Daycare doing a lot of screen time :(

I also work in daycare. I've worked in multiple states and multiple ages. I've never once been permitted to use screen time as a "babysitter" so I could do other things. I'll pull up songs or a read-aloud on YouTube, but put it up so the kids can only hear it. I would definitely seek another care center and when you are touring ask them about their screen time policy.

That seems very extreme, when I worked in nurseries many years ago the only screen we use was two children on a pc for educational games on the one communal computer! The whole point of daycare is to get down engage, engross and develop children through play.

I worked in daycares and there was ZERO screentime for kids.

@Charlotte I very much agree that this seems not OK. When I worked in a daycare, it was in the early 2000s, well 2005-2013 to be exact. Back then screens were not as big of a thing as they are now. But we definitely did not use any screens whatsoever! The place that I worked at was very grassroots and hippie like. They also had a Reggio Emilia approach, like play based teaching. The place that my son goes to now is a corporate chain daycare. At the time I chose to put him there because I loved the infant teacher and it was very close to our home. Now it’s on the other side of town from where we live and he bounces from classroom to classroom and they switch teachers in and out of rooms constantly. I am just so frustrated and annoyed!

@Tiffany it was the same when I worked in a daycare for years back in the early 2000s. But back then screens were not so invasive like they are now. I have literally come to pick him up late in the evening and he’s sitting there watching cartoons or something on the teachers cell phone. Or they frequently used tablets in the big kids class like as a play center. They also frequently watch things on the tablet. Every teacher in every classroom has a tablet because they’re supposed to chart things on the app and post things about your child’s day, which half the time or more does not happen. I’ve talked to them about the screen time and they tell me that they only do it when it’s part of the lesson plan, but I really don’t buy that.

@Anita I completely agree! The daycare that I used to work at was Reggio Amelia based, so they would say that “the work of children was play.” We did not do any screens whatsoever! But this was also 12-20 years ago! I just wanted to see what other people are experiencing out there. I think part of it is that this daycare is a corporate chain. They run very tight on ratios and move kids back-and-forth from classroom to classroom and constantly switch teachers around. It just drives me nuts!

I worked in daycares 7 years ago. We used an iPad once a day for 20 minutes. That was so we could change kids diapers, take kids potty and wash hands before lunch. Other than that it was off. At my daughters old daycare every time I went to pick up or dropped off late the TV was on and it irritated me so much. My daughter got bit twice while the TV was on because one girl got bored and bit and the teachers weren't watching. She switched daycare and this one now has the TV on maybe once a month.

So I'm in Florida and I worked in a daycare and there was a TV in every room. The owner wanted us playing music on them specifically those dancing fruit things. It was always on and if it wasn't, she would come in like where's the music and put it on herself. I worked in a 1 year old room. It was definitely a garbage daycare and we also were paid very poorly. I left when they decided they were only going to pay us once a month. Meanwhile my friend worked at a very top notch daycare and they did not permit screens at all they had loads of activities for the kids and the parents paid good money for their kids to be there. Though her pay wasn't much better than mine they had a lot more help in each room whereas we did not. You really just have to vet them well and if you don't like what they're doing then you should look for a different center because even if you say something they won't change anything.

I worked in daycare for 10 years. It's permitted 15 mints of screen time in the classroom with that being said. We would put it on for songs during dance time or exercise yoga whatever we was doing. Then there was time we would put it on and face it down. The morning we used it once and in the afternoon once ( usually while closing the classroom down to transition over ) Shouldn't be all day everyday. As a parent I understand that concern have you looked in at different times ? Maybe your looking in on them when they are using it for the allowed screen time?

Bring it up to them or pull him out.

@Alyssa that’s completely understandable. I can see doing that especially when they are usually short staffed and run super tight on ratios. Sometimes I see one teacher with like 10 kids. I’m pretty sure that’s not within ratio for our state. So sometimes they’ll be changing diapers or getting meals ready, or cleaning up. But then other times they are literally sitting there on their cell phone, not paying attention to the kids, or they’re doing the girls hair, or they’re hanging over the wall talking to the teacher in the other room. I mean, I can understand if they’re doing it at the very end of the day when they’re trying to clean up or whatever. But for instance, I looked in today at 3:22 PM and then checked back in at 30 minutes and an hour, the kids were all standing staring up at the iPad that was sitting up on the counter, and they were literally standing there for an hour watching. Then after the hour passed by they or the teacher had set up the chairs right on front of iPad.

@Briana that’s crazy! I would not like that at all. His daycare’s not like that. They don’t have a big tv on all the time. Though I am concerned because they have a big screen tv in the pre k room and I know they use it sometimes. That’s not even developmentally appropriate for one year olds. They’re not supposed to have screen time until two or three years old. :( it is so sad and I never understand why they don’t pay daycare workers better. I have definitely spent a lot of time researching daycares this evening and have various times over the past few years. And you’re absolutely right about if I say something, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re gonna change it. I think that they got sneakier about it when I said something. But they have cameras in the room and you can watch on the camera as long as they have him checked in. I would literally see them prop up a phone or an iPad on the shelf so they would look like they were all just sitting there, but you can obviously tell…

@Brenda what you’re saying makes sense and seems justified. I would be okay with that. We did lots of music cds when I used to work in childcare (it’s been awhile). We would dance, do activities, read books, set up stations, go outside, go to the gym… these girls just seem lazy. There’s no effort or imagination. I guess they could be burnt out and overwhelmed, idk. There were a few good ones, but most seem like they leave. I have looked in at different times. They do it morning, afternoon, evening, just depends on the day. Today I saw the iPad on for 1-1.5 hours this afternoon when the teacher wasn’t doing anything important. She just seemed checked out. My kid was glued to it the whole time. :(

@Jessica yes it was so bad! My kids were in that daycare with me. My daughter was in vpk and that wasn't bad but my son was in a different 1 year old room. I was really mad at myself for moving them from the daycare they were at previously as they weren't perfect but they definitely took better care and did more activities with the kids. It's kind of like you're paying these people your hard earned money to take care of their kids and you just stick them in front of a screen? I'd be pissed. I hate daycares in general even more after working in one. Like how can you justify paying a teacher barely minimum wage when you're charging so much money per child?

Ours does no screen time at all. It's totally reasonable to switch because of that!

@Briana exactly! They should definitely pay the teachers a more livable wage. That’s one of the reasons I left the field. Now I kind of wish I hadn’t. But the pay is still no good I guess, and turn over rates are so high! He had one amazing teacher in the infant room. And one other in the one year old room, but she left. I was so upset.

@JL that’s awesome. His dad and I coparent. I’ve been trying to get him to agree on a new child care place. He’s an elementary teacher, so you think he’d get it! But he just acts like I over react about things. We almost switched a couple years ago, but his dad said no because the place opened too late to work with his work schedule. Many of these “nicer” child development centers have weird hours, like 8-4 or 5pm, not very good for people that work full time jobs.

@Jessica that's so hard. We go to a center that does a lot of child development but the hours are 6am-6pm. I don't know how people manage who don't work business hours but we manage with both of us working full time. I hope you find something that works for you!

I would check your state’s regulations for daycares. In my eyes that should be reported. Daycares are meant to teach them and help them develop not just put them in front of a screen. I know here in Texas they are only allowed to do 1 hr worth of screen time the whole day. At my daughter’s daycare they usually do it around pickup time while the kids are waiting.