Client: Shofar Day Care Nursery
Service Delivered: Screen Addiction Awareness Talk for Parents and Early Years Staff
Delivered By: Munur Shah, Founder of Rebel Therapies
The Challenge Nursery Staff Face Surrounding Screens and Phones
At Shofar Nursery, screens were being used in the same way as many early years settings across the UK, to document children’s development from as young as three months through to five years old via online journals and parent communication platforms. While practical and efficient, devices were a visible part of the daily environment.
Sharon Lee, the Head Teacher, had also observed a growing pattern at collection time. Parents were frequently arriving while on phone calls, dividing their attention between their child and their device.
After hearing Munur Shah speak at a Barnet Council Early Years Network event, Sharon began to reflect more deeply. She questioned not only the obvious screen habits at home, but the subtle modelling happening inside her own setting. What were children absorbing each day? And could even well-intentioned, practical screen use in nursery be shaping their long-term relationship with technology in ways no one had fully considered?
“Munur said a few things that really worried me about the impact of screens on children… here I am letting my teachers use iPads to record the children and they see them with that in their hand all the time.” – Sharon, Head Teacher
The Shofar Nursery’s main concern was not toddlers being addicted to screens; it was that toddlers today are constantly around adults who are. When adults are constantly multitasking, checking notifications or holding devices, children absorb that behaviour as the norm.
Sharon identified this growing tension that nursery staff face, they must embrace digital systems for documentation and communication, yet protect young children from screen misuse. All while normalising divided attention and constant device use.
How Did Rebel Therapies Help
Shofar Nursery invited Rebel Therapies to deliver an evening awareness talk for parents and staff of the nursery. The session was led by Munur Shah, Founder of Rebel Therapies, Executive Coach, Accredited NLP Practitioner and member of the Association for Coaching and the Academy of Coaching and Training
During the talk, Munur shared his own lived experience of digital overuse within his family and explained how technology is intentionally designed to hook attention. He explored the psychological and behavioural mechanisms behind screen dependency and how these patterns develop long before children own devices themselves. The talk did not blame parents of the nurseries staff, it created awareness. And unlike generic safeguarding training available to schools and nurseries, this session was specific and grounded in real world behavioural insight.
“Munur also spoke about his family and his personal experiences… so it felt real. It did really make people sit up and listen.” – Sharon, Head Teacher
Rebel Therapies helped the nursery community recognise that prevention begins with adult modelling, and the talk prompted honest reflection among attendees.
Immediate Practice Change Within the Nursery
The impact of the talk led to structural change. Shofar Nursery reviewed its internal use of screens and introduced a revised observation system designed to reduce visible device use in front of children.
They implemented a three-week rotation, designed to document the children’s learning with detail and keep parents updated, all while prioritising better modelling of screen use:
- One week focused on individual observations
- One week focused group observations
- One week with no screens visible in nursery spaces
Parents were informed that during the screen-free week, children would not be filmed or questioned for online journals, and the response was overwhelmingly supportive.
“During the third week, the children do not see any screens at all in the nursery… we will be just playing and teaching your children… I think the parents are really on board.” – Sharon, Head Teacher
Sharon also added that the talk influenced her own behaviour, and has encouraged a positive change in screen habits for her whole family.
“It’s certainly made me think more and changed my habits more.” – Sharon, Head Teacher
This case demonstrates that when early years leaders are given credible, experience-led insight supported by professional coaching expertise, meaningful cultural change can happen quickly.
Rebel Therapies did not simply raise awareness. They empowered a nursery setting to take practical safeguarding action around screens and phones at the earliest stage of child development.
If you are a school, nursery, organisation or parent who is looking to help teach children better screen habits? Get in touch with our expert screen addiction team today to see how we could help.
