tv/radio/music

[samgeordie]

Hope this doesn't sound sill but i officially start minding tomorrow. When Im in the house with my litte girl on my own I usually have either the tv on, or radio, sometimes cd's but now Im wondering what to do while minding. Obviously the tv won't be on much as I'll be doing activities, going out etc but do you usually have the radio or music on? I like background noise and I know the kids will be making noise but thats different.

Also with regards to tv/dvd, how much do you allow during the week?

[SonnysMummy]

Oooh yes...i'd love to know the answer to this one too!!! When i worked at the nursery we weren't allowed the radio on...we could only play children's music,nursery rhymes etc...

[Spangles]

I don't have tv on that much during the day really. We have it on while my son has breakfast then if we are in we have it on while he has his mid-morning snack and afternoon snack that's it during minding hours.

I'm the opposite to you as I don't like much noise going on, it does my head in! So we have the odd nursery rhyme CD on or music dvd on and occasionally the childrens radio station on Sky, FunRadio I think it's called.

We always have nursery rhymes or music on in the car though.

I think children need time with not too much sound interference as it can stress them out and make them tired and hard to concentrate.

[carolinel]

i know of a minder who was pulled up on having the radio on in the background by her ofsted inspector. She was told she shouldn't have it whilst minding.

[angeldelight]

I always have a radio on in the background before I was a minder and I still do it now - the kids love it anyway and sing along

We sometimes have cds on that the kids like or nursery rhymes

Its only on in the background so I cant see the harm in that

No inspector is going to tell me that I cant do that in MY own home

TV I limit but there are some great things on for the kids so cant see the harm in that in moderation either

Angel xx

[angeldelight]

Good luck with your first day tomorrow hope it goes ok

Angel xx

[Pudding Girl]

My first mindees arrive at 7.30am and sorry but we watch TV for a while, the news, or flick over to cbeebies - I don't want to start doing activities etc so early :panic: TV goes off when my Hubby goes to work at 8.40am.

We sit down for a mid morning snack and will watch Something Special or if that's not on, whatever is suitable.

After lunch if the eldest mindee is here instead of having a nap she'll zone out for 45 mins with a dvd and a few quiet stories.

I think TV certainly has it's place - and we'll be having it on this week in the background so I can keep up with the Olympics, plus I want them to get an idea of what it is ready for our own Olympics on Weds :)

[samgeordie]

Thanks girls, i love my music and we are quite a musical family so i guess if its on quietly in the background thats fine, im in scotland so don't deal with ofstead.

I guess a little bit of tv is ok now and again, especially on rainy days but it will be off most of the time.

[mrsb]

We almost always have music of some kind or another on, be it a cd or the radio. The mindees watch a bit of tv after lunch (only about half hour though) Mainly because big cook little cook is normally on and I love that programme:o :laughing:

[miffy]

If you usually have the radio or cd's playing then I can't see any reason not to carry on with that - but you will have to be aware that (although children usually love music) it might cause difficulties for some children - say if you had a child with hearing or speech difficulties or a child with special needs might not be able to concentrate because of the noise.

It's just common sense really - I wouldn't have the TV on all day but I do let the children watch some TV if they need to have a quiet time.

Miffy xx

[jo f]

I don't mind the radio on when I'm minding. LIke someone else said my mindee sings along. I do use the tv in moderation too, either for quiet time when it all gets a bit much, or when I'm cooking. It is usually cbeebies or nic junior and the programmes are very educational. If i am sat with them I ask questions, encourage counting etc. I also use the internet too

[Mrs.L.C]

I think the only thing you need to be careful/aware of is the language that may be used on tv/radio/some songs. You dont expect to hear it on the tv/radio but you just dont know what to expect. I have kids music on or kids tv usualy if at all and in the car the music I like but that I ahve listened to to check the language is suitable

[Chatterbox Childcare]

I always have music on - it could be on the computer, radio or on the stereo.

In the car I have radio, cd's or tape - they could be nursery rhymes sometimes.

I cannot see why Ofsted wouldn't want radio on, unless it was talk and the children would not understand it.

I came to the conclusion a while ago that if an Ofsted Inspector says "that shouldn't be one" ask her why. I don't remember seeing anything in the standards that says we cannot. On the other hand we are supposed to be creative and I sometimes on the spur of the moment use the music to dance to (my mindees love it).

