If you’re a parent to one or more children under the age of five, we don’t need to tell you how hectic life can be! You know that if you turn your attention away from babies and toddlers for even a split second, they can find somewhere they shouldn’t be or something they shouldn’t touch! Their brains are rapidly developing, so new sights, sounds and things to explore are always tempting them. But did you know that this curiosity and ability to explore (supervised) actually helps their brains grow?
With today’s technology, it can be really tempting to let a TV screen, iPad or smartphone keep the attention of your ever-curious child. There is no shortage of educational videos and TV shows, but are they good for your child’s brain?
The answer for kids under the age of two years old is — no. Studies show that human beings learn best from each other, not from screens. It’s important to limit screen time, especially for young kids and toddlers.
THE IMPACT OF TOO MUCH SCREEN TIME
Let’s start with the question, how much screen time is too much for babies and toddlers? Actually – the ideal amount of screen time for all children under the age of two years is…NONE. “Screen time” is defined as the amount of time a person spends on any media equipment, including television, mobile phones, tablets, computers and video players.
Recently, the Academy of Pediatrics recommended that kids under two years old should have NO experience with screens. Why? The reasons include:
Screen time minimizes the time a child spends observing, playing and exploring their own environment and the things around them. This means they are experiencing less sensory stimulation, like opportunities to explore (sight, sound, smell, feel and taste) the things around them. Infants and toddlers are endlessly curious, but if their eyes are on a screen, they are only using a couple of their senses (sight and sound). From birth to two years old, babies’ brains are rapidly growing and making connections, and using their senses is a big part of helping the brain grow!
Screen time also means less time working on communication and social skills. As we mentioned above, watching a screen means kids are not interacting and learning from the people around them. Studies show that humans learn a lot more from other humans than they do from electronic devices. That’s why the World Health Organization also recommends that babies under two years old do not get screen time and kids ages two to four years old are limited to no more than one hour of screen time per day.
Too much screen time has also been linked to increased risk of hyperactivity, speech delays, reduced attention span and impaired cognitive skills. Children need to learn how to intentionally focus and concentrate, and while a child may “zone out” while watching a screen, it is not helping them learn how to pay attention. The screen also limits the opportunity for them to communicate back-and-forth, learning to respond and be responded to, as they will need to do in conversation and classrooms.
Some of this information may be surprising, and you may have already put your child in front of a screen, but that doesn’t mean it’s too late to make a change now! If turning off the screen makes you nervous, we have some ideas of interactive, and fun, activities you can do with your child instead:
Books help them listen, see, hear and connect words with images! Books are an amazing way to help your child’s brain grow. Even books with pictures only are fun to explore with your child. Help them find different colors and items, and repeat the name of the color or image while pointing at it to help your child learn new words. If you have a kitchen to clean up or laundry to fold, sit your child next to you and have them “read” you the book, encouraging them to tell you what they see and pausing every now and then to point something out to them.
Start a kitchen band! Your (unbreakable) pots and pans make an amazing drum set. Mix in some plastic storage containers and a wooden spoon, and your baby will become an instant drummer. They will enjoy hearing how different pots make different sounds, and when you dance along, they will love the response they’re getting! Note: we recommend saving this activity for a time when you don’t need a quiet house.
Have a dance party! Even while you pick up the house or get other things done, you can dance your way through it with your child! Pick some music your toddler loves and boogie with them. They will love to move their bodies and even copy your dance moves. It’s a great activity to get them moving, hearing music, making new sounds, singing, and enjoying their time with you!
On nice days, explore outdoors! When the weather cooperates, take the fun outdoors. Always keep your child within eyesight and explore the outdoors together. It’s amazing the things you can find even outside your front door. Find and point out unique things about rocks, look at different grass blades and flowers, and even point at different colored cars that drive by! Keep in mind that young children like to explore things with their mouths, so when observing small items like rocks, leaves, grass and bugs — watch them closely to keep them out of their mouth and reduce the risk of choking.
Plan play dates with neighbors and friends! Your child learns from people of all ages, even children their own age. It’s important for them to have supervised time playing with other kids to help them learn how to share, communicate and observe how other kids do things. It’s just as important for them to learn how NOT to play with others as it is for them to play nicely. Gently correct unwanted behavior and show them the ways you want to see them act. They will also learn how others are gently corrected or praised for good behavior.
Trade the Screen for Real-Life Connections. As technology continues to advance, your child will no doubt have a life with plenty of opportunities in front of screens. During the first few critical years of their life, help their brain grow strong by giving them real-life connections to the people and things around them.
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