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.

It's highly unlikely they sit engrossed for the full 2 hours. Even at 6 and 9yo my kids sometimes have to watch a movie in two parts.

Schools are known for having the odd movie on (last day of term etc).

Additionally, some mindees are there 8am-6pm. No way is any child needing 10nhpurs of EYFS provision 5 days a week. Too much!!

As a general thing, no, but once in a while I think it's ok. Especially if she's feeling ill enough to feel rubbish but not worry I'll enough to close, I wouldn't begrudge her having an easy day.

On a rainy cold afternoon then I think it sounds perfect. Childminders are a home environment and sometimes in a home you sit and watch a film. I also highly doubt a 10 month old or even some 3 year olds will sit and watch a whole film!

Also, I call those Julia Donaldson animations "films" as that's what they feel like. They'd be perfect watching for small dc having read the story earlier in the week and done some related activities.

Well try complaining. I guess childcare is thin on the ground at the moment

I think it’s fine, and part of the home from home environment you get with a childminder. It sounds cosy, and I expect the younger ones are playing with toys at the same time. That said, I’ve always had a fairly relaxed attitude to screen time.

Oh my goodness do not send to such a lazy childminder! She is totally wrong to not have the kids out doing a fully engaged activity every single day all day come rain or shine 🙄
Bloody hell.

See this is why I wonder about childminders and am happier with my child in an early years preschool setting.

I take my DD to the playground every day after school (well I used to! :( ). There are a pair of local childminders who are very well thought of locally. They come with a huge gaggle of children of various ages (babes in arms up to late primary age), and then sit on a bench and do pretty much nothing for a couple of hours but chat to each other while the kids just sort themselves out. They won't even push the little ones on the swings, they tell them if they can't get on and start themselves off they can do something else (although sometimes the older kids are deputised to do this).

Even odder, because they can see I am actually playing with my DD, the kids all flock around me and I end up playing with about half a dozen small kids - the childminders do nothing about this, which is fine as I know most of the kids and their mums, but they don't know that! I am often first on the scene when one of the kids falls and hurts themselves, or two of them get into a fight and have to be separated, because they're not really paying any attention.

Despite all the Ofsted stuff supposedly applying to them, it seems like a lot of childminders think keeping the kids alive and fed is more or less the limit of their responsibilities. Great for fostering independence I guess, but surely incredibly boring for the kids!

Yes, 10 hours of EYFS sounds exhausting.

I would definitely expect an outing or two if possible in the day and adult led activities to make sure learning is taking place but it’s an awfully long day.

is this your first child, OP?

I honestly don't think it would be a deal breaker for me, @5footmama. If she did nothing but plonk them in front of the TV, that would be different, but the occasional movie afternoon seems perfectly fine to me.

As previous posters have said - the pandemic has drastically reduced the choice of things that the childminder could have taken the children to - and in the depths of winter, it may well not be possible to have them outside for as long, and a movie afternoon seems like a reasonable thing to do, from time to time, as long as she is offering a balance of other activities - crafts, imaginative play, puzzles, reading to them etc.

They can't be doing learning type activities all the time - or even playing all the time - and like all of us, they need a bit of down-time too.

I sure private nurseries do this as an occasional thing.

I think it’s fine . It’s such a long day at the moment weather is rubbish and there is no where to go . But if you are not happy don’t send find a childminder that doesn’t have tv on , Everyone has a choice.

@Draineddraineddrained

It’s dangerous to tar all with this though. Of course there’ll be some like that. I’ve taken my DN and own DC to play groups. The nannies/CM’s I’ve seen are impressive and seem to have a lovely close bond with their carers. Certainly SIL’s CM is really good with them.

20min once a week why not. A movie regularly is way too much, especially as she is being paid to look after them.
Of course children need some down time, this can be listening to stories or looking at books.

Depends how often. Once every couple of months, I wouldn't mind. Every week, and I would have a big issue with it. I don't like screen time for under 2s, we don't do it at home, I wouldn't expect a paid professional to do it either.

@WhyDoesItAlwaysRainMe

I sure private nurseries do this as an occasional thing.

Ours has film night twice a year, which is optional. They also have a TV afternoon once a week, which is 1x 20 minute episode. Both are only for the over 2s though.

Definitely don’t send your child to a childminder OP

I am a CM and have the TV on every day at lunch time and home time, and most school holidays we have a movie afternoon.

I wouldn't have a problem with it - this is child minding not school. And I think the average children's movie would be much less than the 2 hours you are assuming .

My dd watch's tv at school!

And watched tv at childminders. Never bothered us. The kids need downtime too. As long as it's not all day. I wouldn't see the issue.

Even odder, because they can see I am actually playing with my DD, the kids all flock around me and I end up playing with about half a dozen small kids - the childminders do nothing about this, which is fine as I know most of the kids and their mums, but they don't know that! I am often first on the scene when one of the kids falls and hurts themselves, or two of them get into a fight and have to be separated, because they're not really paying any attention.

Thank god you're there to watch over them every single day. What a hero.

No, I wouldn’t have a problem with this. They follow eyfs but that could mean some tv everyday. An occasional movie as a treat is exactly the kind of thing you want in a home based setting.

My kids quite often watch a film at school. By often I mean maybe once a month, but that's actually at SCHOOL. If it's pouring with rain etc and nothing is open what else is she supposed to do with them?

It's your child and clearly your gut is telling you this childminder is wrong for you. Don't overthink it just make the decision and move on. I think parenting is largely about gut feelings about what is right tbh what others are happy with is irrelevant imo.

But then maybe there would be no mumsnet :)

I think they do this in a nursery, my gd has anyway.
It's a childminder not a teacher, as long as they are safe what do you want?