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Original poster

Not to want my DD to watch TV at nursery?

70 replies

drivinmecrazy · 14/01/2009 10:33

DD2 came home from nursery yesterday and as usual i asked her what they had done. She told me they watched Mr Tumble on the TV. I am not happy. I don't pay for her to go and watch TV. have spoken to another mother at a different nursery and she says they watch Tv at her nursery and have for several years. DD not back at nursery til Friday, so will bring it up with them then.

OP posts:
VinegarTits · 14/01/2009 10:35

Oh ffs its only TV, they are not making here worship the devil

Mr Tumble is educational, he even teaches them to sign

compo · 14/01/2009 10:35

yanbu
is she there all day?
if there all day I wouldn't mind too much but if only for half a day I wouldn't be impressed

Pinkjenny · 14/01/2009 10:36

My dd watches TV at nursery too. Doesn't bother me in the slightest. They have wonderfully varied days, filled with activity, and when the weather isn't this cold, they hardly put the TV on at all.

Original poster
drivinmecrazy · 14/01/2009 10:36

She's only there for four hours three times a week. I don't mind her watching TV at all, but not at nursery

OP posts:
Fennel · 14/01/2009 10:38

I wouldn't be too impressed. Now and then, OK, but not every day. It's one of the reasons I preferred nurseries to childminders, the lack of TV at nurseries.

they can watch tv at home, after all. I want to reserve that option for myself, not pay a childcarer to use up the top trump for keeping children quiet.

beanieb · 14/01/2009 10:38

I have often wondered about this. If I have kids and I put them into the work Creche I am guessing I will have to loosen up on my 'no TV' idea.

I think that as you pay them to look after your child you should have some say but I am guessing that the staff can't be doing fun and educational interactive stuff with all the kids, all the time and so half an hour in front of the TV isn't a terrible thing.

We didn't have a tv at home for large parts of my childhood and so as a kid I really enjoyed teh 1/2 hour educational programmes we would watch in infants!

Fennel · 14/01/2009 10:39

I would expect half an hour of someone reading them a story, or similar, if they are having a quiet period. Not tv.

None of our nurseries or preschools used TV regularly, we used 5 altogether (with 3 children). You don't have to assume that's normal at nurseries.

Notreallycutoutforthis · 14/01/2009 10:40

'Something Special' is one of the few programmes I wasn't guilty about DS watching.

And love the fact that signing for 'trousers' is the same as the trouser rubbing gesture Reeves and Mortimer do

morningpaper · 14/01/2009 10:40

Nurseries tend to have the odd half-hour of DVDs on. The kids tend to sit and watch while they catch up on a bit of paperwork!

I really don't think it's a problem. Watching television, when done in a social environment of peers sitting around laughing and chatting about it, is TOTALLY different from being stuck in front of a television by themselves with no one to feed back to.

It will be more stressful for your DD if she has to be removed from the room and from her friends every time the television is on!

compo · 14/01/2009 10:41

4 hours, 3 times a week?
no I wouldn't be happy
mostly because I use TV as downtime for the dcs when they come home from nursery/school

compo · 14/01/2009 10:42

I meant she goes to nursery 4 hours 3 times a week by the way, not that she watches that much TV from the OP!

VinegarTits · 14/01/2009 10:43

Mr tumble is only on for 15 mins if that

I took my 2 yo to our local pub on NYE, we meet a couple who where there with thier ds same age, this child was glued, i mean mesmarised by the flat screen tv on the wall

My ds was sitting doing his jigsaw, the father asked me if we have a tv, i said yes, and told him ds watches it too (such an evil mother i am)

He said they didnt let their ds watch tv (their choice) but they could not drag him away, for love nor money, from the tv in the pub

pooka · 14/01/2009 10:45

DS goes to a great nursery/pre-school for 2 afternoons a week. When the weather is crap and cannot go outside (so fairly often then ) they watch Something Special.

I have no problems with it. They don't watch the whole programme usually, but the nursery is hot on signing and also I think it's a positive programme.

LaaDeDa · 14/01/2009 10:50

It wouldn't bother me at all. It sounds like it was 1/2 hour at most and it's just bad luck that it falls within the time your daughter attends.
They can't schedule all the different activities to suit the times ALL children attend so, for example - sometimes my daughter does no cooking but loads of art work just because she only attends on certain days of the week iykwim?

pooka · 14/01/2009 10:52

That's true - ds only does gym once a week because it happens that he's only there once when it's scheduled. Other children do it more often. Ditto library visits. And with things like cooking, they make sure that all children have done it, but that may mean ds doing it 2 weeks after another child who is there on a different day.

ThePregnantHedgeWitch · 14/01/2009 11:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

squeaver · 14/01/2009 11:19

I know a couple of nurseries where they do watch Mr Tumble (only Mr Tumble no other TV) to teach the children the signing etc.

Ebb · 14/01/2009 11:22

When I worked in a nursery we used to put the tv on on a Friday afternoon so staff could catch up paperwork such as weekly development reports. We only had it on for half an hour and I think the children appreciated it after a busy week. I think as a once a week occurrence then it's fine. If the tv is on every day then I would perhaps say something. Best to chat to your DDs key worker.

CrackopentheBaileys · 14/01/2009 11:23

It may not be 'just' TV watching. The episode could have gone very nicely with their theme (Winter/Friendship etc) and they may have then done some activities based on what happened. TV really isn't the big sin that everyone bangs on about. It's educational and fun when used in the right way, as a tool for learning rather than a babysitter

Original poster
drivinmecrazy · 14/01/2009 11:25

DDs nursery is small. Only about twelve kids per session with three staff. Interesting to see that it has become quite the norm now. guess i have to move with the times. Still feel a little peeved though, esp if they are using it so they can get on with paper work. Will ask on friday if they were watching it for a specific reason or a treat. must admit, DD thought it was brilliant she got to watch with her friends.

OP posts:
cheesesarnie · 14/01/2009 11:26

thats nothing-my ds1 used to come home daily from cms telling me about all the disney dvds he'd watched(was more than 30 minutes a day as knew all the words).and he'd be hyperactive.when asked what hed eaten he said biscuits and sweeties.he was on strict no biscuits/sweeties diet due to effect it had on his behaviour.cm knew this.

i dont think id be too cross by 15 minutes of an educational programme.

Pannacotta · 14/01/2009 11:30

I don't like it either, I don't think it is right that they have TVs in some nurseries, there are so many other things they can do instead.
DS1 goes to nursery for a day and a half and I woudln't be happy if they watched TV there.
WHat they do do is play games on a computer and am not wild about that either.

MrsBadger · 14/01/2009 11:32

yanbu. IMO

but then I picked a no-tv nursery...

ZZZen · 14/01/2009 11:34

I would take my dc out of any nursery that used tv tbh

Pinkjenny · 14/01/2009 11:34

They watch Balamory at my dd's nursery. She loves it, and sings it all the way home.