To think a childminder shouldn't have kids watching films on the telly?

[5footMama]

A childminder in my village says she "sometimes" has a movie afternoon with her charges (age 10m-3yrs) and it's made me doubt whether to send DD (14m)

Is it just me, or should a childminder not be using the TV like that???
I mean, I'm not anti telly and if they were watching a bit of a program about penguins or something because they're learning about penguins,then cool. Bit to just put them in front of the telly for 2hrs when it supposed to be looking after them seems a bit crap. They wouldn't do this in a nursery or anything.

@TheKeatingFive

there's absolutely no reason to assume that's the case here.

Exactly. If it becomes more than ‘occasional’ deal with it then.

People don't normally send their children to a childminder even though they have misgivings thinking that they will "deal with it" if they are correct. It's not as if the 14-month-old will be able to tell them that they are stuck in front of the TV for a whole afternoon.

@Belladonna12 you're reaching a bit there! It's phrased movie afternoon. That doesn't mean the kids will all be strapped down in the dark and made to watch two hour movies!

The Gruffalo for example is one hour long. The Gruffalo's Child and Room On The Broom around 30 minutes if memory serves.

It could be an option. It could be occasional. It could be that Fridays (for example) are the days that she allows a movie to be on in the background.

The over-dramatic carry on around this is ridiculous!

People don't normally send their children to a childminder even though they have misgivings thinking that they will "deal with it" if they are correct.

People don’t normally invent things to be worried about.

There’s nothing wrong with an occasional movie afternoon and no reason to believe it would be anything other than this.

If a good childminder did it occasionally I wouldn't have a problem.

But there are some pretty crap childminders who do this and not much else.

You'll need to do some more digging to see what she's like.

It's not as if the 14-month-old will be able to tell them that they are stuck in front of the TV for a whole afternoon.

How many 14 month olds would be sat in front of a TV quietly if they didn't want to? Hell how many would even if they did want to?

And if they're not strapped in a high chair or glued to the sofa,they are not stuck.

I’d be so pissed of paying for a child minder to “put a film on!” I can bloody do that. 20 mins watching octonauts etc is fine but a film? Seriously?? So surprised more haven’t said it’s unreasonable.

@mumof2exhausted

I’d be so pissed of paying for a child minder to “put a film on!” I can bloody do that. 20 mins watching octonauts etc is fine but a film? Seriously?? So surprised more haven’t said it’s unreasonable.

There's nothing a childminder does that parents can't do. People don't use CM because they can't do the things CMs can do, they use them because they need to work,they need someone to look after their child and they want a home environment for their child.

I work in a school and we sometimes have movie afternoons. I see a childminder as being paid to do what I cannot do due to work commitments. As a parent I'd have movie days on occasion, I'd have to take them shopping, I'd get a few household jobs done and I'd spend time playing, reading and dancing with my children. I think people expect an awful lot for not a lot of money to be honest.

I use a childminder because I have no option if I want to work. She is amazing, my LO wants to live with her As has been previously said, she is simply there to look after my child when I cant, I didnt choose to send them there for educational purposes although that is obviously a bonus. If she has a movie afternoon once in a while I couldn't care less as long as my LO is safe and happy there.

Voted wrong. YABU

AIBU sometimes children need down time. While I doubt a 14 month old would watch an entire film, it might be quite nice. Who cares if a 18mth old knows about religious festivals? Certainly not an 18mth old. A childminder is really there to replicate a parent. Rules and regulations were put in place to ensure children received a variety of experiences but it went to far when childminders were expected to follow a curriculum and have a daily plan.

• too 🙄

they absolutely do that in school... especially in the eyfs that I worked in, cbeebies after lunch was common. As a current childminder I will say that I occasionally put a film on for the little ones if they ask for one specifically, especially if we've already been out to play or done other stuff, but they very sit to watch more than 5 mins, unless they are really sleepy. they potter around and play or draw. It sometimes works to occupy a 4 year old for half an hour if I need a bit of quiet to get younger ones to nap.

Watching films on tv is not an evil activity per se.We used to let secondary school students watch good films now and again, and sometimes it really helped comprehension of a set text. Not all the time, obviously...

