To think DC's nursery are twee and slightly rude?

[beahunnywashyourtummy]

There's a new (laminated) sign up at the door saying

When you come to greet me
Please don't cheat me
Smile and say how was your day
Laugh and giggle and spread some smiggle
I missed you today
Don't go away
Away on your phone far away
Instead just greet me
Don't try to cheat me
Let's go home and have some fun!

I wasn't aware of it (I've been off with DS), but someone's posted it into the WhatsApp group. It's clearly stuck on the door outside the nursery.

Obviously it's a message to get more parents to be 'present' at pick up time which is very valid and true, but, AIBU to vomit at how twee and ridiculous it is?

What on earth is a smiggle?! Isn't that an overpriced shop for stationary? In which case, no, I won't be sharing any smiggle

This and the swimming lesson sign are Fuck off tbh.

That s just yukky twee rubbish. Just a sign saying a mobile free zone would be fine.
Yes what on earth is a smiggle? (Apart from the shop).
As an English teacher I will say you can't make up words to make it rhyme.
Also it s awful and doesn't scan properly.
See me after class.

The poem is terrible but the problem is real, parents talking on hands free whilst collecting kids is a major problem here

But, I think it's a bit 'off' to police other adults about their phone usage? If it's not a safeguarding concern then it really isn't someone else's place to tell another adult they're using their phone inappropriately, no?
Places can have whatever phone policy they like.
I'd have said devices with cameras was a safeguarding issue anyway.

It saddens me to hear people objecting so much to showing basic courtesy. If people weren't glued to their phones (often with the attitude of I do what I like) then there's be no need to remind people that it's nice for kids to see their parents at the end of the day. As it stands, some of thr responses to it on here highlight exactly why they felt the need to put a sign up.

I still think a "nursery is a no phones / devices area" is better.

Looking at it from the perspective of the nursery, caring for people’s children all day long, watching them get excited as parents start to pick up other children. A lot of parents are not present with their kids, they
Staff probably see a lot of disappointment in the children when there is no smile or proper interest in how their day was.

I notice it all the time whenever I pick up my neice from nursery. Shame on those who can not put their phone down.

The poem is obviously loathsome.

But I remember reading an article that talked about not having to give your children your undivided attention all the time, rather that there were three key points in the day where you could, by your actions and attitude, let your child see how happy you are to have them in your life. They were: first thing in the morning, when you see them after school, and bedtime.

So I get the point, although I'd happily burn the paper that poem is printed on.

The local primary to me has the much more succinct 'great your child with a smile, not a mobile' signs on its gates. I agree with the sentiment. That poem is shit though

It saddens me to hear people objecting so much to showing basic courtesy.

I don't think people are objecting to the sentiment of paying attention to your child when collecting them; it's the stupid 'poem' that they've used that's the issue.

Well the poem is shit but the sentiment is bang on.

I used to be a nursery nurse until a couple of years ago and it's horrible when you take a child to meet their parent and they're buried in their phone and barely lift their head, never mind acknowledge their child. It happens a lot.

Our nursery just has a sign of a picture of a phone crossed out in red. No one uses a phone. Everyone in and out in minutes anyway.

I think we need the mum guilts about this one. If you can't greet your child properly it's a real problem. I suspect that the poem was an attempt to be light-hearted. Dreadful poem though.

YANBU. I understand a nursery wanting to be a mobile phone-free zone as a safeguarding issue but once outside then it's none of their business if the parent is on their phone. I doubt the parent is just scrolling through social media. They're more likely to be taking a business call or responding to an urgent email. The things that will be required to earn their wage to feed their family and put a roof over their heads. It doesn't mean that the child doesn't get attention once they're at home. Everyone's situation is different and it annoys me when people try to tell parents how they are raising their children is wrong.

The children at the nursery mostly belong to students (we have an on-site nursery).

