Screen time for babies and toddlers: how much?
Guidance on screen time for children
Many parents and caregivers use smartphones or tablets for babies or young children as an opportunity to get on with other things. Or they might find watching TV together is something fun or relaxing to do when they’re tired.
However, for babies under two years old, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends no screen time.
For babies over the age of two, they recommend no more than an hour of screen time a day. This remains the recommendation up to the age of four.
The NHS advises no more than two hours a day even for older children.
Screen time can be of benefit to an older school age child when balanced with other activities, but not for young children, the UK Government’s Education Committee found.
The WHO Guidance on no screen time might sound strict. Realistically, it can be hard for busy parents or carers of babies under two to ban screen time completely. Below we explain why screen time isn’t encouraged, and suggest how to use screens responsibly.
To read more information on this topic please read the article which can be found here.