Childminders and TV

[Medal]

Can I ask how much TV during the day is acceptable please? I have been to some CMs and it is on all the time in the background, which is not something we have at home.

What matters is what is acceptable to you.

I wouldn't want the TV on every day. For little ones I wouldn't want it on for more than an hour total over the day. For older ones I wouldn't want more than one DVD's worth, so maximum 2.5hrs. That's what is acceptable to me.

There is no standard acceptable though. If it's unacceptable to you, don't use their service. It obviously is acceptable to the parents currently using the service.

I would't want more than an hour a day for my 3yo but am I in my rights to ask a CM to stick to that or is it unreasonable given there are other children as well? I don't want to upset or offend. The current total seems to be much more than that, although not on all the time.

You can ask about tv, but the CM runs her own business and you have to decide if you accept what's on offer. Most CMs I know hardly have tv on (if ever).

My TV goes on about 5 pm for the after schoolis. lo's never have it on during the day.
You can always ask, but some people do have tv on constantly and lots of parents don't mind.
My DH thinks I'm odd to hate tv in the daytime.

You can ask the childminder about the TV or express a preference.

You can't tell her to stick to an hour a day. She provides a service. If you don't like that service, don't use it. You can't change the service to fit what you want.

If you want that kind of control, you need a nanny. In that relationship you are the employer and can dictate exactly what you want.

i'm interested in how you know it is on all day in the background if you have only been into these people's homes, I assume, for interview?

you can ask them about tv and then you can decide whether to use their service or not. We are self employed so you are not the employer so can not dictate the terms.

Some cms will have tv on when a parent is visiting as it can be difficult to interview a parent with other children around. maybe they are using tv as a distraction for a short period?

mine is on in the morning before my boys go to school and in the evening when they have had dinner, so if a parent went by whether the tv is on at drop off/pick up, then they would assume it is always on, which is not the case! Best not to make assumptions imo....

I imagine it's pretty hard for a CM to limit TV when there are older kids around. CM always has it on in the morning, but then she's got the school drop-offs for maybe half an hour before they go to school, it's not really time for them to do anything constructive in. Ditto that crash when they come back from school.

I wouldn't be a huge fan of it being on all day when it's just toddlers in the house.

Reet, I wasn't referring to my CM, when I said the TV was on all day, but to one that I went to to meet. I could imagine it was on all day there as it was on when I went to speak to her on two occasions, and there were only my children there.

I am not making any assumptions, but when my toddler knows all the programmes and theme tunes and characters when she doesn't watch these programmes at home - it is hard not to!

I do take the point re. other children and before/after school TV, that makes sense.

No way I would not be happy with that tv at home when I need to do the dinner or clean or toddler sick. I'd be raging if the child minder let then watch tv. A very good cm would not have tv on.

so don't you think cms have to clean, make dinner and sometimes have sick children/crying children/miserable children to attend to?

obviously, a good cm will limit tv as much as possible but at the end of the day we are only human and most of the cms I know (myself included) will have it on at times.

Medal - if your child knows all the theme tunes etc then obviously she is watching tv with the cm but take it up with her - she's not a mind reader and quietly seething away about it doesn't really help matters - either ask her if she would mind reducing it or move your dd if it's a big issue. Btw, many nurseries use tv at times also

Really sweetie, you'd be raging if a CM turned the TV on?? Really?
You do know that all schools have programs on for kids at some point, right from reception to nursery. And that in a CM house there might be members of the family that want to watch it?
I assume that as you NEVER have the TV on when your DC's are there then they won't be overly exposed to it, even if they watch if for an hour or so at the CM's?
A very good CM might turn it on to watch something special, or a nature program, or just to let the kids relax. Do you never watch TV at all?

As a family we have a no TV before 6pm rule & as I finish CMing at 5pm, mindees don't watch it at all. It's just not something they ever ask for because it's never an option BUT just today we were reading a TV character book & started singing the theme tune - they'll no doubt be home now singing bob the builder but I would hope the parents trust me enough to know they haven't been watching tv for the past 9 hours.

If you're not happy then speak to your cm - as others have said you can't dictate how she runs her business but if it's a big issue then look elsewhere for someone who is more attuned to your way of thinking.

There is no tv at my dc Nursery! I very much doubt the cm is putting on a nature programme for the children. Certainly if they are recalling theme tunes that's a give away. We don't have a tv but we will watch things on iPlayer when they come up and they look good. Dc is 2.3 she began watching 6 weeks ago we got her a pEpps pig DVD i am pregnant and needed her distracted but if I was paying someone to look after her and teach
"her I really wouldn't expect them to be putting the tv
on. when it comes to the cooking and cleaning I'd just
expect them to have dc involved and for dear children t
o be able to play alone some of the time. If I had s baby sitter Here then by all means I'd expect them to put a bit
of peppa on when they getc Fed up playing but they
aren't qualified staff that I'm paying. When
I say cleaning I mean like hovering and changing beds do child minders do that when they are working? I wouldn't mind if they did if the child was helping but if they are doing it while the child is downstairs in front of tv I wouldn't be happy

I don't change beds or hover whilst I'm minding.
I'll put a wash on etc. but only when kids are sat eating etc. and of course there's lots of sweeping/ tidying/ cooking that needs to be done.
I have an assistant so don't have to put TV on but I can understand many CM's might put it on for a short while when they're preparing dinner etc. and to let the lo's relax, CM's aren't there to "teach" all day.
There WILL be a TV once your dd starts reception, I guarantee it.

