The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against any screen time for children under 18 months, and very cautious usage after that, with no more than an hour of “high-quality programming” for kids aged 2-5. But what about parents? Children are always learning from caregivers’ behaviors, so be the person you want them to be when it comes to screens. In-person, physical and social interaction is important for children’s development. When kids interact socially in person vs playing on an app, they learn to negotiate with playmates. They may explore how far they can boss a friend around before it spoils a good time, and respond to and observe body language in conversations, which can be different or even non-existent on a 2D screen. There’s also the matter of body learning. When it comes to toddlers, gross motor skills come before fine motor skills. When children manipulate objects — whole body movement with 3D objects — there is more visual and tactile input to their brain so that they are interacting in a more holistic way. While they are learning the motions to swipe on a phone or match a picture on an app, they’re not developing that whole body understanding of where they are in space, how they’re interacting with materials. Finally, young children may feel like they’re competing for their parent’s attention. Babies intently watch their parents and tune into their distraction. Dr. Steiner-Adair, clinical psychologist and author of The Big Disconnect, posits that multi-tasking parents are undermining “the deepest, most profoundly defining influence in a child’s formation of self,” that competing for attention with parental devices undermines that healthy development and a secure sense of self. Remember, parents needn’t feel guilty about every moment of screen time their kids get, or every moment of screen time they get. There’s a lot of pressure on parents to fill every minute of their child’s day with engaging, educational activities, but quiet time is important. There’s developmental value in kids having to figure out their own entertainment once in a while, rather than having it all fed to them. Video is by @SwoleDadNation