1 year old at nursery watching a tablet

[FlipperyGibbet]

AIBU for expecting my 1 year old to not be shown programmes on a tablet when she's at nursery? She has just started her second week, does 4 full days a week (Mon - Thurs) in the baby room of approx. 12 babies up to 14 months old.

Last week DH collected and was told she enjoyed watching Mr Tumble on the tablet but was initially unsure. He replied that she'd probably been unsure because she has zero screen time at home. They said they just have it on whilst cleaning up after lunch. We were surprised, but figured that we couldn't really argue if that's what they needed to do.

This afternoon DH picked her up and as he got to the door he could see all the babies sat in a semi circle, again watching the tablet. No post-lunchtime cleaning up was happening and a key worker was sat with them. They were all strapped into their little highchairs too.

The whole thing just makes me feel a bit sad. We get that screen time has a place, but we've spent the past year actively choosing not to have any screen time at all. Our DD will happily play with / read books, or play with a toy and amuse herself. The fact that this has happened twice in 5 days makes me feel uncomfortable. Am I over reacting and is this a normal occurrence for 1 year olds in nursery nowadays?

Omg no way. Thats awful. Another reason we do not do nursery or preschool. My DS is nearly 4 and he has 45mins a week! My 1 year old has 0 screen time other then to speak to grandparents 3 x a week.

That is totally unreasonable didn't your DH challenger this occurance. I would write an email and CC management. You're not paying them for that.

Agree as a SLT told me if you do use Miss Rachel etc you have to stop and pause and then act out and repeat and make sure the children are engaging at the appropriate level. Those things are useless without 1-1 engagement and not with a screen.

Um, babies and toddlers aren't commonly given crappy print media?

And it isn't just about the rubbish content it's the mode of interaction? Fast paced screen content has been linked to shorter attention spans and lower executive functioning skills in preschool aged children. Bright light and quick changes in content overstimulate young brains, and blue light exposure before bed can harm their sleep.

Screen-based media is designed to be highly stimulating and triggers dopamine spikes leaving the brain to crave more of that stimulation. Kids become used to instant gratification from screens, which of course leads to impatience, meltdowns, and difficulty with focus because slower, natural activities don’t give that same quick dopamine fix.

Screen time for 1 year olds is not great at all. A pp said their child was shown something on nursery worker's phone, I'd have thought that must be a safeguarding concern too.

I think this is the problem, the manager was well aware of them doing it and was clearly prepared with a response this afternoon. They didn't even try to excuse it or claim an educational benefit, they went straight to the justification of needing to keep the babies out of the area due to allergies and cleaning up. They even said this is an important factor (allergies) right through the nursery, which just made us feel like they were saying they do something similar to this in every room

I'm sorry this is happening at your very young, dc's nursery.
I hope you can find another local nursery.
Youtube has some good talks etc about screen time for children.
Emma Hubbard is helpful too on Youtube.

No that's just absolute laziness from the nursery and the manager is completely bullshitting you. As a former nursery nurse, they should be moving those children away from the area to do something else (reading a story, singing songs, play in the garden etc just some form of activity) while someone else cleans up the area, there is no need or benefit for the use of a screen in an under twos room at all ime. I'd be fuming in your shoes op, I wouldn't be keeping my child there.

That doesn’t sound good. If I was picking DD up towards closing the big tv might be on and they would sit in bean bags as they were tired. But this would be when she was much older, like 3/4.

It feels too young to me. I’d be saddened too. That said, I think even in educational settings it has become much more normalised to introduce TV/tablet time. This is a reflection of society and parenting though. Most parents use electronic devices to give themselves an easier life and buy peace and quiet. Personally I use them sparingly.

I think it’s ok sometimes if children are a bit older, say 3 plus but this is definitely too young.

There are allergies in my son’s nursery, but never has any of the staff deemed it necessary to secure small children into seats and blare a screen at them in order to deal with it.

You have been fobbed off, and it would leave me wondering if it’s a ratio thing, as when I temped in a nursery, the children being sat down for snack or whatever was the time we could nip out to the loo if there was no one to come in and cover toilet breaks (OBVIOUSLY one at a time and with the children fully supervised; but we wouldn’t technically be ‘in ratio’ for those two minutes) so I wonder if they’re securing the children into chairs to get around that.

I used to run a Toddler Group. After snack time, we'd be singing nursery rhymes together or having a story. Are they saying they can't control the children unless they have them strapped down?! At this time of year I'd hope they'd have the staff ratios for the tots to go outside after lunch. Or be getting ready for nap time. The five hours without a nappy check would also bother me. Are they giving your daughter enough to drink would be my concern if she was dry for five hours.

I’m a childminder and I would never give a toddler a tablet. I can’t believe that Ofstd would approve of this.

Thinking of that, what about older generation? We all went to nurseries/kindergarten at some point and there was never a TV. (not tablets even existed then) teachers were playing with us, taking us out for walks, been creative. We're they tired at the end of a day? I'm sure they were. Were we tired? Yes. But they tried to put us to sleep (till age of 4 I think) and they animated us. So what would be different today that children need tablets?

Seriously, OP, report this to Ofsted - it's terrible practice and it sounds like the setting need to be inspected unannounced.

I’d be a bit annoyed at this too if I’m honest, babies do not need to watch TV the nursery nurse sat with them could of just as easily read a book or sang a few songs. I know TV happens in nursery usually a Friday treat a number blocks episode or whatever but not for children under 18months . I really would reconsider

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Just wanted to thank you all for your thoughts and replies. DD starts a new nursery next week in a baby room where screens don't exist at all (I checked multiple times with different people😅). On multiple occasions I've questioned if we've made the right decision, especially as she's settled even more and made bonds in the 28 day notice period, and we really do think a lot of her key worker and buddy. However I've remembered all your responses and reminded myself that management in a nursery that thinks any screentime for 1 year olds is a good idea in a nursery setting, for any length of time, simply isn't the place for us. Thanks everyone!