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.

Undervalued*

so a long time ago my son went to nursery - some playing / singing / story book & sleeping time time but also some tv

Well many years later it is my proud boast he has a degree in history & can recite all the words to Zulu ( and a great deal of Hornblower )

Honestly I am sure things were different back in the day - but I am not sure a few tv / film things will ruin a child.

But then I have never been a Tiger Mum or whatever they were called. Just keep them interested and happy.

My sister is a childminder. She delivers a great service with indoor / outdoor activities, crafts, education, play time etc etc. At the end of the week she’s exhausted. When the kids go home she’s then got paperwork to complete and she does all this on a pretty pathetic wage. If she said she’d let the kids have a movie afternoon every now and again I’d say go for it. Do your kids watch movies in their own homes? Of course they do. Stop being so bloody sanctimonious. The next time you pick up your kids? Remember to thank her for all her hard work.

Certainly in my area there is a huge demand for childminders. They can literally pick the children they would be happy to care for and refuse those they would be unhappy with. If the op chooses not to send her child because of watching tv once in a while I don't think the childminder will suffer.

Perhaps OP should watch her own children... 🤭

@NSt21

Perhaps OP should watch her own children... 🤭

Fuck off. What a stupid fucking comment. How am I supposed to go to work and mind a baby????

It would be tricky OP. Which is why, if you need the CM more than they need you, you'd best not alienate them by having unreasonable expectations.

@MrsHuntGeneNotJeremyObviously

It would be tricky OP. Which is why, if you need the CM more than they need you, you'd best not alienate them by having unreasonable expectations.

Err... have u read my responses??

Apologies OP. I did miss the one where you agreed yabu

If your DC goes at 1 there's going to be very little teaching going on, they're not going to be thematic learning so no, she is not unreasonable to pre-warn parents that occasionally they watch a movie (90 minutes, probably over couple of days or including naps) but also it's ok of her style doesn't work for you

You know we occasionally have movie afternoons in school too. Of course it's fine as a treat or on a rainy day!

Because that's normally how long kids films are roughly??

Not really. Movies for young pre school children are rarely much more than an hour

You’re absolutely correct - it’s lazy and unacceptable to offer screen time as part of childcare.

I can’t believe comments which say maybe the childminder wasn’t feeling 100% - I don’t tell me colleagues I’m not feeling 100% and just not do my job for a part of the day!

It’s the childminder’s job to prepare for the day ahead and have activities planned. It is their job to engage with the children.

You’re not being “precious” either and it’s ridiculous we need to apologise as parents for not allowing poor quality care for our children.

Finally, the positive thing is this childminder was open and honest about their screen time use.

@ScotMum156

You’re absolutely correct - it’s lazy and unacceptable to offer screen time as part of childcare.

I can’t believe comments which say maybe the childminder wasn’t feeling 100% - I don’t tell me colleagues I’m not feeling 100% and just not do my job for a part of the day!

It’s the childminder’s job to prepare for the day ahead and have activities planned. It is their job to engage with the children.

You’re not being “precious” either and it’s ridiculous we need to apologise as parents for not allowing poor quality care for our children.

Finally, the positive thing is this childminder was open and honest about their screen time use.

You know some children are with childminders for up to 50 hours a week if they're 8-6 everyday. Do you expect a childminder to plan activities and ban screens for 50 hours? I'm baffled. Why can't children have an hour or two of cartoons within that? Do you work solidly for 50 hours yourself or do you perhaps have the odd break here and there?

My own child goes to a childminder for up to 40 hours a week and I specifically sent her there over a nursery because I knew the days would be long for a 2 year old and I didn't want her to be constantly stimulated and scheduled.

@ScotMum156

You’re absolutely correct - it’s lazy and unacceptable to offer screen time as part of childcare.

I can’t believe comments which say maybe the childminder wasn’t feeling 100% - I don’t tell me colleagues I’m not feeling 100% and just not do my job for a part of the day!

It’s the childminder’s job to prepare for the day ahead and have activities planned. It is their job to engage with the children.

You’re not being “precious” either and it’s ridiculous we need to apologise as parents for not allowing poor quality care for our children.

Finally, the positive thing is this childminder was open and honest about their screen time use.

They're all under 3. No 1-3 year old needs activities 8-6 5 days a week every week unless they're napping.

This is hilarious!! We have quiet time every day when the little ones watch a bit of telly. It's a full on day for most of them when they're with me from 7.30-5.30 and we do so so much usually outdoors they need a bit of down time/ rest too. Also don't forget that childminders don't get any breaks or lunch breaks it's quite full on so I don't feel guilty about a bit of telly.

If she can get several young children to sit down and watch a film for 2 hours then she is worth her weight in gold!

My 1 and 4 year old will only watch TV for 15 minutes at a time before they get bored and continue to wrestle each other, eat everything in sight and draw on the walls.

Apologies, I didn’t think of the implications of no screens in these situations of long continuous days with the childminder. It also depends on how many children the childminder is looking after. Sorry if my comment was upsetting.

Yes nursery would have the occasional movie afternoon. Also regularly use iPads in the last half hour to show Peppa pig etc while waiting for the last couple of kids to be picked up.

Yabu. They are little it isn’t school. If you prefer a nursery setting that’s fine, choose that instead. Also most kids films are 80-90 mins aren’t they? And I don’t think a 14 mo would just sit and watch one tbh. I am sure they won’t have a movie afternoon everyday. Some telly each day is fine and let’s everyone chill a bit.

I just think the iPad and TV card should be for parents to use at home if they choose to not for the childminder - it is their job to look after the kids. Why can’t children play without a screen as downtime? Flick through books, draw, do sensory things. Of course they don’t need structured activities but screens is not the only option for a downtime - they are so bad for the development of attention span as they do everything for the child and offer no open ended play.

@ScotMum156

I just think the iPad and TV card should be for parents to use at home if they choose to not for the childminder - it is their job to look after the kids. Why can’t children play without a screen as downtime? Flick through books, draw, do sensory things. Of course they don’t need structured activities but screens is not the only option for a downtime - they are so bad for the development of attention span as they do everything for the child and offer no open ended play.

Which would be fair enough of she said that's all we do, watch telly, eat popcorn. But we're talking about an occasional movie, probably 60 minutes where they're toddle off or have a nap, or more likely things like room on the broom which are much shorter.

They aren't popping down the shops or having a nap, they're still looking after the kids but in a capacity where they're all relatively still for 10 minutes whilst they clean away the paint and get out the jigsaws

My sons school sometimes as a movie afternoon as a reward for a class getting a certain number of class points....normally once every couple of terms so not often I don’t see the harm in it really.

I just think the iPad and TV card should be for parents to use at home if they choose to not for the childminder

This doesn’t sit well with me.

It’s a bit like ‘because I’m paying, I want control of the easy options, whereas the childminder needs to work for every dime’

Whereas good child minding recreates a home from home experience, and no reason at all while a film afternoon wouldn’t be part of that.

Surely the child’s needs are most important and the optimal times for film watching for the child wouldn’t always be on the parents watch.

Umm, I have no idea how much tv my kids watched at the CM. And to be frank I didn't/ don't care. They loved her, they enjoyed going and I knew they were safe and loved while I worked.
They obviously had termly "reports" to tell me that they were socialising/ mark making/ whatever ofsted decided was important that month but mainly I wanted them to be loved and safe.