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

Nauseating poem but I do agree with the sentiment. It doesn't mean "No phones in the nursery" it means pick your child up, interact with them, love them. It is heartbreaking that this even needs saying. I'm so happy that smartphones weren't prevalent when mine were tiny.

Yuck! I don't like it, it's awful and "don't cheat me" just sounds very wrong and weird. I MUCH prefer the "no phone zone" sign that is up at my 3yos - very clear message there.

shearwater has it right.

Jesus. Lots of people used to dealing with small children appear unable to treat adults as adults.

And it’s not just small children. People that work in schools in general seem to lack real life concepts and experience. There’s a lack of business professionalism that is shocking. Go to school, uni, qualify, back into school... No other life!

Kids are so happy to see them at the end of the day...

Hahaha I wish mine was! he's 3 and he hates that I'm there taking him away from his fun! he thinks Nursery should stay open all night - I've told him to suggest it to the staff

Firstly, it upsets me when parents spend so much time on devices. I have a friend who always does this, and on the occasions I've done the school run with her I'VE ended up chatting to her daughter and holding her hand on the way home, as she doesn't even look up from her phone. She's not the only one.

However. I don't think nurseries or schools should be lecturing parents on parenting skills. I don't think it's their place. They can help by saying it's a phone free area, that's fine, but there's no need for the guilt trip.

And yes, it IS ironic that someone took a photo - with their phone - and shared it.

It is an absolute shame that a phone is more important to some parents than speaking to their own children. If it was me I wouldn't go near my phone, as I would be looking forward to chatting to my child about what they had been up to that day. But I guess times are changing.

As someone who works in retail I think it's incredibly rude when people flat out ignore you and talk on the phone!
I work in a charity shop on the till and it happens regularly that someone will be chatting on the phone while shoving their purchase at me without even eye contact. I find it incredibly rude. Because there is no eye contact it's not difficult to ignore them and serve the next person. These are not people in a tearing hurry, usually mums with children. People browsing charity shops are not generally in any sort of hurry so they have no excuse to be rude. And they forget you can hear half the conversation and it's quite clear that this isn't a huge business deal.

I couldn't read that. Its a collection of trite. Patronising trite at that.

Meh it's not good poetry but it's good to be reminded to get off bloody phones

They could just ban phones inside of nursery, that's what ours do 🤷🏻‍♀️

It's damn rude to be on your phone while carrying out a transaction. You the other person isn't a machine. They deserve your attention too, especially if they need to ask you stuff.

Yep. Try being on the other end of that transaction. It's damn rude to treat someone who's serving you as if they don't exist. Either wait until your call's finished before going to the checkout, or tell the person on the other end that you'll call them back in a minute. Just smiling or nodding at the person at the till while you talk on the phone doesn't make it right.

Nauseating but the sentiment stands. I have to admit I never seen parents on their phone when I drop off or pick my son up from nursery. There is a no phone rule for safeguarding and I've never seen anyone disregard it. Whether or not that changes at the school gates remains to be seen.

This notice was in a grocery store not a charity shop

Obviously I'm aware it's not ideal, my point is I wouldn't be doing it unless it was absolutely necessary so that dictation by the manager would irk me.

Obviously I'm aware it's not ideal, my point is I wouldn't be doing it unless it was absolutely necessary so that dictation by the manager would irk me.

How many phone calls are genuinely that important that they can't be paused for 30 seconds?

Avenger meant it was a fail because they're asking people not to use their phones, but someone has used their phone to take a picture of the ridiculous sign

So what? It was probably done after nursery hours and not when there were any children there.

WTF is smiggle?

So what? It was probably done after nursery hours and not when there were any children there.

I'm pretty sure the picture of the notice was taken by a parent collecting their child who then posted it into the WhatsApp group not by one of the staff members.

The irony being this parent probably only got their phone out to take a picture of the stupidly twee sign. If the sign wasn't so twee it wouldn't have prompted them into taking a picture or having their phone out.

Personally I'd go with "Get off your fucking phone for 5 minutes and greet your child." but I guess that wouldnt go down well.

The reality of modern life is that lots of adults do have to be told to get their faces off their phones every now and then.

*There is nothing nice about implying you are cheating your child by being on your phone. Pick up time is a small snap shot of a persons day.

The person they see on the phone might be desperately trying to get hold of a relative to inform them someone in the family is unwell before spending all afternoon playing games with their child. *

I think some people need to be told they are cheating their children by being on the phone. Either they haven't thought of it, or they need to be shamed a bit (which is a shame in itself, but it is really bad parenting).

Believe me, teachers and nursery workers know the parents who ALWAYS drop off and pick up with a phone, or who walk up the road on the phone and walk home on the phone. These people cannot constantly be coping with emergencies. And it's the same people who are so addicted that they will be on their phone at home/ at the park/ in the shops etc.

Wtf is smiggle?!?

Believe me, teachers and nursery workers know the parents who ALWAYS drop off and pick up with a phone, or who walk up the road on the phone and walk home on the phone.

Of course the teachers and nursery workers know but that wont stop the parent who finds themselves on the phone in an emergency feeling even shitter because of the stupid poem.

The parents that do it all the time wont bat an eyelid but for the other parents for whom it genuinely is an emergency or a rarity to be on the phone it's just another example of adding to the mum guilt.

The person they see on the phone might be desperately trying to get hold of a relative to inform them someone in the family is unwell before spending all afternoon playing games with their child.

Indeed, they might!

Yes silly poem but shows they had to think of something unique enough to remind parents to engage with their children at pickup - which is a sad state of affairs.

Some of the comments on here are ridiculous

It is heartbreaking that this even needs saying. I'm so happy that smartphones weren't prevalent when mine were tiny.
shows they had to think of something unique enough to remind parents to engage with their children at pickup
I think some people need to be told they are cheating their children by being on the phone. Either they haven't thought of it, or they need to be shamed a bit
It is an absolute shame that a phone is more important to some parents than speaking to their own children

What patronising drivel (the poem and the comments). It is not up to the nursery nor anyone else to police how someone else interacts with their child/children for the very short time you see them together - unless they're physically or verbally abusing them obvs. Nosey, interfering rubbish. You have no clue what else might be going on with the family, how parents that volubly interact with their children treat them when out of sight, etc etc etc.