Your Opinion: Letters

MEANING OF MEALTIME

Like all nurseries, we are preparing for the Early Years Foundation Stage legislation coming into effect. Two external observers recently visited our nursery with a view to giving us their feedback on our setting, our planning/recording, and the methods we use in delivering the EYFS curriculum.

One of their recommendations was that we should allow the children (aged between 2.5 years and 3.5 years) greater freedom of choice at snack time. For example, our healthy snacks should be placed on a table together with drinks such as water and milk. Children should be allowed to decide what they want to eat and when they want to have their snack. Children should also be allowed to pour their own drink.

A bowl of soapy water should be provided so that children can place their dirty plate and cup into this bowl after finishing their snack. It is widely accepted that this type of arrangement for snack time is designed to make children more independent and self-sufficient.

We all agree that teaching children to be independent is important. However, in trying to teach children to be more independent, we seem to be ignoring the need for children to understand that it is equally important to eat meals at regular intervals (in order to maintain consistent blood sugar levels), to learn to eat with others, to sit at the table with others, to make conversation with others and last but not least, to finish meals in a timely manner.

Shouldn't such self discipline be introduced to children through more structured snack and meal times, instead of the current emphasis on 'independent choice'? Is it not important for nursery teachers or carers to have their snack with the children, in order to instil good eating habits and good manners?

This seems particularly important when children spend all day at the nursery. Some of our children arrive at 8.15am and stay until 5.30 or 6pm. Such children need to have good role models at snack and mealtimes because their parents are not able to share this time with them during the week. Some parents also seem to take the view that weekends are for relaxing and it is therefore acceptable to do away with routines.

Is it not possible that too much independence at mealtimes, at too early an age, is contributing to the less desirable changes that we are seeing in family structures and value systems? Families are not eating together as often as they used to, children are less inclined to eat at the table and seem less willing to accept that it is just as important to listen to an opinion as to express one.

Since good habits need to be formed at a very early age, shouldn't the Government, in fact, be recommending more structured, adult-initiated and supervised snack and meal times in the EYFS curriculum?

Name and address supplied

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PVI NEEDS TEACHERS

Have any other nurseries hit this issue or found a way to work around it? One of our team members recently attempted to start her NQT induction training course, only to be told at the last minute that because she worked in a PVI setting, she could not participate. We looked into the issue and now understand that under current guidance NQTs cannot complete their induction year in a PVI day nursery setting. Kids Allowed has a NQT at each setting and they are keen to complete their induction and become fully fledged teachers.

The only criteria we cannot meet to enable the induction to take place in our setting is that of having a headteacher.

As a PVI setting wishing to invest in quality graduate leadership, as the Government is compelling us to do, this seems an unnecessary barrier. Even our local authority agrees the situation is crazy, but their 'hands are tied with red tape'.

We are in the position of potentially losing fantastic team members because we can't offer them the NQT induction to complete their training.

Jennie Johnson, managing director, Kids Allowed, West Didsbury

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The Editor, Nursery World, 174 Hammersmith Road, London W6 7JP. letter.nw@haymarket.com 020 8267 8402.