Parents outraged by shocking sign on daycare door - but do they have a point?
What do you think?
A daycare centre in Texas received a lot of attention when they posted a very blunt and controversial notice in their window.
The note urged parents to get off their phones before entering the centre to pick up their children. A parent took a pic of the note and shared it on social media, where it quickly went viral.
"You are picking up your child! GET OFF YOUR PHONE!!!!" the note read.
"Your child is happy to see you! Are you happy to see your child?? We have seen children trying to hand their parents their work they completed and the parent is on the phone."
"We have heard a child say "Mommy, mommy, mommy..." and the parent is paying more attention to their phone than their own child. It is appalling.
"Get off your phone!!"
While some parents agreed with the message and appreciated the reminder, others felt angry that they were being judged.
Mum Juliana Farris Mazurkewicz told CNN that she was shocked but not upset by the message, and thought it was a good sign that the daycare staff cared about the children’s happiness.
However, some commenters on social media said the parent might be dealing with a work call or emergency. Others thought it wasn’t anyone else’s place to reprimand parents.
“We are all too dependent on our cell phones and I think that this sign was wonderful and a good reminder to the parents that their children need to come first,” wrote one commenter.
“I don't care what business you have to do on the phone when you are picking up your child. It can wait for a few minutes. You child is the only business you should care about at that time. Don't go in if you are not ready to pay attention to your child,” said another.
Other disagreed, however, saying no-one knows what’s going on in someone else’s life, and the parent may have a legitimate reason for being on the phone.
“I think is none of their business, some people might be on the phone earlier, a business call or the father of the kids call to check up on them,” one person added.
What do you think?
Nicola Conville has worked as a journalist and editor for more than 20 years across a wide range of print and online publications. Her areas of expertise are parenting, health and travel. She has two children; Lucy, age eight, and Nathan, age five.
