Feeling guilty about screen time

[Ivfgottahope]

My DD is coming up to 8 months old and a little on the lazy side so she’s not crawling around yet so needs to find entertainment from where she’s sat or laying!

she’s got a great variety of toys she plays with and I always take her out for a walk once a day or a baby sensory class.

HOWEVER when I really need 10 minutes to get something done I’m guilty of 1. Sticking on baby sensory tv and 2. I don’t get on the floor and play with her much per se. I leave her to do a lot herself. I do play with her and always read at least once or twice a day, just not constantly. When she was younger and I was oblivious to a lot, I even used to stick her in a jumperoo for a good 30 mins twice a day 🤦🏻‍♀️ The jumperoo has since been sold after I heard it can be what’s contributing to gross motor delays.

i was with my SIL yesterday who has a baby of a similar age and she said she’s never put her DD in front of a tv and also whenever she’s awake she’s constantly on the floor playing and teaching.

I now feel like the worst mother ever and worry I’ve been neglectful with my time and attention. Has anyone else exposed their baby to screen time?

I've always found babies more interested to sit on the floor and watch the jobs I'm doing than watch a screen, but I think it's pretty unrealistic and a little unnecessary to sit on the floor and play with baby all day.

Just try not putting the TV on going forwards. You will not have done any damage but it is easier not to create the habit, 8 months is still young enough to just drop it.

My kids have a fair amount of screen time, I am not a puritan about it but you don't need it for an 8 month old and it really isn't good for them. Stick her in the high chair with a toy where she can see you or on a playmat and chat to her. Or put some music on.

God you sound like you're doing an amazing job! I hate playing with babies. I adore my kids but I didn't actually enjoy playing with them until they were older, 2/3 onwards. I relied on walks and baby groups for most of their "entertainment" too but they don't actually need actively entertaining all day. Remember they've experienced literally nothing, so anything they see and do is entertaining and educational. As pp said, watching you potter around doing what you need to do is also educational and entertaining for them.

Baby will be fine!! Your sil sounds a little over the top tbh.

Also re the screen time, don't beat yourself up about it, while it's not beneficial it doesn't do them any harm either. Think about all the sibling babies whose older siblings are watching tv - it does them no harm. I never would have put it on for my eldest but by the time the others came along I wasn't going to tell a 3 year old they couldn't watch their cartoons for twenty minutes, so my younger ones have grown up with tv on at some point in the day from birth, and they're all very healthy well-adjusted people without any great interest in watching tv.

I thinks it would be best if you stopped screen time, i think they recommend mo screens before 2years. It was that when our DS was that age and we stuck to that.

Try a light up walker with shapes you put in or a bridge with dangly things and balls in it.

While you cant play with them 24/7, put them somewhere safe in the room you are in, let them watch you, put some music on, give them pots and pans to bang, utensils with different textures all new objects to explore.
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I'm surprised she's particularly interested in TV at that age to be honest. But I agree with PPs that it's probably easier to stop it now than later so might be a good idea.

The idea that you have to be on the floor playing with her all the time she's awake is just impractical I'd say. You need to be able to eat, do jobs, have a cup of tea. Put her in a baby gym, or in a bouncer where she can watch you, or anywhere safe really.

I loved nanny CBeebies.

Neither of mine crawled before 11 months, they both liked playing in their pen.

Lockdown 1 happened when youngest had just turned 1. There was a LOT of TV during that time too.

The kids are fine. Don't feel guilty.

Not screen time per se, but my boy is happy to play by himself on the floor and follows me around while i do housework (I know yours can't yet, but probably will soon). Of course I also spend time with him, but playing every minute of awake time sounds exhausting for baby and an unrealistic goal

I had a lockdown baby - no classes, no family or friends nearby. A baby that screamed in both a pram and a sling. She never crawled, was a velcro baby who never had any interest in sitting watching me (plus, how much housework can i do in a day? There wasnt alot). I tried so many things, setting up sensory discos and crafts and all sorts and after 2 minutes she was bored of it.
So when I needed a break she got some Hey Bear or Elmo songs on the tv.

Shes a happy healthy 2 year old with no screen addiction at all.

Why the angst? You can stop the screens or do what you think you should be doing at any time.

Either let yourself off or change your ways.

Don't sit agonising over it, it's a waste of time.

I used to put mine in the travel cot with the monitor and go to bed a bit longer some mornings. She only got upset when she noticed I was gone and would wake me up via the monitor.

We do what we need to do at the time.

I've never once agonised over the parenting choices I made because what's the point?

I had two late movers. Screen time doesn't affect it. DS1 never watched telly ever as a baby. DS2 had it on loads when DS1 wanted to watch paw patrol. Neither crawled until 12 months and neither walked until 18 months.

I think that’s fine. If you had another older child or children the tv would be on in the background a lot more. And you certainly wouldn’t have the time to sit on the floor with them all day giving your undivided attention. These sorts of concerns are definitely a PFB thing.
My first DS watched plenty of cbeebies from about 7 or 8 months onwards. He’s 5 now and can take of leave the tv, he definitely prefers playing with his toys. He doesn’t use a tablet - that’s where I think problems occur, certainly from what I’ve seen with other family members’ children. There’s something about having that screen right in front of your face vs a tv in the distance that does seem to make a difference and is more mesmerising/addictive.