My husband and I made the decision to be screen free before our son turns two. It sounded simple enough at the start; our infant son slept often throughout the day which afforded us our own screen time, and between pumping, cleaning, tummy time, and general exhaustion the screen thing didn’t come up.
Our core reason for doing this is fostering a longer attention span in our son, and there was a level of “why not?” We know that screens are utilized more frequently in schools than when we were students, and that many careers will require them, too. There’s plenty of time for him to learn about screens in the future, and this is such a short time for him to be screen free. You can read more about screen time for infants from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
I love seeing my son be entertained by books, audiobooks, music, balloons, etc. Funny enough, I love seeing him get bored and find something else to interest him. It doesn’t take long. They're all low stimulation activities that children have been doing forever: he plays outside, loves kite flying, dancing, reading, stacking blocks, doing puzzles, and going to the library for storytimes and exploring such a big space meant just for kids.
Sometimes, I start thinking, what are we going to do next? As often as that thought occurs, it’s just as likely that I’ll remind myself to slow down. If my son is happy to work at putting a buckle together for 10 minutes, why should I rush to find another activity I think is more fun? It reminded me to be more present in each moment, and enjoy those slow times.
As we’ve gotten closer to 18-months and he’s dropped daytime sleep to a minimum, it’s been harder at times to be screen free. When we were felled by sick season it made it even more difficult to have the energy to keep up with him. When that happens, I usually ask him to turn on his Toniebox (audiobook player for kids) and pick a Tonie to listen to, we do a video call with his grandma, or we head to the library to play and find some new books.
Books are entertainment for him...the original screen. Find some of my 18-month old’s favorite reads below:
These are books my 18 month old loves! They will entertain him for a long time, and sometimes he'll even grab books to "read" by himself.
Add a comment to: Screen Free Before Two