Scissors Debate

[Guest]

Hi all, Hope first day back after half term wasn't too stressfull.

 

We are in the process of changing our provision to provide more continuious provision and are begining to develop our creative area and have come across the 'scissors' debate!! I can see the value of having the scissors out all of the time but other colleagues are against it. Their feelings are that as the children will be unsupervised they are worried about injuries and hair etc being cut. The main concerns seem to be what the parent's response will be to this. A parent will be livid if hair is snipped off and you cant just tell them 'Hair grows back!.

 

What do you feel about it all? How did you get round it?

 

Thanks

Scottiedog

[Guest]

we have a plastic see through tub with a lid on for the children to access but find this gives us time to be with the children once they have decided they want to use them!!

[Guest]

we have a plastic see through tub with a lid on for the children to access but find this gives us time to be with the children once they have decided they want to use them!!

 

 

That is a brilliant idea,

[Marion]

We have scissors in a number of areas - DT workshop - creative collage - writing - malleable

In the years since we became a FSU we have had one haircutting incident and no other problems.

I'm now in Y2 and the week before half term one of my 7 year olds cut a big chunk out of his sweat shirt in a teacher led activity !!

Edited February 22, 2010 by Marion

[Cait]

Our are in one of those wooden block things on the windowsill just above the crafty area. If children want them, they ask and we lift them down and stay chatting or just sit nearby, keeping half an eye on them whilst a child uses them. We say that this is so the very littlies don't get them - making the older children aware of safety and the feeling of 'grown up collusion' about scissors!

[Guest]

Hi all, Hope first day back after half term wasn't too stressfull.

 

We are in the process of changing our provision to provide more continuious provision and are begining to develop our creative area and have come across the 'scissors' debate!! I can see the value of having the scissors out all of the time but other colleagues are against it. Their feelings are that as the children will be unsupervised they are worried about injuries and hair etc being cut. The main concerns seem to be what the parent's response will be to this. A parent will be livid if hair is snipped off and you cant just tell them 'Hair grows back!.

 

What do you feel about it all? How did you get round it?

 

Thanks

Scottiedog

 

 

How old are your children? You don't say and this might influence people's answers. The answer I'd give for a setting with two year olds would be very different for the answer I'd give for a year one classroom! I'm sure it would with other people as well.

Edited February 22, 2010 by Guest

[Guest]

We have scissors out all the time (3 - 5 year olds). Only 3 to 4 pairs in each area, graphics, collage and we have only had one incident with hair cutting. How else do they learn?

 

The capitals w and E looks a bit like we're better than most, but that's not what I was aying honest!

Edited February 22, 2010 by kate

[Guest]

Oh I am feeling really bad now as our scissors are in a wooden block in our creative area and children have free access to them. Nearly all our children can use them properly and in the 2 1/2 years I have been in the setting we have never had a problem. Children know how to carry scissors and usually all carry them properly. We always have a minimum of 4 staff per session and our children start at 2. Children move the scissors safely between the play dough table, craft table and the role play area. mrsW.x

[Guest]

we have ours out in all areas if they want them for childrren to access independently. we have children aged 2 up and never had any bad experiences. i find more happens when you dont allow them to use them enough.

[sunnyday]

Ours are freely available too - creative table, playdough table and mark-making table - I have only had one 'hair cutting' incident - hope I'm not tempting fate now!

[Panders]

we are 2 and a half to 5years age range, have had one incident of hair cutting about 10 years ago - (fingers crossed now!) and the children have access to them in all areas such as craft, playdough, writing/graphics. In fact, the only person to get injured has been me - when I have been trying my best to show the children how to cut with them and holding their scissors with them, if they are a bit quick it's easy to get nipped! We have training scissors now for those instances.

[Inge]

I have always had free access to scissors. 3-5yr olds... and they were in a wooden block in the craft area,

 

and we had some in the playdough area.. we found if they moved between the two the scissors became rusty.. playdough did them no good!

 

In 20 yrs I can say I never had any cut hair or other incidents.. we showed them how to use them when they started to show interest and then left them to use them when they wanted..

 

Inge

[Guest]

d

Edited February 22, 2010 by scottiedog

[Guest]

Thanks for all the input. Will have to discuss further with colleagues at a staff meeting, hopefully attitudes can change.

Kariana, we are a pre-school, children 2yrs 9mths to school age.

Edited February 22, 2010 by scottiedog

[Bigsue]

Our scissors are avaiable during session (2-5 year olds) children are told the rules of scissor use and mainly that 'Sitting Down' 'Not waving them'

 

Staff have now got used to it

 

But worth the while with children and their fms.

 

Big Sue

[mps09]

I was one of those horrified parents who worried that Reception had free access to scissors - although I was thankful that the school would have the worry of my DS stabbing someone!

