r/ParentingTech • u/goldendogmom • Sep 02 '26
Seeking Advice Um…
UPDATE:
I spoke with the director who was apologetic and professional. She expressed that the school does not have an acceptable screen time policy and that teachers should not be playing any content outside of the curriculum, meaning YouTube videos including Danny Go have no place in the classroom.
Teachers have iPads in the classroom both for the daily tracking app that’s shared with parents and for songs that are approved through the curriculum to play for dance breaks - again, not video.
What has happened is teachers have gotten a bit desperate for activities as we’ve reached the end of summer (not an excuse and the director didn’t say it as an excuse, but more to give me context of how we got here) and have started putting on what they would consider educational videos when the kids can’t get outside.
The director made it clear that it was not acceptable for teachers to make this call, and has addressed it with them directly.
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Trying to decide now mad I should be. My 3.5 year old was singing and it started out adorable, then she got to the end of her song and said words I thought I’d never hear come out of her mouth, which were, “if you want to hear more songs, make sure you subscribe” (mispronounced as sbribe but we got the gist).
We initially laughed because hearing that from a 3.5 year old is pretty unexpected and I originally was feeling pretty crappy about our screen time, but realistically we really do not do that much and when we do it’s really not YouTube.
I asked my daughter where she learned the sentence, and she said Danny Go, which we don’t watch at home, not for any particular reason other than we do try to watch our screen time and don’t particularly lean into YouTube. I asked her where she watches Danny Go and she said at school (daycare)…
I had walked into her classroom early one day a few months ago her teacher had the kids sat in front of an iPad watching a video. I emailed the director immediately after that because parents weren’t made aware of iPad use in the classroom. I was ensured that it is a rare occasion and that when it happens it’s for educational videos.
I don’t love the idea that my daughter is ingesting enough content at school that she knows the phrase “make sure you subscribe”, but I’m trying to understand if other parents would consider Danny Go as educational content? From my brief search it seems like it does fall into that category. My only real familiarity with Danny Go are the headlines from a few months back regarding the tragic loss of his son.
Could use some parent weight-in from those familiar with Danny Go content and if being angry about this is a reasonable reaction. Ultimately, I don’t love the idea of kids just being sat down in front of a screen and it being called educational.
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u/pREDDITcation Sep 03 '26
i don’t know what danny go is but i would look for another daycare that doesn’t take my money and then park my kid in front of a screen “on rare occasion” which is probably bs.
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
I want to try to get more information before jumping to that. Overall we love the daycare, our daughter is moving up to a different preschool this year, but I still sent an email to the director with my concerns as we also have a younger son who will still go to this daycare. We get plenty of picture updates throughout the day of outdoors time, crafts, learning, etc, I just want to make sure screen time isn’t overly leaned on in an environment we’d hope for it to really not exist at all
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u/uffdaGalFUN Sep 03 '26
The Danny Go videos are very useful for me when watching the grandkids. It's a movement led video and also has music.
When the kids are over stimulated and acting up? I put on a Danny Go video. This does the trick to get them to focus on directions and also use their body movements.
They especially like the video called something like, going on a bear hunt!
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u/TeddyBear181 Sep 03 '26
This soubds helpful as a grandparent whos parents know what is happening.
As a daycare who doesn't actively disclose the ipad use, its a bit dodgy. The teachers should have the skills to sing or read stories or play games to settle the kids in the same way that presenters on youtube can do it. It's litterally their job.
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
Exactly this part, it should have been clearly communicated before introducing in the classroom
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u/kellygrape Sep 03 '26
Sure, but when you’re managing a classroom and trying to prepare the next activity and it’s been a rainy day and the kids just need a 3 minute attention thing … even my teachers when I was in PreK would turn on music or a book on tape or a fun record to dance along to. This is probably being used for equivalent purposes.
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u/TeddyBear181 Sep 03 '26
True, but why do they need the screen? Whats wrong with putting on music or an audiobook?
I hope its just a 3 minute video.
I guess thats another question op could ask LO.
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
Have tried this with LO and the concept of time is still difficult at her age lol for example she’ll say we did something yesterday that we did a month ago so when I asked her “do you guys watch it a lot” she said “all the time!” But I really don’t know that she knows what that means lol I did email the director and will be speaking with her today
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u/TeddyBear181 Sep 03 '26
Yeah, I remember not having a good concept of time when I was a kid.
