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

There are a lot of posters shooting the messenger here. The point is to get off your phones while collecting your children. This basic parenting and it sucks the nursery has to remind people. If you feel extremely offended by a nursery telling you that, whether via janky poem or not, ask yourself why.

Surprised that it’s a problem, can’t say I’ve ever noticed a parent with their phone out when doing nursery pick ups. Surely you have your hands full with your child and all their stuff, how does anyone manage to look at/talk on their phone too?!

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

Yep. Seriously, it's terrible. And the tweeness is off the charts.

Fair enough to ask people to put phones away while collecting. If this nursery is anything like most, the car park will be a chaos of parents arriving and departing (some of whom won't be very good at manoeuvring their vehicles) and kids around. You definitely don't want parents distracted. But the medium is a problem. It is unclear, patronising and wraps a safety/child protection issue up in 'precious days' drivel. Ask yourself: would you expect to get a customer message communicated in this form at the doctor's? At KwikFit? Er...no.

I’m starting to get really pissed of with people trying to guilt trip parents and overstepping their role. The nursery is being paid to look after the kids for a set number of hours. They are not being paid to tell parents how often they are to look at their child.

On the odd occasion I’ve seen people on the phone it’s because they’re letting their other half know they’ve made it on time whilst running in looking flustered, not because they’re scrolling through Facebook.

Stop with the overstepping. Just like the swimming thread these busybodies have no idea how much interaction people have with their child the rest of the time.

I read an article which claimed people spend more quality time with their children now than in previous generations. This need to constantly make parents guilty for not staring at their child 24/7 and making memories needs to stop and some people need to focus on their own friggin business rather than watching and commenting o other people and writing shit poems.

These are the same types who come October are all over Facebook slamming people for not wearing poppies. They are too involved in other people’s business.

“Spread some smiggle” is all sorts of wrong.

It doesn't matter how much interaction parents have at any other time. Both the nursery and the swimming are entitled to have their own rules around phone usage especially when it impacts on their ability to provide a service.
Parents on phones slow down the entire process of getting DCs out of nursery. DCs waiting for an encouraging nod from a parent at swimming are distracted from the teaching.
As a PP said, parents/guardians/responsible adult shouldn't need to be told to interact with their DCs or to consider how their own actions may impact the DCs and the setting they are in. But rather than being embarrassed that they need to be told this, some people get defensive.

So if it’s about the operational efficiency of the nursery just put up a sign saying ‘no phones beyond this point’. Why write a crap poem aimed and making parents feel guilty about not making enough memories?

It's prevalent everywhere. In the park, on the train, in cafes. Even the swimming thread demonstrates it. If a parent is there, a child will constantly look toward them to see if they are watching, to have parents witness their achievements. Parents are so often now just buried in their phones and the kids can only surmise that the phone is more important I find it really sad for the child. The poem is rubbish but it carries a powerful message.

The Nursery should have childrens best interests at heart .This "poem" may be badly written but the meaning is clear please acknowledge your children!.The Nursery staff arent telling parents how to behave ,but trying to get them to engage with their children for a few mins FFS!.I worked as a Nursery Nurse ,and if children were upset or felt unhappy about something ,we would try to see if we could help at all .I appreciate parents may have problems but surely a quick kiss/smile / hug and even a passing interest in their childs day isnt too much to ask?

Lots of people claiming the sign is shit and yet it's done it's job of getting people to discuss the issue and raising awareness that parents on phones is a perceived issue.

Seems to me like the sign did it's job perfectly. A simple put your phones away sign would no doubt have been ignored.

The parents are adults, not 3, so talk to them like adults not naughty children.

Both the nursery and the swimming are entitled to have their own rules around phone usage especially when it impacts on their ability to provide a service.

No one has disputed that in either situation they cannot have their own rules, all most people are saying is ffs treat me like an adult. If the rule is no phones then why is so fucking hard to say please note that this nursery or swimming pool is a phone free location.

Why do they need to spout utter crap about making memories or being in the moment with your child? Its so patronising and people will probably respect them less for making the issue so twee rather than just saying what they mean.

Embarrassingly awful.

"Finger-down-throat" icon required please.

There is a similar (equally patronising although not as terribly worded sign) at my son's gymnastics club reminding parents not to use their phones. I just hate the patronising tone, as if they need to remind parents to pay attention to and enjoy their children. I've never seen a parent sat there watching cat videos on YouTube instead of watching the kids, but I have seen parents frantically writing work emails, on a call trying to arrange school pickup for the next day or quickly doing an online food shop. No one wants to be doing those things instead of spending time with their kids but for many working parents ten minutes whilst they are at a supervised gymnastics lesson is the only gap in the day. Why do staff in a nursery type setting think it's sensible to judge the parenting of the people using their service based on witnessing a few moments of their day? I'm a stay at home mum so am fortunate to not have to deal with work emails but I certainly sympathise with those who do and don't sit there judging their phone usage like the staff apparently do!

A simple put your phones away sign would no doubt have been ignored.

Why would it? A simple put your phone away sign works fine in all other areas where phones are not permitted why would you assume it wouldn't work in this situation?

I would print an A4 version of the puking emoji and surreptitiously pin it up next to the ghastly “poem”.

This "poem" may be badly written but the meaning is clear

I don't think the meaning is clear at all.

Why am I cheating the child
What the fuck is a smiggle
Don't go away

None of these actually relate to the point they are trying to make.

I agree crap poem but I was on a talk about anxiety in kids and one of the messages was that when you are interacting with your kid and you then switch to looking at your phone, they don't understand why they are being ignored and the social interaction is curtailed. As I was for years a full time working parent and often you get urgent emails it annoyed the crap out of me but in retrospect, being present in whatever you are doing is an important skill, especially with your dc.

Nauseating.

Seems to me like the sign did it's job perfectly. A simple put your phones away sign would no doubt have been ignored
Exactly this.

the Judith Kerr book where the mum is on her phone really annoyed me too - helpfully mentioned by a relative. What about the dad? no mention of the dad in the book. I love Judith Kerr but that one...

Its cheesy. But I've seen so many parents not give a toss about picking up their kids. Kids are so happy to see them at the end of the day and they're too busy texting and calling people.
Maybe could be better worded but.. the meaning doesn't change.

Nauseating