"There's a snatcher who comes and takes all the toys"

[Bumperlicioso]

This is what 'the nursery grown ups' have been telling 3 yo dd1 apparently. When we said 'so what do you have to do she said 'sit down nicely and watch tv'.

On being pressed some more she said something about having to keep the door shut so I am willing to concede this is something they are being told 'for safety reasons' but it's not appropriate is it?

Ick. Any opportunity to move her? I wouldn't be happy about "sitting quietly to watch tv"

But check first. With both of mine they could have spent a wonderful day full of stimulating age appropriate activities and then told me all about how they went outside to play in the traffic, then a policeman came and took Mrs Smith off to the police station and they were all alone all day so they made jam sandwiches and watched Tv. Which then came to life and Blue Cow came and stole all the jam.

It's a bit late, she goes to school in September anyway. They do watch tv which I'm not enamoured about but I'm happy to accept that comment may have been taken out if context as 3 yos are wont to do. But it's the whole snatcher thing that I find weird. The thing is they already think I am a precious mother (I'm really not but they make me feel that way) and I don't want to be accusatorial. How should I approach this?

Not that I'm speaking from experience or anything..........

Agree seeker, but she has got snatcher from somewhere, that's the bit I don't like. It's scary.

Ah. I didn't realize that "snatcher" was the problem. i don't think I'd mind that - is is a word that concerns people?

I'm sure mine used the word - I was always saying "Don't snatch"

No it's more saying 'there's a snatcher who comes in the door and takes things' seems a little scary to me. I'm not completely overjoyed about the watching tv thing but I don't actually think they are saying this quite how dd is saying but I just think it is a bit unnecesary.

I think it's always really hard to work out what really went on. And stories are many. My dd when she was four told me her nursery teacher was keeping chickens in the church (their nursery building is connected to the church). But some stories are not so easily detected. And usually there IS some truth behind it (the nursery teacher had got eggs in an incubator to hatch - but not in the church! - in the preschool!). I would talk to the teachers in a relaxed way, willing to give them the benefit of your complete trust (or at least give them that message, even when you don't necessarily feel that way), just to find out what WAS going on!

If you don't want to move her - address it head on. Must admit I am not too keen on creating bogey men for children. There is a toy snatcher in our house too - its me! I would tell her that what they mean is that THEY will take away toys if children are naughty and there are no such things as toy snatchers. If she is at all worried, I would get the person who mentioned the snatcher to tell her the same.

Is she bothered by the 'snatcher' talk? If not I'd leave it alone. Fairy tales are full of dragons, trolls, child-eating witches- quite horrifying, really! But children take it all in their stride usually.

To me it sounds like a rather silly way of explaining that it is time for all the toys to be put away after playtime, and to watch a tv programme.

Thanks for all the replies. I did ask at nursery and they have assured me they wouldn't say anything like that so who knows where she has got it from.