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.

Depends if the parents are ok with it. I wouldn’t mind if it was occasional - there aren’t as many activities running right now. If it’s an appropriate film and not very often then I’d be ok with it. When you hire a childminder its the sort of thing you discuss before starting.

I don't think you have enough info really. Half an hour a day of TV wouldn't worry me - our nursery used to put a bit on after tea. As PPs have said, it's a long day for everyone. But I have known a couple of people who only realised quite how much TV their kids were watching at the CM's once they had learned to talk.

A kids' film is often around 1h20.

@DfEisashambles

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.

Outings must be pants now though. A walk round the park, that's about it. Even stuff my CM did on the odd occasion with my dc shouldn't really happen now (post office/bank/supermarket) even though those places are open, as visits here should be minimised. And now all the usual outing places are also closed (Library/art gallery/museums).

It must be a rough time to be a CM at the minute. And they can't gave anyone older than EYFS so no one to even play with the little ones while they prep meals etc.

some minders do 12 hour days & than you could have a really active day followed by collapse day (use to do this long ago when we took dc out for long outings in summer)

Unless she is strapping th all down and making th watch the film for 2 hours yabu. Ime she will struggle to get young children to sit and watch a film to the end so they are probably still playing with toys etc.

I really don't see anything wrong with a film going on anyway. No need to be so precious. Schools put films on for kids. Nurseries don't do constant structured activities for children either. They have quiet times and "free play" which means getbon with jt yourself kids. Childmondwrs don't have staff like a nursery, so they don't get a break. Nothing wrong with sticking the telly on so they can sit down for an hour (whichnis unlikely to happen anyway). They are not superpeople that can keep going all day every day, and think of continuous stimulating learning activities.
Ever tried baking or painting with a 9 month old and a couple of other under 5's?

@starpatch

No you are right. Childminders are ofsted regulated they are supposed to be following the early years curriculum.

Only if they are getting EYFS by way of 15/30 hours funding

But in my experience even then they don't follow a curriculum

DD did go to pre school and they used to put films on the afternoon so no difference to the childminder

It's irrelevant really how long the movie is. There's no way an alert 10 month old will just happily sit still on the sofa and watch the screen for more than 10/15 minutes.

I chose a childminder for my kids rather than a nursery, because I wanted them to have as close to the home life they'd have with me as possible. And home life with me would occasionally involve a Disney film. They adored Robin Hood at home, and got loads of imaginative play out of it. So I'd have had no problem at all with them watching something like that with the CM.

Children are in childcare for longer than parents are in work generally so maybe 8 am to 6 pm. They can't really be doing educational stuff for ten hours a day at 2 can they?

@Draineddraineddrained that is quite an assumption you’ve made. The other way to look at it is that the children learn their limits, they know that they can only climb to their limit and not be pushed higher. Helicopter parenting is quite a new thing. Yes agree they should be pushing on swings but otherwise I just sit on a bench and let my children get on with it, why would I want to make them dependent on me to play when there are other children there?

My children had a lovely bond with their childminder. They followed the EYFS in a home environment with a small group of children who turned more into a small family type set up whilst the childminder maintained her professional boundaries.

The children were taught independence and how to be helpful around the home whilst having lots of days out. I loved the flexibility of their activities, a beautiful day meant a full day in the park meeting up with friends and having a picnic. One of them feeling a bit unwell and they probably would have had a film afternoon. A special offer at a play centre meant an extra day out.

My DC went to both a childminder and a Nursery but the Childminder was more beneficial to them in the long run I felt but she was truly amazing. She also took some of the children to weigh in clinics and speech therapy so was far more flexible than a nursery.

My DC go to a CM twice a week and the tv is on ALL day. She does do other stuff with them too but the Telly is always on in the background. I live rurally so I had literally no other childcare options but I've never been happy about it. It's the main reason I won't go back working full time until they're both at school. I feel sorry for the DC she minds full time, it's really not ideal at all. You can see the impact.

I should say she's a lovely woman, they do craft/baking/gardening/walks. She has a huge garden with swings/slides etc but in the winter they're mostly indoors. I'd also never get the same level of flexibility if they went to nursery but overall I do wish there was a nursery close by as little kids shouldn't be plonked in front of screens for hours and hours every day.

I think if people actually looked after their own children for a 12 hour stretch IRL they would know that putting a lovely children's movie on is a nice relaxing time for a child.

The idea that a 3 year old would go a full 12 hours from activity to activity is franly ridiculous and I certainly didn't have children who would do it.