🤨 erm good luck finding a childminder is all I have to say

@AccidentallyOnPurpose

It's not as if the 14-month-old will be able to tell them that they are stuck in front of the TV for a whole afternoon.

How many 14 month olds would be sat in front of a TV quietly if they didn't want to? Hell how many would even if they did want to?

And if they're not strapped in a high chair or glued to the sofa,they are not stuck.

Maybe they would put them in a high chair. How else are they managing to have "movie afternoons" with children who are too young to actually want to watch a film. At my DD's after-school club they used to turn all the lights off and tell them that they were not allowed to speak on "movie afternoons" and this was quite frequent. Very few of the children wanted to watch the film. It was done entirely so the staff could do nothing.

Maybe once a fortnight would be ok but I’d want to know what they were watching and how long the film is. Plus details of any film related activities they might do. For example, learn about lions after watching Lion King.

For me this is a benefit of a childminder. It’s a little bit more relaxed. It’s more homelike. Occasionally as a sahm I would let mine watch a movie. If they aren’t interested you soon know. Sometimes a wet/cold day calls for it.

In a normal world I would take the childminded children to the cinema to watch a film this would be a day when I had the older ones obviously this can’t be done at the moment . A film on the tv that’s age appropriate isn’t going to hurt . By the afternoon we’ve probably done a world of things . Ask her what would be done with your child whilst the movie going on , if your happy with the answer then go foreword with the care but give her a chance . Yes I think you being unreasonable 🙈

Some of these comments make me sad. Yes a CM is a home from home environment but CMs have to follow the exact same EYFS curriculum that nurseries and pre-schools follow. All the CMs I know provide amazing experiences and educational activities for their children and also allow a little bit of TV.

Of course there are dreadful childminders but there are also dreadful nurseries and pre-schools. And I know from experience that nurseries, pre-schools AND schools use TV on a regular basis. I can't tell you the number of times my kids have come home from school saying they have watched a film during wet play or had a film afternoon as a treat.

This is the worst time ever for CMs. They cannot do anything such as zoo trips, playgroups or other outings at the moment. They have parents insisting their child doesn't go to the park or even go outside due to the pandemic and then they get vilified for 'sometimes' putting the TV on when most work 10-12 hour days. No wonder CMs are leaving the profession in droves which will result in a serious childcare shortage before too long.

And this is why I have the utmost respect and admiration for childminders, having to deal with nit picking like this. Can you imagine having to prove every minute of every day with every child was spent in "worthy" pursuits? Jesus. An occasional film afternoon, especially now when 80% of usual activities are closed, is really not an issue that I can understand anyone getting worked up about.

I'd be surprised if they watched a movie at that age. It might be set up as a fun afternoon, my DC watch films in school on rainy days.

They wouldn't do this in a nursery or anything.
Yes they do.
My sons nursery sometimes watch YouTube videos, they watched a movie at Christmas. If there’s only a few kids in then sometimes they do just sit and cuddle and watch something.
Have you met children though? Most of them don’t sit still for 2 hours, even to watch a film, so she’ll still be entertaining at least some of them.

Our childminder often puts a movie on for the older children while the babies nap. I don’t have a problem with it. We chose a childminder because we wanted our child to be in a more homely, nurturing environment than a nursery (I’ve worked in nurseries myself) Alongside an hour or so of telly they go on lovely long walks, they do lots of fun activities and in ‘normal times’ go on trips to the farm and toddler groups. On occasion, if they’ve been out all morning they eat...whispers and clutches at pearls fish fingers/nuggets, beans and oven chips...oh the horror! I have some friends who’d be horrified at this but his face lights up when she opens the door and this evening he didn’t want to come home because they were having too much fun with the train set so I wouldn’t want him to be anywhere else

@DENGREEN

Maybe once a fortnight would be ok but I’d want to know what they were watching and how long the film is. Plus details of any film related activities they might do. For example, learn about lions after watching Lion King.

Do you always research and analyse films yourself after you've watched them? I can't say that when I watched a film about horses with my children over Christmas that I subsequently researched horses... Why on earth does everything have to be educational?