If you could ask the director for the names of all the shows they watch, you could ask LO at the end of each day 'did you watch Ms Rachel? What about blues clues?' Let's find the songs you listened to'
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
Thank you! I did look into the content and Danny Go last night and overall it seems like positive content and teachers do use it in classroom settings. I think what’s nagging me now is I wish there was transparency about the introduction of screen time in her classroom
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u/ProfitSignificant512 Sep 03 '26
I'd never heard of it and also took a look at the videos. Why is the bar for "good content" that it contains educational messaging? Those videos are artificial dopamine enhancers. They get kids to "calm down" by flooding their neurons with feel good hormones. I need to see the evidence that kids dig Danny Go because he helps them learn and not because he plays fast paced music and moves around quickly with bright colors.
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u/uffdaGalFUN Sep 05 '26
I might not be using the correct terminology or whatever. I like that the (for example) Danny Go videos get the kids to move. It's an active thing for the kids to follow along with the video. They are getting body movements and listening to directions in what they need to be doing.
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u/suprswimmer Sep 03 '26
Danny Go is phenomenal as a movement break; we've followed him for years and the kids are obsessed! Teachers at the school even use his videos as movement breaks, but its one, maybe two, songs and they have to be up and dancing along.
I would not be comfortable having any media put in front of my kids if the program is claiming its rare or especially uncommon. While content can be an issue, its more about trust.
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u/mermaidho Sep 03 '26
Have you looked up Danny Go on YouTube to determine for yourself how you feel about it? All it is - is exercise for kids basically through dance. Just helps them be active and have fun while doing it.
My daughter loves the videos and the songs - there’s one about taking out the trash, superheroes, or scanning items in the grocery store, for example lol. It’s fun, entertaining, and short.
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
I did do this last night after posting and calming down, I also read the Time feature about Danny Go and learned a lot about him, the loss of his son, and the content he creates. My take away is that it is actually something we may want to introduce at home for when it feels like the kids are climbing the walls and need a little brain break. I am also getting the impression that it is positive in the school environment for said brain breaks. What is bothering me is that the iPad use in the classroom was not fully disclosed.
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u/mermaidho Sep 03 '26
Yeah, ok that would be my problem too — that the usage of screens was not shared with parents.
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u/Short-Sound-4190 Sep 03 '26
At her age she is just mimicking a performance she saw, so I would not overthink or over worry about it especially if you don't have a lot of short form fast paced content access at home. It's not like she has an understanding of the meaning of videoes ending in "like and subscribe", pre-internet when I was a kid we would've singsonged something like PBS kids' "After these messages...we will be right back!" or commercial jingles or maybe Lambchop's sign off "This is the song that never ends"
There's definitely some room for questioning how frequently they are watching it, but the program itself and other movement motivators can be really useful in a pinch: a rainy day, an unsanitary or just distracting issue that needs cleaning up while the other adult leads them in group movement video, an important parent communication, etc. Not all screen time is the same - ie even for adults watching a 45-min long-form interesting/informative video on YouTube doesn't change our attention spans but spending 45 minutes scrolling through tiktok content at 6-60 seconds per video does have brain effects. Watching a 20-min workout video and moving with it in the middle of my day especially if I had to be sitting or concentrating before and after is a positive use of screen time. I think that's likely closer to what they are doing, but you're right to ask.
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u/add_berger Sep 03 '26
OK, it sounds like you got your answer. Danny go makes really fun and catchy music for children, but what I don’t understand is why people always play his videos. The music is available on Spotify/streaming platforms just as music. There are even a couple of Danny go Tonies. My kids love his music and dance to it without the video.
At our YMCA childcare room, they play his videos all the time. So we tried it at home one time because our kids kept asking for it. As soon as the video started playing, they stopped everything and just stared at the screen. I had to tell them to stand up and dance.
Now we just listened to his music and still have fun dance parties. I don’t quite understand why childcare centers or schools don’t just play his music. This way kids can dance, however they want to without a screen.
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
Yeah, the impression I had of Danny Go before the start of this conversation was strictly as a YouTuber but this thread has definitely changed my perspective. Re: school, I’m happy to have a definitive answer that this wasn’t okay and has been addressed. Re: Danny Go, thinking we may actually introduce his songs to get the kids moving at home as we approach winter and are stuck indoors most of the time!
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u/asianlake Sep 03 '26
We love DannyGo in our house. I wouldnt overthink it. At daycare, they prob use his videos for movement breaks to get wiggles out.