 

Now I work with 2year olds until they start school and I have actually instigated the scissors freely accessibly. Not been aware of any hair cutting incidents and can honestly say that the children learn far more from using scissors for their own planned learning rather than an adult led 'cut out this shape' 'cut along this line' activitiy which we did long ago!

 

I am actually amazed at the standard of cutting that many of our 2 1/2 year old have with cutting out and the things they produce.

 

I guess it is no different than many things - they have a purpose and if used correctly for that purpose then I see no problem. We don't necessarily supervise the use of pencils, pens, chalks, white board pens but all could possible be dangerous is used inappropriately.... like eating them! although one of our parents did complain that our pencils were too sharp and we should blunt them before giving them to the children... how can they learn if we don't provide the appropriate tools?

 

Well that's where I stand - and would defend this to any parents who thought otherwise.

 

[HappyMaz]

We have scissors in a variety of places - but mainly in two wooden blocks (plain in one and fancy in the other) and they are available freely for our children aged between two and five.

 

The only haircutting incident I've seen was when helping out in my youngest son's classroom - one little girl decided she needed some hair for her collage so she snipped a nice little chunk out of her fringe. I only noticed when I was cleaning the tables at the end of the session and fortunately for me it was the part of the classroom the teacher was working in! phew!

 

Maz

[Rea]

The only haircutting incident I've seen was when helping out in my youngest son's classroom - one little girl decided she needed some hair for her collage so she snipped a nice little chunk out of her fringe.

Maz

 

 

How utterly wonderfully creative.

[Guest]

We have them in several areas too....never had problems...have to consistently remind children not to walk around the room with them.....how to move around safely with them if they need too...

[narnia]

Ours are out all the time too, freely available to all. We teach the children not to walk about with them

[Guest]

I'm inspired by your practice and hope I can be brave enough one day soon. We've considered having playdough scissors out all the time to encourage the children to practice safety skills such as sitting down to use them and not running with them before going any further but I have to admit I'm just not brave enough to go the whole hog yet.

[Beau]

Always had scissors available in a number of areas for children to use freely and never had a problem!

[Guest]

I have them out all the time in my nursery class. Not sure it is appreciated by my nursery nurse though. Especially when the children decide they want to snip a piece of paper into lots of little bits and then put all the bits in the home box!!

 

Sometimes the children need a reminder of how to carry them, but they are learning.

[HappyMaz]

Especially when the children decide they want to snip a piece of paper into lots of little bits and then put all the bits in the home box!!

Perhaps your nursery nurse needs a crash course in helping children to make their own envelope to put the snippings into!

 

Maz

[Guest tinkerbell]

Scissors are available all the time in my R/Yr1 class..

 

8 years ago when teaching a year 2 class I was horrified to see a boy grasp his crotch and cut his trousers....this resulted in a diamond piece of fabric falling on the floor.I marched him off to the Ht's office and to my horror saw a long blonde lock of hair on his shoulder!!!(he was dark)the Ht and I quickly left him outside the office whilst we shrieked with laughter (behing closed door)..and gathered ourselves......when I explained to his mum she asked for the piece of fabric to repair them...no way would it fit back in place!!

 

 

Tinkerbell

[Guest]

Personally I think that if you don't allow children to access scissors independently they don't learn how to use them as safely and as well so early. If they are only for use with supervision they become much more fascinating, all children like to experiment and the question becomes "What can these things do that's so bad the teacher is watching me like a hawk? Let's try something!"

 

I do teach older children, but can honestly say that we have more injuries from sharp pencils (2) than with scissors (0) and no one would argue for the banning of pencils!

[Guest]

In my Nursery we have the scissors out all the time, although I have done a few focussed activities already on how to use scissors and know who needs to be more closely supervised!

 

Just to make you laugh my 11 year old god-daughter had her hair cut significantly by a boy in her Y6 class - so bad that it needed a hairdresser to restyle - so it can happen at any age, not just our littlies

[Guest]

I work wth 2 - 4+ year olds. I have had a number of occasions to put the scissors away, but in the main over the past 8 years I have only had 3 or 4 hair cutting/clothes problems.

In the main as long as you remind the children about the rules of using scissors there really is no need to worry. Give the children a chance before you decide to lock them away for adult time only.

I also remember my youngest daughter being given a hair cut by her best friend at pre-school, it was a very close hair cut! I do remember laughing as the leader took me to one side to tell me what had happened that morning and the result of the scissors and playing hair dressers!

Parents often see the funny side afterwards!!

[Guest]

My friends little girl cut her hair at school, a week before she was bridesmaid at their wedding she wasn't happy!!

[eyfs1966]

We too are in the scissors accessible at all times camp and have never (touching wood as I type) had a bad incident. However, I have drawn the line at the stapler being out, as watched one child try to staple her thumb. Where do the rest of you sit with staplers?? Was I just unlucky?