As for TV I have it on before school (usually the news or cbeebies) and I then record some programmes which are favourites (in the night garden and Big Bear to name a few) and we sit down and watch these at quiet time later in the day after books or to calm them down before home time.

I think once you get into the swing of things you will be too busy to worry about too much tv as you will be out and about.

Have fun tomorrow

Debbie :rolleyes: :) :rolleyes:

[Mollymop]

I have the children's tv on while we have breakfast, before the school run and sometimes in the afternoon, but only for about half an hour to an hour. I think it is educational for children, you get loads of multicultrial programmes for children to learn from such as Dora and Diago. There are many learning programmes too and what about Sporticus teaching us all about healthy eating and exercise - what a superhero!

At the end of the day - at about 5pm while we are busy tidying up - I usually press the red button on Sky- Music Choice and listen to the dance music but I don't really have the radio on.

[LisaH]

I start at 7am so the tv is on. I am too tired to entertain my 3yr old mindee till 8. Lol.

I switch it off around 8.30 tho once all mindees have arrived. Tend to have music playing quietly through the pc cos i hate silence.

Tv goes back on if we want to watch a specific programme on cbeebies.

Watch out for ofsted tho with the tv!! On my last inspection I got a ticking off because the tv was on when she arrived!! My husband works odd hours and was still at home at the time.

He was livid. He said "I have to live here, its none of your business".
Oh dear!! Lol

[Mollymop]

He was livid. He said "I have to live here, its none of your business".
Oh dear!! Lol

Good on him!!! He was right though wasn't he?! We are childminders - a homely enviroment and all, not nurseries!!!

[Minstrel]

And what did she say after that??

[allinatiz]

I limit the amount of TV we watch but do use the music channel (in addition to using nursery rhymes etc) for them to dance to and they love it!



Watch out for ofsted tho with the tv!! On my last inspection I got a ticking off because the tv was on when she arrived!! My husband works odd hours and was still at home at the time.

He was livid. He said "I have to live here, its none of your business".
Oh dear!! Lol

I do wish Ofsted would get themselves some proper guidelines for their inspectors - I had my TV on for about 30 mins after my inspector arrived and she didn't even mention it.

[LisaH]

She said that during 'your wifes' working hours you should also think of the welfare of the children in her care!!

Needless to say he left the room at this point! Lol. Hope he is working next time ofsted come calling.

I remember having the tv on at a previous inspection and the inspector said nothing!! I also got a better grading for that one too. Mmmmm:rolleyes:

[Hannahlg]

we dont have the t.v on while the children are here we dont have a t.v in the playroom where we do childminding anyways. We used to have tho and the older child where allways asking to watch it all the time in the end my mum took and put it in her room. bt we have childrens cd's on all the time but we dont have it on too loud tho. and if we dont put a cd on there ask for us to put it on anyways

[Bushpig]

I enjoy quiet time with nothing on at all... and I also enjoy putting classical music on for the kids, a cheerful CD, like Vivaldi/Soweto String Quartet (South African music)/Amelie (French music)... not mournful Beethoven! :eek: (suicidal mindees walking around :laughing: :laughing: )

I always have nursery rhymes on (CD) in the morning till after breakfast and we do our activities/go out. WE pop music CDs on when we have our music rings too.

TV goes on btwn 5:30 pm and 6pm, depends who I have that day and when they are going home. DVDS are *special treats* for when we are inside (foul weather). One of my kids has a *quiet time* now, instead of a sleepy time, so I let him watch TV for a bit as he reads/draws/freely plays.

[mimo]

My mindees are all school aged at the moment they first arrives at 7.30 and then they keep coming until 8.30. they watch cbbc once they have had breakfast until its time to go to school. Sometimes after school if they are tired they have it on for a while. During the holidays they dont tend to have it on much although we do like our cinema afternoons .Ofsted too liked my cinema afternoons when the children told her about them at my last inspection. I really think it just depends on which inspector you get some are right jobs worths and the power goes to their heads, Others the ones usually with children are fine and live in the real world:)
I also have the radio on in the car and we quite often have discos using cds.