All childminders are different and have different routines, its best to ask these questions before you decide on one .
We watched Something Special at morning snack time today, that's the usual amount of TV here. Unless it Christmas or some ones Birthday, then as a special treat we might watch a (or part of) film .

oh, I forgot to say Medal....I wouldn't want a parent to expect me to change my routine (TV at snack time) but i'd be happy to discuss our routine.....

and I do not 'do' housework while i'm working but I do prepare snacks & lunch & load the dishwasher after lunch..... however if I get the chance to hang the washing out because we are in the garden then I will

I might Hoover the playroom (with a child's help) after a messy activity and change children's beds (because we have to have different sheets for each child), but not anywhere else. I would pop a wash in with their sheets and turn the dishwasher on after their lunch and let them count the socks and pass pegs while I hang washing.

If I'm really lucky I get to leave the room to make a cup of tea.

There are a few fantastic programmes I watch with the children (cbeebies and documentaries). They don't vegetate in front of the tv.

I did have the tv in all day when the new pope came in. It was during school holidays and the older children asked lots of questions.

sweetpie - you very much doubt the cm (which cm would this be?) is putting on a nature programme - on what do you base this?

you say your dc are at a nursery so i'm not sure really why this thread is even relevant to you tbh...

Most nurseries/schools do have tvs and some (shock,horror) even use laptops and large screens for children to watch programmes and listen to/dance to music.

you don't have a tv, your choice, but you can't cocoon your child for ever and there are worse things in life than a bit of tv once in a while.

you say you don't mind a babysitter using the tv sometimes, then why not a self employed childminder working from her own home, running her own business?

If you don't wish to use a childminder then don't, there are plenty of parents who do and are not as narrow minded as you appear to be. I take my minded children out every single day to various groups, local places such as farms, library etc and to the park. a little bit of tv is sometimes a necessity as we work alone and can't be everything all the time.

as for changing beds and hovering, ha ha, I barely have time to have a cup of tea or go for a wee. I might stick the washing in if I have a baby who sleeps for a while, or even sit down to read the paper/look at emails but the thought of a cm upstairs doing a full house clean while she has children lined up watching tv for hours - very, very unlikely

With a really little and clumsy toddler, I think I'd rather she was watching Raa Raa for ten minutes while the CM was cooking something on the hob. I know what would be safer and easier for everyone with my terror...

I was asked by a parent to increase the amount of time I let her dd watch tv as she felt she needed to relax before nursery and me taking her to the park to feed ducks or baking or arts & crafts was too tiring. All parents have differing needs and all childminders do things there own way. I doubt any cm has tv on all day and I wish I'd time to do my housework during the day, but getting to the loo is challenging enough (and even then I usually have at least 2 of the little darlings chatting to me from the other side of the door).
Sweetpie - we watched autumn watch about hedgehogs today, then went out and made a hedgehog habitat, tomorrow I need to do fire safety with mindees so we're going to watch Sesame Street when Elmo goes to the fire station. We'll all probably be humming the fire safety song for most of the day. Doesn't make me a bad childminder.
Also, huge drive here for cm to embrace technology so watching stuff on iPad ticks lots of boxes with care insp.

It's up to you what you find acceptable, but it is also up to the individual CM as he/she doesn't just work for you.

Sometimes my little ones arrive on a Monday having had very busy weekends and parents actually ask me to have a chilled out day, which does involve T.V. And lots of snuggles

I don't have it on all day as it would do my bloody head in, but I do have it on at strategic points. And strongly feel it has its place.for example it went on at 4.30pm after craft time/ tea time just before parent pick up. A bit of Scooby Doo to chill them out before collection.

My son's school nursery used to put Cbeebies on iplayer.

reet - why is not wanting your child to sit in front of the TV all day narrow minded?
The OP was asking about the TV being on in the background all day. Do you have the TV on all the time in your home? I suspect even if you do you would turn it off for your OFSTED inspection.

karoleann I think the comment was aimed at Sweetie who doesn't want the tv on at all

I think, not to be inflammatory (dons fireproof suit) that Sweetiepie will be allowing her lo to watch a whole world of TV after the new baby arrives....that's what happened to me anyway (ducks). Imagine if you were a cm and it was half term, you had 3 under 5, 3 between 5 and 8 and another 3 or so older than that. And then you had to cook the dinner / change a nappy / clear away the dinner. I guess the 'teaching' might be a bit tricky to keep up for the whole 10+ hours you had them, no?