Screen time for kids- How much is too much?
“Mama- one more Cocomelon please, I will eat an extra chapatti promise”. Undeniably, screen time for kids has been an escalating concern for most parents out there. So, how much time is too much screen time for kids? It is a proven experience that babies are surely fussy eaters & making their eyes see videos even before they taste the food is the essential task of all.
Certainly, the constant & undisturbed aim is to rack up the feeding task & fill the meal inside the little tummy by hook or by crook. Indeed, this vertical of parenting might at times demand modern solutions for you.
Thus, in the end, making them watch videos or some exciting poems is one evident answer that you all see. Even the video calling process with the near and dear ones too has changed the nurturing dynamics.
Further, leads to adding a lot of screen time during the baby's whole day. But are babies mature enough to stick their eyes for so long on mobile screens? Is there any parenting hack for eliminating screen time for babies? Well! The answers are here in the written aid and going through the end will for sure give you a concrete solution.
Is There A Need For Babies To Watch Videos?
To be upfront there seems to be no need for babies to see mobile phones. However, the modern era's children are smarter than you were at your time. Also, regular video calling, making them grab a bite with the help of smartphones, or even giving them screen time on their own has arisen as one of the easiest back-off solutions for parents. But, the need for these has not yet come as even the world's pediatrics are strongly against giving infants phones. However, the parenting challenges incorporate it into them in some or the other way. But the constant question in your mind would be about their psychological growth.
Also, the biggest advantage of eliminating screen time during the meal sessions helps the little ones build & discover-
- New food textures
- Enhances taste buds
- Acknowledges them as a way to feed themselves
- Create a bond with you
- Develop speaking & listening skills as they talk/respond to you
- And allows hand-eye coordination to name a few.
Elsewise, the prominent way is to chase out happy eating sessions with your little one to increase a personal touch & bring them towards you more closely.
How Do Prolonged Screen Times Affect Babies’ Growth And Development & Their Alternates?
Your little one grows gradually as that like a germinating seed. And looking after him/her is the utmost careful task to accomplish whilst always keeping in mind the best efforts to put in. Certainly, too much screen time can delay & slow down the psychological growth of the child. As the unsaid fact is babies need humans, not screens to develop. Also, it can add a negative effect on their sensory progress, which means the ability to acquire & feel things around them is impacted.
In addition, infants grow through attaining the sensibility to grab the touch of things around them. Indeed, not only in the vertical of touching things or objects physically but also through face-to-face communications, verbal cues, motor skills, and much more to the progress sphere. Thus, it counts in to be a method of idolizing more social interactions with younger ones rather than exposing them to YouTube videos or excessive mobile phones. However, even if you want to develop their social skills & are willing to let them watch educational videos- then at times allowing them to see from a defined distance or television can be a good alternative.
To The Bottom Line-
Is it ok to expose infants to YouTube and videos at an early age- this is the common apprehension of parents. Indeed, the answer is No! Exposing children at an early age to screen time affects their growth & slows down their nurturing process. But the alternatives mentioned above will help you get tips on the right parenting. Certainly, parenting is not ghosting but at times it feels challenging. However, overcoming hurdles where such as dealing with the excessive screen time of children can be a tough nut to crack.
Happy & Careful Nurturing!
