Screen time: babies and toddlers
Screen time for babies and toddlers
Current international guidelines recommend that children under two years don’t have screen time other than video-chatting with family.
Very young children learn best from real-world experiences like physical play, playing outside, reading, creative play and social time with family and friends.
Video-chatting is OK because your child is interacting with another person. Video-chatting can support your child’s social and language development. It can also help to create bonds with family and friends, especially when the pandemic limits in-person connections.
If your baby or toddler is going to be exposed to media like apps or TV programs (perhaps because older children are watching), it’s important to strictly limit time and to use age-appropriate, quality content.
Role-modelling healthy screen time habits
Even if you are not exposing your baby or toddler to screens, he sees how you use them and begins to learns screen time habits from you.
Even when your child is very young you can start modelling healthy screen use for the future. For example, you can:
- switch your phone off during dinner
- turn the TV off when you’ve finished watching a program
- balance your screen use with activities like being outdoors, reading and doing physical activity
- give your child your full attention and avoid checking your phone when you’re playing with her or feeding her.
Exposure to screens
Your family may have a number of devises like mobile phones, televisions, computers, and tablets. This means that your baby or toddler might see images on these screens when others are using them.
It’s good to be aware of what your child might be seeing. For example, some images on the news or in video games can be quite violent and distressing, even for very young children who might not fully understand what they’re seeing. Protect young children from these kinds of images and consider their effects on older children as well.
