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

All I think this sign will do is create more performance parents keen to show everyone how engaged they are for fear of being judged.

Tonight’s pick-up, loudly and looking around to check people are watching: ‘Hello Oliver Mummy has missed you sooo much! Come and give me a smiggle. Yes I love your finger painting, maybe we can spend the rest of the evening doing some crafts to add to it before algebra hmmm? Guess what? mummy spent the last 2 hours making you your favourite- that’s right broccoli and organic quinoa!!!.’ Oliver: ‘Oli want iPad mummy!’. Mummy looking around embarrassed: ‘of course you don’t have an iPad Oliver, you know we never have screen time, you must be confused with that time you had that play date on the estate!’

I would interpret that sign as 'please don't spend so much time on your phone at home and talk to your child about their day'. If they actually don't want you using phones at pick up, which is something different, they need to actually be clear about that and that it's a safeguarding issue.

That said, I'm often on my phone when I pick my older dc up from school (not at nursery as it's just a quick run in and out). It's because I'm meant to be working and being accessible on email when I'm doing the school run and at home with them in the afternoons means I get to spend time with them. Otherwise, I'm stuck in the office and not home until 7-8. I'm, of course, not on my phone all that time and we do talk lots and spend time together, but I do often respond to emails while I wait for them. Because, I need to pay the bills.

Oh that is terrible. That poem has annoyed me haha

When I want a lecture on my parenting skills, I'll definitely take the advice of a piece of achingly twee doggerel that someone with delusions has laminated so that its Deep Truths can be read and pondered on eternally.

Or, wait, no I won't.

The poem is very cringe worthy, but it sounds like the suggestion of leaving your phone for 5 minutes for the benefit of your children has hit a raw nerve. Advice like this is generally based on research. It isn't good enough to come out with the 'how dare you tell me how to....' routine. I mean....

Please don't smoke in front of your kids, it causes health problems. 'They're my kids, don't tell me whats best for them'

Don't smack. 'How dare you tell me how to parent!'

Get you children vaccinated, it will help keep them safe. 'I'll do as I see fit!'

Seat belts, education, language, health, safety etc etc. Unfortunately parents do need educating and reminding.

And I am pretty sure this isn't aimed at people who's granny just died or whatever, nor is it aimed at replying quickly to an email while the kids finish up. It when the kid comes running out to be greeted.

Well said @everanewbie

I would prefer the non-poem version but maybe they are trying to put something into the world and be a bit more interesting - instead it’s a bit of a confusing poem

I agree with putting phones away if possible, but that poem is ghastly.

I'd ask the staff when the polite, printed, proper "phones away" sign they've presumably arranged will be put up? Everyone's had a snigger at the poem and it's just not funny now and you're all bored of photographing it on your mobiles for further amusement...

I find it very strange that many parents simply have to be on their phone for the few minutes that pickup takes.

It can’t be fun for the children or the parent picking them up is talking on/staring at their phone the whole time. I’m with pp though on wondering how people have enough hands to manage it!

All the nurseries I’ve used have had “no phones” policies and it hasn’t been an issue. Saying that, it strikes me that I was probably staring at my phone as soon as we got out of one of them (checking buses) so my apologies for reducing the levels of smiggle.

The rhyme is abit crap but I think they just mean Get off your phone whilst in our nursery... Fair enough

Everanewbie. Absolutely spot on.

But no, you can never tell or even suggest how to be better parents because we've all reached that pinnacle. And we're all so over sensitive and insecure that even if we're on the phone due to an emergency, we'll beat ourselves up that we're not present for our children on a daily basis.

I never have my phone on me at pick up time. It is literally my favourite part of the day. Kids so excited, running over, cuddles etc.

Until today. When I went to after school club (eldest started P1 in August) and she looked up crossly and said “I’m not finished my picture yet why are you here??”

So that was nice.

Smiggle? Smiles and giggles. The shop uses it as a tag line.

The poem isn’t good, but the sentiment is.
I see so many parents , on buses , train etc they have such an opportunity to chat to their children in their pushchairs, but usually most of them are glued to their phones. Very sad actually.

Smiggle? Smiles and giggles

No way! Thanks for clearing that up. :)

My school has a ‘Greet me with a smile, not a mobile phone’ sign.

A smiggle is a smile and a giggle. How else would you have the nursery say 'try and acknowledge your child for more than a few minutes before picking up and looking at your phone".

The poem is awful - but it’s pretty bad too if the nursery feel driven to put it up due to the behaviour of parents picking up

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

Whereas this sign would actively make me want to get my phone out when I wouldn't otherwise have done just to revolt against its smug patronising tweeness. Is that doing its job perfectly?

And that's just on a single day's exposure. If I had to see it every day it would reduce me to a quivering twitching emotional mess. If that's what they want they could just cut out a selection of "poems" from Women's Weekly.

I have never see a parent on their phone while picking up from nursery is this really a thing?

Sometimes there are parents finishing a call or email outside the nursery just before pick up, or looking at their phone while pushing child in buggy but never at actual pick up. That takes all of 5 minutes?

*seen

YANBU about that stupid poem! I would agree with discouraging phones in the nursery, especially as some individual might be stupid enough to photograph not the sign, but other people's children, and post the pics on social media: obviously a bad idea. But a twee piece of patronizing doggerel hardly helps!

Shit poem. Shit idea. Guilt tripping, treating the audience like children.

Nauseating isn’t the word!