It's an intensive course and every bit of a lesson is so important (missing it would be a big hindrance), yet for the first week they kept getting me to come out of lessons to see to DC because he was 'so upset'. Luckily this bollocks has stopped now but I dread to think what the poor mum does who's little one in their is screaming all bloody day. Surely she's called out 24/7?

DC is with someone else once a week whilst I'm working and I've never seen anything like this there.

Awful poem and a simple sign would be sufficient but I think YABU your issue about the message behind it.

There was a child in my DC's nursery in the 1-2 year olds room and he'd always be crying hysterically when the other parents would go in for pick up and greet their children but it had started a whole year before One day I saw his dad pick him up, he took his hand in silence, walked him out to the car in silence and put him in the car in silence. It was really sad to see.

Even at 11 months old I'd greet my DC and, it may sound silly, but I'd ask what happened at nursery. I've got a toddler now who is in the age bracket you mention, DC is always waving their pictures they did and telling me about their day.

A smiggle ffs

It isn't even a poem. It's just shit.

I appreciate the sentiment behind it but a no mobile phones at pick up would be far more effective than a shit poem with a "smiggle" in it.

Why can't people just say what they mean rather than hide behind embellished nonsensical drivel this.

Smiggle = smile and giggle
That’s where the shop got it’s names from.

It’s very Clever, see

Well, it's obviously got people thinking/talking about the issue! It's probably been done by a young nursery assistant as a jokey way of trying to draw parents' attention to their phone usage at drop-off and pick-up. It must have been observed often, for it to prompt a reaction from the nursery , and I think it's actually a positive that the staff care enough to pen a 'poem' about it, which was probably designed to raise a smile. I'm sure the author is not under any illusion about their talent!

Whoever wrote that needs shooting.

It’s sad parents can’t focus on their small child for 5 minutes, but it’s not up the nursery staff to be telling parents how to behave.

God, I would worry about the intelligence of the people looking after my child if they thought that constitutes a poem.

It’s just another attempt to guilt trip parents. Unless you are focused on your kids 24 hours a day every day it seems you are failing as a mum. I’ve had days where just getting to the school/nursery is a monumental task of dealing with depression. Fuck off if my face doesn’t smiggle that day.

beahunnywashyourtummy - But, I think it's a bit 'off' to police other adults about their phone usage? If it's not a safeguarding concern then it really isn't someone else's place to tell another adult they're using their phone inappropriately, no?

It's fine for a nursery to have a no phone policy and enforce it - especially where people may be filming. You cannot know the background of the other children. There may be children in care/adopted who have been removed from parents but remain at risk, or families escaping domestic violence, or the children parents with dangerous law enforcement jobs. There could be a risk to everyone if the children's childcare location was outed on social media. It is a huge safeguarding concern.

However, the poem is crap - a more straight forward message would be better.

The poem is rubbish but I think it's fine for nursery to be mobile free and also fine to remind parents to engage with their DCs to get them out the door. I think they're both practical suggestions.

Are maybe people confusing 'phone useage' with 'staring at Facebook'? I'd say being on a phone call is fine (even chatting to a friend might be what keeps some people sane after a long day at work), and has a finite end - it's the people who aren't using the phone for a call, but those who are checking how many 'Likes' they've got for their duck-faced picture of them leaving work with their 'phew, another hard day at the coal face!!!!' caption.

Kids need to see their parents are engaged with them. They can understand having to wait until after a phone call, they can't understand it when their mum or dad won't even meet their eye, because WhatsApp is more important.

And yes, that poem is toe-curlingly bad.

I'd roll my eyes a bit at the poem but do agree with what's behind it so wouldn't particularly care that they were bringing it to parents attention tbh. Mind you the parents it's aimed at probably wouldn't care anyway sadly.

Whoever wrote that needs shooting.

I agree, I would be very concerned about the people who were looking after my child if they thought that writing this was either acceptable or a good use of their time. It genuinely reads like a small child wrote who believed poems have to rhyme at all costs.

The message to not use phones is fine but please just stick to saying no phones. This poem is ridiculous.