Is 7 months old too young for screens?

[newmum234]

Is there anything suitable for a 7 month old baby to watch on a screen and even if there is, do you think 7 months is too young for screens anyway? What age did you let your DC start watching things on a screen?

I have the TV on sometimes whilst feeding DS and noticed he finds it really interesting - but at the same time I felt I should probably have turned it off as he’s so young!

I’d be interested to know people’s thoughts...

[Ihaveoflate]

As others have said, they're not really watching the programme so it doesn't matter what's on - it's just colour, movement and sound for babies. Watch whatever you like.

My toddler has watched one thing per day (usually Teletubbies or Hey Duggee) for ages but she only really started being interested in the programme recently. Before that it was just about killing time for me!

[Disappointedkoala]

I'd just watch what you want to - mine wasn't interested till about 18 months and now I have to sit watching sodding Baby Jake or bloody Waffle Dog nearly every day and it makes me want to put sticks in my eyes.

[Alwaystrappedunderababy]

Omg the dancing veggies are a life saver for if my daughter is grouchy and I need to wee/eat/hang washing. I try to only use it once a day (some days we don’t watch it), but apart from that tv is only on while she naps on me or I feed her.

[LikeTheOceansWeRise]

We don't have the TV on around my 6 month old much because she WON'T TAKE HER EYES OFF OF IT, literally craning her tiny neck all sorts of bizarre angles to watch the moving images. If she was more nonchalant about it I'd be happy to have it on!

I plonk her in front of the washing machine instead....

If it's in moderation I don't see the harm in it, it's more when it becomes a habit/it's the only way to entertain them that it becomes an issue.

[Meepmeeep]

In the Night Garden saves my life on an almost daily basis. No mum guilt over it at all. 13 month old.

[Ohalrightthen]

DD spent most of the first 6 months of her life watching Bake off, Strictly, ski sunday and gardeners world. She frequently spends a Saturday afternoon with mummy and daddy watching the rugby. 5am wakeups are usually accompanied by the news while i lie face down on the rug trying to gather the strength to make a coffee.

She's around the TV a lot, but she doesn't watch any by herself, and she doesnt watch baby TV, because fuck that noise.

[babbafett]

TV or radio is on all day at my house or else I'd lose my mind. DH regularly awake for 24hr shifts and I'm on my own a lot so I hope having tv on in the background isnt harmful. I am noticing that he is starting to pay more attention to it so I lower
the volume now,especially close to nap and bed time.
I have to say on occasions where he is screaming in the back of the car whilst one of is popping into the shop I've sat watching Hey Duggee or Hey Bear sensory videos on youtube with him. Its more of a momentary distraction along with me making silly faces, showing him toys etc. I think it's fine until he gets to the age where he sits in a trance like state in front of the tv or tablet. Thats when I will have to switch off the tv so I'm making the most of these days while I can

[TotalBitch]

I'm not super strict about screen time. My 6 and 3 yos watch Disney movies or dance workouts on YouTube quite a lot at the moment. Not all day long, but fairly frequently. There isn't much else to do tbf!

But, for me I think 7 months is a little young. I also quite often had it on in the background when mine were babies, but neither of them really watched it till they were about a year old. Then dc1 loved cbeebies. dc2 loved Cars from about 18 mo and still only watches Cars now he is 3. Yes, that is 18 long months of me having to watch the same fecking characters 😭.

I actually think I'd hold off in your case, as otherwise it's going to be a very long slog of Baby TV and Cbeebies for you! Watch This Morning while you still can!

Also though, I don't think it's the end of the world if children are watching short things on tv at a younger age just now as they are missing out on classes. That said, I think you would probably need to choose one or the other; have it on in the background OR let her watch her own programs. I probably wouldn't do both iyswim.

[OnlyFoolsnMothers]

studies show it is best to avoid screens altogether until after the age of 2 I’m sure, studies probably also show that zero cakes until 20 is best. Life gets in the way, we are human not just mothers, sometimes we need the tv on, sometimes we need 20mins to make dinner whilst our child watches some mr tumble. Considering the majority of kids watch tv I’m not sure what the detrimental results are meant to be.

[FundamentallyFucked]

My eldest was a baby when CBeebies launched. I used to put it on all day and when my next baby came along we just continued with that. Now they are adults, on in full time employment and the other just waiting to go to uni next year. I rarely watch TV so after they started school it became less of a thing for it to be on during the day. By the time my next was born I didn't bother putting it on.

[ldnirish]

Hey Bear Baby Sensory on YouTube.
(Particularly the dancing veggies)

My son started watching it at 6 months . Now at 16 months, he will pick up my phone or the remote and say 'Ta', which means he wants the dancing veggies on 🤣

[becca3210]

Short amounts of time watching baby sensory videos or nursery rhymes etc. isn't going to do any long term harm and I do this with my 7 month old. Majority of time is spent with toys or on walks etc.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

Hes just coming up to 8 months, I forgot to add.

[Letsallscreamatthesistene]

My tv is on in the background all day, but its tv for me though. The only thing I specifically put on for him are nursery rhymes on YouTube, on an Ipad, held above his head whilst hes laying down to get him to stay the f*&k still during nappy changes...

[laudemio]

Yes, studies show it is best to avoid screens altogether until after the age of 2. We do some zooming with family with the youngest but no TV.

[AntiHop]

I gave my dd my phone with YouTube nursery rhymes from around the age of 8 months to enable me to change her nappy. It was the only way I could keep her still enough!

[firstimemamma]

My son liked teletubbies as a baby.

[DayKay]

I used to put my baby in a bouncer and put Baby TV in for them so I could get on with some stuff.
I also spent lots of time doing all the other things but it was also good for me to have a clean house and cooked food and some screen time helped with that.
I wouldn’t give them a tablet or anything like that at that age as it seems to be a bit more intense and closer to the eyes.

[whoami24601]

Agree with others- babies will watch whatever's on. Watch what you want until they're old enough to ask for something else!

[Pumpertrumper]

I mean, my DH is a doctor and my DM is an academic in early child hood development/education (published on the subject and a registered nursery nurse too) and neither have expressed any concern at a bit of screen time so it can’t be THAT bad surely

[Pumpertrumper]

We are watching hey duggee right now

[Pumpertrumper]

Omg I let my 8 month old watch cebeebies for about 2 hours (in small chunks) every day! He loves it and I’m currently pregnant and sick so it’s a win win.

I’m not a negligent mum, I make all his food from scratch and spend hours playing with him but this thread is making me

[Bikingbear]

As a young baby lots of chat and face to face interaction is important for language acquisition

The news readers do face to face for language acquisition they also speak very clearly. I do laugh but one of my kids was in a bouncer fascinated by the News. Youd have thought they were taking in every word.

[Veterinari]

Screen time should be limited/absent until 2 years.
As a young baby lots of chat and face to face interaction is important for language acquisition

[BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz]

The tv was for me til after they turned about 18mo. At that point we started watching bits of the Bedtime Hour or the odd Peppa Pig together in the day. Dc1 loved Pointless, which was my daily favourite.

With dc2 they watched stuff earlier mainly because if something went on the telly for dc1 then it usually piqued dc2 interest.