my DS watching bratty Peppa Pig cartoons, that's not what I want to send him to school for.

My kids nursery do this too for the all day lids, so they have a bit quiet time after eating and so staff can tidy up/prepare afternoon activities- usually only on for a short time, my kids actually seem to watch quite a lot for their learning at school, with various you tube suggestions also being sent home!
I don't see it as a problem, I don't restrict t.v time though, and my kids watch a bit then go off playing, I find that my friends who restrict their kids t.v time, the kids become obsessed

I think it's a bit rubbish too. Don't get me wrong, I love tv, have never really restricted it at home and understand it's place from primary onwards - but at preschool I thinks its different. Technology is important, but that doesn't really mean just sitting watching the TV. I also understand the need to tidy up etc, but I think a lot of preschools manage this without TV.

DS2's preschool had a computer, in reality, he was only on it for a few minutes at a time. One preschool programme, usually 10 - 15 minutes long, a day won't hurt him. PFB?

YABVVU

Screen time is not equivalent to crack cocaine as some seem to think on Mumsnet. 15 mins to relax after lunch is not a bad thing. If anything, it allows DC whose parents(such as the OP) make them live in the Stone Age by banning technology to experience the tools they're going to grow up working with.

Our nursery doesn't do this. I'm also surprised that it seems so common in other nurseries!

At lunch/snack time the children all eat together and are entertained at the table until everyone is done before being herded back to their play area (in the same room but on the other side of a gate) so that they can play while one or two of the staff tidy up.

DD is in year 1 and watches "TV" at school shock horror they even watch YouTube!! It's actually either educational in some way or part of chill time. It's totally fine and I don't understand the outrage and anger about it.

I don't think that screen time is like crack cocaine. But I am aware that I've been allowing 15 mins in a day thinking that's all he's watched when actually it's at least double that. For a 4 year old I think that's quite a difference.
As for clearing up, there's only 6-8 kids there for lunch as most do only morning or afternoon. They bring a packed lunch, all rubbish comes home in lunchboxes so it's only wiping the table.
They aren't watching anything educational, it's just cartoons.

I definitely did not watch tv every day in primary school. Once a week we all crowded around a tiny old TV on a trolley to watch that programme with "magic magic E".

There's not quite a difference between 15 and 30 mins- it's a tiny proportion of the day. Unless you get with the times and wake up to the fact that technology is not evil, you're going to be denying your DS the opportunities and skills he needs for his future.

What is the skill that my ds is gaining by passively watching TV?

Numerous skills- the ability to absorb and process information, concentration, listening skills. Not to mention the knowledge he could be gaining. But more broadly than that, it's teaching him that technology is a positive thing and has all sorts of uses.

Yanbu - screen time is linked to poorer attention as it is such a passive experience. That's not to say 15 mins a day will lead to attention problems but it's not ideal. Technology at this age is more about cause and effect e.g. wind up toys or the simple coding toys that require sequencing & problem solving thought. Interesting that lots of techie parents restrict screen time for their kids.

My DS did this at nursery, it isn't exactly ideal but it was only for 15 minutes and I certainly wasn't going to make a big deal out of it. probably just gives the staff time to tidy up and prepare for the afternoon.

I'm not outraged, I don't think TV is like crack (Tv is more like another member of the family.....ok I do really love TV!) I don't think screen time is evil and I think technology is amazing.

At primary and secondary age, tv and the internet will be used as a resource in lessons, but that's not what is being talked about here is it?

I'm also aware that for quite lot of preschool aged children, the ipad/tablet or phone is their main 'toy', they spend a lot of time at home using these things and/or watching the TV, so I think early years settings should find more innovative and interesting ways of talking about and exploring technology.

Oh and it is entirely possible to tidy up and sort out post lunch chaos without TV.

Tv is a great resource yes but only when used in the right way. If schools feel the need to use screen time, why not show a wildlife documentary, something about space or numbers maybe? Relate it to what they are learning in class, give the kids something to think about and then talk about it after.
There must be short programs that have more educational benefit than Peppa Pig and Paw Patrol surely?

I'm sorry but I think your over reacting. If half an hour is too much god help my son he's a cocaine addict lol seriously though hes actually he has actually learned from TV. Counting recently and his speech. I said oh look Zuma (paw patrol) in his boat. He corrected me saying " hovercraft"