No screen time

[Jessie2024]

Is anybody else having no screen time for their little one? If so, how is it going for you? Our daughter is four months old, and we are doing no screens until age two, for a variety of reasons. However, the reaction of other mums I’ve met makes me feel like I’m crazy for doing this! Most mums I know allow screens (which is absolutely fine!) and it’s making me wonder if I’m actually doing the right thing by doing no screens. If someone could reassure me that no screens is possible, please do!

At 4 months no issue. They don't know.

4 years well they might ask you have to distract.

8 years, well got to get there first and you might change your tune on screen time.

Your post does seems a bit high and mighty to be fair. This is a non issue

@NoKnit
High and mighty? For asking other parents for advice on how they did with no screen time? Isn’t that what this website is for? Correct me if I’m wrong.

I think at 4 months it’s very easy to not have screen time. At 14 months it’s a lot harder to avoid screen time. It’s lovely to have the aim of no screen time until 2, but maybe don’t put too much pressure on yourself for your baby to avoid the TV. You may well find, like many many other parents, that at some point you need 5 minutes to do something and the TV is really helpful at that moment.
It’s probably a bit more realistic to have limited screen time. People are acting like you’re crazy because they know from experience how difficult it is.

@Row23 thank you for your honesty! It’s already rather tricky because she does try to look at a screen whenever we see one. But I’m going to keep it up for as long as I can. Whilst on maternity leave I’ve got tonnes of time, but when I’m back at work I imagine I might need extra help entertaining her!

Yes it does sound high and mighty. You seem to think others are pressuring you into allowing it at 4 months. You think it's not necessary (I fully agree with you) but you have to point this out. There is no need to mention that at all. Try to make out you are better in a way

Anyway back to what you asked about screen time. Neither of mine had any until 2 years of age and then I let them watch a bit of TV. Never tablets, phones etc. They get into that by themselves when they are older and want to play games.

From about 5 we did allow use of a tablet whilst on long car journeys (2+ hours) but only in the car. On holiday an hour a day maybe but again only in the hotel room.

I've never used screens, tablets or phones to keep mine (11 and 8 now) occupied in restaurants. There is a time and place for it. It meant we didn't eat and drink out much when they were younger. Fine.

Now it is 1 hour a day screen time allowed distributed between Nintendo switch , PC (oldest) and tablets. We have parental controls TV (Netflix mainly they want) does come extra though depends on the day.

At 4 months it's no issue. At 14 months neither. Also at 24 months shouldn't be an issue.

I should add I don't live in the UK and do seem to find British kids on screens quite a lot when we are on holidays or visiting UK

@NoKnit it sounds like we are similar, that’s exactly the way that I plan to do things.
I did not mean to come across high and mighty, genuinely. I only meant to explain that when I’m talking to other mums about screens (which I don’t usually bring up, only if asked) and I say that we’ve decided on no screens until 2, they sort of look at each other and laugh and say things like “good luck with that”. One mum even showed my daughter the cartoons on her son’s tablet and laughed “quick! Watch this before mummy sees!”.
That was the whole point of my post, not that it makes me any better than others, I just feel a bit silly when other people treat me that way. I know screens are definitely a necessity for a lot of people, which I respect. They’re just not a necessity for me right now. That’s all! Thank you for sharing your positive story though, it’s good to know someone has succeeded without screens before 2.

This! I was completely anti screen time but by the time she hit 10 months I allowed the occasional bit, like 10 - 20 minutes max. Now at 19 months she will sometimes watch 30 or so minutes in one go first thing in the morning while i am hitting the coffee - she sits on my lap and has milk when she gets up, and I put on a film that she likes. I kind of hate myself for giving in but we are raising her at home while both working and passing her back and forth between us and if you see TV as a tool to use only when needed then it can be useful to get a short break from the relentlessness! But at 4 months its pretty easy to avoid the screen. I would say aim high, as you are, as did I, but don't beat yourself up too much if you start to give in earlier than expected. My little one also loves music videos and dances to them, we could have introduced music without videos and kept it that way but sometimes we let her have the videos to go with the songs. Its also allows us to hope we are influencing her future music choices but I guess she might still end up all Taylor swift and Ed sheeran as we can't hide the outside world from her!