telly at nursery?!

[elportodelgato]

So this evening I went to collect DD from nursery - it was about 5.20pm and the nursery closes at 5.45pm so it was end of the day and a lot of the kids had been collected already.

Got into DD's room to find the remaining 5-6 kids all sitting down in front of the computer watching Chuggington on BBC iPlayer !

I was pretty but there wasn't a senior person around and I wanted to get home (am heavily pregnant, knackered, hormonal etc) so I didn't say anything. I mentioned it to DH this evening and he said he'd seen it once or twice as well, and DD has recently been singing the theme to Bob the Builder and Postman Pat which, thinking about it, should have been a warning sign as she doesn't watch either of those programmes at home.

I know they use the computer sometimes at nursery and I think it's good for them to learn about using them, but just sitting there watching telly is NOT what I am paying them for. I may be really out of touch but is this common in nurseries? My feeling is that they should not be watching telly AT ALL while they are there - there are tons of toys and activities for them to be doing, it just looks like enormous laziness on the part of the staff.

Would I be being out of order to raise this with someone senior tomorrow?

i think it's fairly common at times when the staff may be called to put on shoes etc for kids who are leaving.

Please bear in mind that continual stimulation isn't healthy. Children (just like adults) need time to sit back and relax, process their own thoughts, and do nothing. While watching tv might not be your preferred way of achieving this I can see why it makes sense for the nursery at pick up time. Consider also that there is some educational value to this type of programme, and that your child is not being exposed to commercial tv.

I wouldn't like it to be a regular feature of the day (have seen it overused in places- after lunch, before sleeps, when it rains, end of day etc.) but have used it myself when its been a busy day and staff and children need to just chill, or when everyone needs changing after messy or outside play.

I would ask if they have a policy on it (time, content, circumstances). I wouldn't be comfortable leaving it to staff judgement, as people's views are so varied.

There is a definite split over this. We chose a nursery because it DIDN'T have a television. Another big local nursery has the TV/film on every afternoon for their pre-schoolers.

I think TV at home time (especially non commercial like CBeebies or a cartoon DVD) is a good idea. It can be quite stressful for children watching the others leave and hugging their parents etc especially if pick up is over an extended period. The TV helps to keep them calm whilst the staff are invariably putting shoes on, collecting soiled stuff bags and dealing with parent enquiries. It wouldn't be reasonable (in fee terms) for nurserys to double up staff at home time to enable active play to be supervised as well as seeing children to the door.

If TV is more than an hour a day I would be concerned but if we're just talking about home time or quiet time if a child is unwell and allowed to rest on their own (which is when my younger son was allowed to watch at nursery) I think its quite a good distraction to keep the children happy and ready for you at pickup.

Yes, I agree with AMT - my dc's nursery plays the kids a DVD at the very end of the day in winter when parents are doing the pick ups etc. It's in a side room, with a choice of other activities available.

Mention it if you feel strongly about it, but it really does depend on HOW TV/DVDs are used not whether or not they are, IMHO.

I would (and did) ask how often is it being used. The first time I came into ds nursery and it was on I was and asked about it and they said it was only once a week and because there were only a few children in at that time. I let it go as I was happy with everything else in the nursery, and they did say they would do an activity with him if I didn't want him watching it. I agree that at pick up time when there is lots going on and the staff are trying to tidy up it is an easy option. Plus my head is turned by the end of the day looking after two, I really don't know how nursery staff do it!!

A tiny bit like that is okay ? they watch some very occasionally at DS's nursery if the weather's really bad, and I don't mind that and wouldn't if they did it at picking up time. More than that and I'd be annoyed ? I like to think of his nursery days as the days he's not watching TV! (Thomas seems to always be on in the background at home)