My children, when they were at home with me had a mix of free play, crafting, fresh air and definitely flat out on the sofa relaxing in front of Thamas the Tank or something similar.
It would NEVER have occurred to me that there was anything wrong with it.

Oh yeah and they’d watch bear hunt or stick man then re-enact it at home or in the woods! Great fun!

@KitchKlassic

My DC go to a CM twice a week and the tv is on ALL day. She does do other stuff with them too but the Telly is always on in the background. I live rurally so I had literally no other childcare options but I've never been happy about it. It's the main reason I won't go back working full time until they're both at school. I feel sorry for the DC she minds full time, it's really not ideal at all. You can see the impact.

I should say she's a lovely woman, they do craft/baking/gardening/walks. She has a huge garden with swings/slides etc but in the winter they're mostly indoors. I'd also never get the same level of flexibility if they went to nursery but overall I do wish there was a nursery close by as little kids shouldn't be plonked in front of screens for hours and hours every day.

You're contradicting yourself a bit there.

You say telly is on in the background, the children do play and she does all this activities and opportunities the kids have but then end with "kids plonked in front of the TV all day".

It can't be both.

Childminder here. Today I’m homeschooling my 6yo & looking after a 1yo. We’ve been for a walk, foam play, water play, cardboard boxes, all the toys you can think of & still got to get an hour to go. We’ve got nursery rhymes on tv half watching half playing. It’s a very long day without the activities we can usually do and the weather is grim today. Exceptional circumstances. All kids need down time.

So because a childminder has said they have movie afternoon occasionally you don’t want or out your kid there?

Childminders often gave more than just babies and toddlers older kids go after school or some schools are closer on Friday afternoons so movie afternoon is perfect to unwind. My son used to go to childminder abs she did tonnes with them he had a great time. She had (her own) older kids who watched tv after school. She was an amazing cook too, and 19 years on we are still friends and my son remembers being there and loving it. My younger sons went to nursery and I’m sure they watched a film now abs again but not until preschool. My little ones didn’t have the attention span for more than 10 minutes in front of the tv until they went to school.
Childminders don’t have to play with kids the whole time but obviously be there and make a safe and fun environment for the kids to play together or alone you don’t play with your kids all day at home we’ll I didn’t if I was making lunch or doing tidying or whatever kids do need to learn to play independently & with other children. I wouldn’t count this cm out without visiting her, speaking to other parents etc

@ivfbeenbusy all childminders follow the same eyfs curriculum and are inspected on it just the same as nurseries and preschools, regardless of whether they take funding.

[quote StacySoloman]@ivfbeenbusy all childminders follow the same eyfs curriculum and are inspected on it just the same as nurseries and preschools, regardless of whether they take funding.[/quote]
True.

I'll be honest here and say EYFS provision is at the bottom of my priority list when looking for a CM. They can start all that at preschool. Mine were with the CM from 6mo and then did wrap around once they started school nursery (preschool).

All I wanted for my dc at those ages were care, comfort and chatter.

I think anything longer than half an hour should be kept for Christmas or days when they’re poorly

Wow, I didn't know tv watching had become so strict and timed for most.

What is wrong with having movie time with the children, it actually sounds like a nice thing to do with them and sounds fun! It's not like they can go to the cinema and if the childminder is sitting with the children watching the film what is the issue?Doesn't sound like they're doing it everyday so why are you being snobby about it? majority of children films are less than 2 hours, probably a Disney or animated film.

Would you complain if she was taking them out to an age appropriate movie on at the cinema?

I think it's fine from time to time - especially at the moment where a lot of activities are not available and in reality with young kids, you could list 20 things they could do and that might last a morning.

@popNlock

I think anything longer than half an hour should be kept for Christmas or days when they’re poorly

Wow, I didn't know tv watching had become so strict and timed for most.

I suspect a lot of parents allow lots of screentime at the weekend and ease their guilt by insisting no screens at Nursery/CM.

@popNlock

I’m not unreasonable at all I meant it as a general guideline not a strictly timed regime, I’d have no problem with a CM putting TV on at quiet times for the children or movie afternoons.

I'm fairly certain my 2 year olds childminder has the TV on for a large part of the day. She comes home and tells me lots of plot points of various shows we haven't seen together I really can't say I'm bothered when it's bloody freezing outside, everything is shut and I can actually get work done without her here.

@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz

I suspect so too. Probably plonked in front of TV at home as soon as they’re home and on weekends

I try to limit screen time though, honestly I do.