Our Rules for Babies & Screen Time

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I first became a father to a beautiful baby girl in September 2021. As it often happens, my wife and I started to talk about developing ground rules and forming our parenting style – so inevitably we came to the question of how are we gonna treat various screens in our house around the baby and which interactions will be allowed.

They are all around us — televisions, tablets, phones, laptops, desktops… We have so many screens, ready to grab our attention at any time and any place. The question was how to handle screens around a developing baby?

We came up with the following rules:

  • We will not use screens just to divert her attention
  • The baby cannot touch our mobile phones, they are not play things
  • We can watch movies/cartoons as a family and consider it family time
  • We will not submit to hyped up trendy cartoons but try to watch something we all enjoy
  • We want interactions that she has with screens to support her development
  • Sounds nice, right? Well, that was the theory… In practice, we had to allow for some flexibility and what follows are exceptions to the rules.

1. We will not use screens just to divert her attention

We felt that we should try other methods of diverting her attention and that phones/tablets/tv would not be our main method of keeping the baby occupied.

EXCEPTION:

For the most part, we stuck to this rule but there came a time when we simply had to break it for the greater good —most notably, when using an inhaler.

It was simply impossible to make her wear the inhaler mask while the mini-compressor was running noisily and spraying mist over her nose and mouth and then be in that state for 10 minutes. It was too stressful all at once but quite bearable if cartoon Baby Groot was playing on the TV. Thank you Kirsten Lepore and the whole team who made those shorts happen.

2. The baby cannot touch our mobile phones, they are not play things

Phones are expensive and personal things, used for private, grown-up things, so they are off limits.

EXCEPTION:

We do allow her to hold our phones if we are on a video call with family, this really is the only exception.

3. We can watch movies/cartoons as a family and consider it family time

We love our weekend mornings when we stay longer in bed, put on a cartoon and cuddle, it really is quality family time. Most of the time we don’t even finish the cartoon but start to have fun on our own.

EXCEPTION:

We may leave baby to watch a cartoon by herself if we got a lot of house chores pilled up.

4. We will not submit to hyped up trendy cartoons but try to watch something we all enjoy

Wife and I love Disney and Pixar cartoons so we offer those first to the baby and so far we did not have a miss. She really likes old Disney cartoons with animals like 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp. Full disclosure — we do have 2 dogs so we are partial to them.

EXCEPTION:

None so far.

5. We want interactions that she has with screens to support her development

In this department we saw a lack of content for babies and toddlers. Most of the available digital content seems more like an attention grab than fulfilling a development goal. Don’t get me wrong, there are beautiful physical toys for babies and toddlers that are designed with a specific developmental goal but nothing digital.

Since I worked as an iOS mobile apps developer, I decided to do something about this and try to make apps for my baby that will aid her development so I made a little one-man studio called Baby Newt. The first app I developed was done when she was 3.5 months old to help with her tummy time exercises. She was diagnosed with hypotonia but after using the app she overcame it and later even developed advanced motor skills for her age.

EXCEPTION:

None so far.

Those are our rules for babies & screens, what are yours? Are there exceptions in your rules?

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