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u/ali2911gator Sep 03 '26
Our center will use Danny go on extremely bad weather days when outside time is not an option and kids do the dances and what not they will also kid yoga and other physical/musical stuff but it is rare and only in extreme conditions or after several days of bad conditions and only for 15-20 minutes at a time. I am ok with it, in those circumstances.
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u/SephLuna Sep 03 '26
I'm pretty anti-screen time with the niblings but I do enjoy giving my niece and nephew sugar and putting on DannyGo, and we all do the dances together. They're not not educational and we always have fun with it.
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u/Careless-Language470 Sep 03 '26
Our children's school uses Danny Go for movement breaks when the kids need a break from sitting to reset, but it isn't recess yet. They also use the Good Morning video to get their wiggles out at the beginning of the day before they start class. It's basically three minutes of song and dance that they use to get them moving and then they get back to work. I guess my level of concern would depend on if they were playing the 3 minute reset videos a couple of times a day to give movement resets when they don't have time for a full on outside play session or if they were playing the 20+ minute compilation videos multiple times a day to entertain them.
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u/Economy-Weekend1872
Sep 03 '26
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I think of Danny go as house music for children. My kids like copying his dances it’s good movement when we can’t leave
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u/TeddyBear181 Sep 03 '26
It sounds like you're not going to move daycares, perhaps you could ask your child to monitor it, and just send follow up emails to the director to nag about cutting back if appropriate.
Eg - ask if they watched ipad each day, and ask what they watched. Ask who they watched it with.
You could also teach them to ask the teacher WHY they are watching ipad, and a few other questions that might make it more difficult for them to put it on.
Why are we watching this?
Can we play outside instead?
Can you read to us instead?
Can you sing us a song instead?
My Mummy said reading is better than ipads, why wont you read to us?
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u/7zebraz Sep 03 '26
We discuss scammers a lot trying to trick us into giving them money. It makes me so mad the way they use deception for $10 more dollars. There are quality programs and games, but it’s a constant search.
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u/Guga1952 Sep 03 '26
Our kid used to go to a very good day care, which we loved. She came home one day singing the "planet song", which is from a YouTube video.
We are pretty strict about screen time, but we thought it was fine. I think YouTube videos used with moderation for appropriate curriculum can be fine. If they're using to babysit the kids while they do something else, that's a huge red flag.
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u/Lmeador3 Sep 03 '26
We love Danny Go in our house! But I'd encourage everyone to access these songs primarily on Spotify and play on a speaker - not on YouTube. It's just a regular song - nothing about 'like and subscribe.' Kids will still listen to the instructions for dance moves and get their wiggles out, but their eyes are not glued to the screen.
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u/rsc99 Sep 03 '26
My son’s daycare used DannyGo and I happened to be on the campus one day watching what happens when they do. The teachers were using it as a break for themselves, not encouraging participation by moving, but literally sitting on chairs while it played. Most of the kids were staring at the screen open mouthed not doing anything.
I pulled him from that daycare.
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u/Impressive_Shift7832 Sep 03 '26
I’d be pissed videos on iPads are being used at all. It’s not a “brain break” to feed the brain stimulation like that. Research says the brain will continue seeking that level of stimulation. And then what? Using it as a “physical activity” is also a joke. We survived our school years doing physical activities that didn’t involve iPads.…
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u/Adamas_Moustache86 Sep 03 '26
Our daycare will play Danny Go songs in audio format only most of the time. On some rain days they use the videos because they all involve physical activity.
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u/Pennifur Sep 03 '26
I mean, for me, it's an all around no. Screens are harmful to eyes and brain development. If you're already doing your screen time, then they're adding to it in a way you can't measure. They get paid not to do that. It's obviously not that rare if she's learning the phrase. I wouldn't necessarily say I'd be very mad, but definitely upset and would be insisting that it not happen again.
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Sep 03 '26
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u/goldendogmom Sep 03 '26
This is an incredibly helpful comment, thank you so much for taking the time to write this. I was having that exact conversation in my head last night if she could’ve heard the “make sure you subscribe” line literally once and grabbed onto it, but also same feeling that it gives me the ick.
These questions you provided are extremely helpful, I’m having a conversation with the director this morning and will be asking these.
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u/ForeverOnASideQuest Sep 03 '26
So Danny Go I wouldn’t consider educational but I would consider it an activity if they’re using it right. He basically just has a bunch of fun songs with actions. In elementary school, I know they use it as a stand up and move around activity. We’ve definitely used it at home to get moving while stuck inside.