TV at nursery

[tomps]

Do you think that watching an hour or so of tv at nursery every day can be justified when there are paid staff watching who could easily be leading a singalong or reading stories or just encouraging the kids to have a lie down and relax if necessary ? I don't, so I'm going to complain, but I'd appreciate your views.

oh well there's always that one hey toothache - I tried to a whole routine the other week and was exhausted by the end (perhaps they've got secret videos with all of the dances on at the nursery and are just using them to exhaust the kids

No TV whatsover at the nursery mine go to. I wouldn't be very happy with this - in fact when I had ds1 we looked at one particular nursery and I knew straight away I wouldn't use it because there was a TV on and a couple of just toddling babies where stood up against it.

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Good point Happymumof2. It's bothered me for ages though so I'm committed now to talking to someone about it. At least it would be useful for parents to know what the tv policy actually is and what's being watched.

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sitting/lying, but positively discouraged from talking / moving round, so it's a completely passive 'activity'.

Hi
My daughter attends a nursery for two full days per week & to my knowledge they don't have a tv. I wouldn't be happy if they put them in front of a tv whilst they were 'clearing-up' at the end of the day - we, the parents pay them to look after them & entertain them not so they can plonk them all in front of cbeebies or similar. I do of course, like many of you have the tv on in our house but that is when I am trying to do chores around the house - I don't have 'other paid staff' to do that kind of thing for me so I can't be entertaining her all day long.

I should think that if a tv (for a regulated period of time) is on at a nursery, the staff should sit and watch it with the children. As I think parents should watch tv with their children. It is a bonding opportunity with people with whom they spend a huge chunk of their time. It is a shared experience they can discuss later in many different contexts.

To sit quietly and then discuss observations is a skill that so many older children cannot do.

Having said this, as I am looking for a nursery space; it is an item I will enquire about.

I currently work in a nursery, which is open 9 - 4. We have a small amount of TV on at lunch 12- 1. However the TV is not on for all that time 10 minutes prior and 20 after. The programmes are always suitable and educational and we often talk about them during and after.

The second reason for the TV is to help us safely get their hands washed and those that go home to parents with the minimum disruption to the other children. We also have to get the room set up for the PM, activities sorted for the pm, tables toilets cleaned, nappies changed (after lunch) and have a small break for ourselves. I am shocked that some of you seemed to resent that time and think we are SITTING ON OUR ARSES. Even if I am sitting near the children I am always working if only monitoring tham. I work for 6.50 per hour and I get a high wages when talking about childcare work. The norm is more like minimum and often less than minimum wage and we generally work with few breaks. I personally arrive at 8.30 and finish at 12.30 with no break. Within nurseries we are often expected to eat with the children (hense no break there) and take toliet breaks when safe to do so. The job is a very physical and mental job which requires people to be understanding, caring, emphathic, a good communicator, a team player, creative, enthusiatic, positive, etc etc. I could go on. I personally don't feel that a few moments of TV really does any harm and in some way is very positive for the children, (it often allows them time to relax and calm themselves before the next period of activity). Please also bear in mind these children will be eating shorting after and bouncing around then eating is not always a good recipe!!!!

I little understanding and appreciation goes a long way!

PS OFSTED are fully aware and have no problem with this. As with all things related to OFSTED it depends on which inspector you get. Our one will not allow are to take any photographs to have around the nursery or show their own parents, as evidence of the work/activities/ happines/abilities? the frunstrating thing about OFSTED is the rules alter depending on the inspector

Excuse my spelling, trying to planning at the same time.

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American Association of Paediatricians recommend no TV at all for first 2 years of life. I would be wild if I was paying good money for the staff to sit on their arses.

Can't believe some of these attitudes - nursery staff have got a lot more stamina than me and spend a lot more time on constructive activities than I do when I have ds2 at home

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Haven't read all of this, but would have thought that the staff could have read a story for wind down time rather than plonking them in front of a TV.
I wouldn't have been happy - watching TV is what they do at home not at a nursery that I've paid for .

I pay good money for the nursery to keep my ds2 safe whilst I go shopping, do housework or spend all day on mumsnet. I don't begrudge them a sit down during the couse ogf a long day - I'd need one if it was me

Boddbybob I have never heard of or been to a nursery where children under 2 are sat in front of the TV.

Do you really begrudge your children 10 minutes winding down time and us five minutes calm till the next activity is set up arranged or ensure the children are safely taken from one activity to the next?

Boddbybob I have never heard of or been to a nursery where children under 2 are sat in front of the TV.

Do you really begrudge your children 10 minutes winding down time and us five minutes calm till the next activity is set up arranged or ensure the children are safely taken from one activity to the next?

Stories are fine and we often do that too however doesn't some TV (videos in my case) have an equally educational value if used in the right way?

I guess it's a little tricky to read a story whilst going to the toilet or clearing up an activity and setting up the next one.

The nursery I use seem to manage OK without resorting to TV, and the staffing ratio allows one person to go to the toilet or clear up whilst another works with the children.
I don't have a particular problem with a video as that could be quite a structured activity in itself, but didn't tomps say that her child was watching TV for an hour? Unless the nursery have CBeebies or something like that then that hour of TV is not going to be aimed at pre-schoolers - terrestrial TV doesn't have an hour of pre-school programming at the end of the day.

You always have one person with the children and the other staff within ear shot which doing other things. The other problems that is not appreciated by parents is the amount of paperwork OFSTED now demand of nursery staff. I spend at least 3 hours a week on planning alone. You've them got the the individual childs records monitoring each childs individual childs abilities and recording how activities went andwheather they meet the ELG's. The paperwork pressure is high and takes time away from the time you spend playing with children. As a parent today I am more concerned about the amount of paperwork nursery staff have to do and less about a few moments TV snatched to prep/tidy to nursery. Most people who currently work with children feel this way and probably parents who know what is expected.

OK for clarity - ds2's nursery have videos, not television programmes - they never watch actual TV they watch videos on a TV