Healthier Screen Time for Toddlers & Preschoolers
Screen time is a hot topic these days. And it makes sense, screen time has nearly doubled since 2019.
As pediatric speech-language pathologists, we care about this subject because we want families to know that language and communication skills are learned through interaction with responsive caregivers. There is simply no substitute for the real deal. We’ve seen many families over the years where excess screen time (as the norm) has likely contributed to developmental delays because it’s replacing other activities that are most important for development, like play, conversations, time outdoors, reading, and physical activity.
But we’re also moms ourselves, and we know the reality of parenting in this digital age. Our goal with this post is to give you some ideas on how to make intentional choices when it comes to screen time. We hope it helps make screen time choices that align with your family’s values and vision, and flow with the overall vibe you want in your home.
Busy Parents Often Rely On Screen Time (And That’s Okay Sometimes)
The stress parents carry is a lot. We’re an intentional bunch—we care deeply about what’s best for our kids AND are often juggling getting work done, household tasks, entertaining kids, providing opportunities for learning…and so.many.more things.
Enter screens: Families rely on them more heavily than ever before. And we get it!
As SLPs, we’re very aware of the implications of too much of the wrong kinds of screen time. So we try to wait to introduce screens as long as possible and adhere to the AAP guidelines on screen time for children where we can, and our official recommendation would be that you do, too.
But, we’re parents, too. Busy parents. Hardworking parents. Human parents. We fully understand what it’s like to need a little help navigating these busy days. This is why, as much as we love the idea of being screen free families, we are calling for a screen time reframe: one that shifts our view of screens from being 100% negative, to a confidence that screens can be used in an intentional way that feels good and aligns with our values.
So while we absolutely agree with the principle of limiting screen time when we can, there are inevitably times when our children get it more than they “should,” and that’s okay. During those times, we have a few tips and tricks that we use to make sure the screen time our kids participate in is as healthy as possible—so we still feel pretty good about what they’re watching. That’s what we’ll cover in the rest of this post!
How To Choose Healthier Screen Time Options For Your Child
Something important to remember is that not all screen time is created equal. It’s easy to put all screen time in the “not good” category but there are options out there that, when used intentionally, can help kids learn, develop, and grow. So if you’re going to introduce screen time to your child, taking a few moments to make intentional decisions about what they watch and how they watch it can go a long way!
Here are our tips for choosing healthier screen time options for children:
#1 Use The 3 Cs for Better Screen Time
Remember that not all screen time is bad screen time, but it’s not all fair game, either. We love this quote from the BBC article, ‘Why Not All Screen Time Is The Same for Children’:
“If it's educational television and it's well-designed TV, it's not so bad for kids. And in fact, can very much help under-resourced children. If, however, it's watching the nightly news or some of the violent programs that we all have on our televisions today, it's pretty terrible for children.”
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University Infant Language Laboratory
Choose healthier screen time options for your child by referring to the Three Cs: content, child, and context.
Content: Quality screen time matters. The rest of our tips in this post will help you determine what’s “quality” content and what’s not.
Child: Pick what’s right for your child. You know them better than anyone else does!
Context: How you interact with your child around their watching experience matters. The more you can watch with them, the better!
#2 Look for Interactive or Intentionally Chosen Over Passive Screen Time
There’s a big difference between scrolling randomly through YouTube vs. intentionally picking a quality, developmentally appropriate show with a set viewing time. Not all content is created equally.
Screen time can be active or passive:
Passive: No interaction or thought is required. Children just consume it. Entertainment is the only goal. Fast-paced/over their heads.
Active: Developmentally appropriate, promotes physical or cognitive activity, gets kids thinking, and keeps them engaged.
As you may have guessed, interactive content is much healthier for children. The problem is a lot of programs out there claim to be “educational” or “engaging” when in reality, their content is mostly passive. Also, some companies create with money—not our children’s well-being—in mind. These companies want to keep your child passively consuming their content, so they get more views. Sadly, the more addictive the content, the better it is for them!
The other argument for active screen time over passive screen time is this: The screen time your child is viewing is replacing something else. It’s replacing a conversation, a chance to move their body, an opportunity to create with their hands, or to figure out how something works. And although most parents find themselves relying on screen time to finish up a task, make a phone call, or prep dinner, the guilt diminishes when you know you’re intentionally choosing screen time that gets your child thinking and keeps them engaged.
#3 Type of Screen or Device
Just like not all content is created equal, not every device is created equal. The type of screen your child watches matters a lot! This is how we’d rank screen options:
Television
Stationary Computer
Handheld Device
Our ranking system is based on a few things. First, a television isn’t as accessible as handheld devices that can be used anywhere. Televisions are often in common areas too, where it’s easier for us, as caregivers, to stay somewhat engaged with our children as they watch. There are physical differences to consider, too! A child watching TV can move around while watching if they want to. And, if they are sitting, they’re probably using decent posture.
Stationary computers mimic most of these qualities, so they rank as #2. And handheld devices, because they’re so accessible, easier for kids to watch alone, promote poor posture, and can entice kids to be stationary for longer, are a last resort for us.
That said, we’re parents first, too, so we want to make sure you know that we know you do your best. Traveling on a plane, waiting for a very long time to see a doctor…there are instances where we are likely going to co-view something with our kids on a handheld device, and that’s okay. We just want to give you the research so that you’re able to make informed decisions.
#4 Do What’s Right For Your Family
On that note…don’t let anyone else tell you what’s right or wrong for your family. We’re all so different, and families choose to implement screen time in so many different ways.
Some families decide on no screen time until five. (If this piques your interest, check out the “not yet” philosophy of Dr. Meghan Owenz, creator of screen-free parenting).
Other families decide that screens are an inevitable part of life and don’t stress about it.
Then, there are the families who fall into the, “We are okay with screen time…but we’re intentional about it” camp. Families who consider when screen time is used, the content of what will be viewed, and how it will be consumed. Families who make sure that what their kids are watching is valuable in some way. (For example, it helps their social-emotional development, like Daniel Tiger or Trashtruck do, or it encourages their imagination the way Tumbleleaf does.)
This is the way we operate with our own families, and it’s one of the main reasons we created our Songs+Stories membership. We noticed the families we worked with were really trying to be intentional with screen time for their little ones but still found themselves choosing between less-than-ideal shows that were super fast-paced or passive. They’d ask for our screen time recommendations and after scouring YouTube for GOOD examples of videos and coming up empty-handed…we got to work! We also don’t love all of the ads on YouTube. It can just feel intense, and because the video content is never ending, it’s easy to go down a rabbit hole you didn’t intend to (like before you know it, you’re watching some random kid opening hundreds of plastic eggs 🤪).
Songs + Stories: Our Go-To Healthy Screen Time for Children
Today, Songs + Stories is what we turn on for our own kids because we know it helps their communication development, goes at a nice, slow pace, keeps them participating—rather than just watching, and while they are enjoying themselves, it doesn’t leave them wanting MORE and MORE (resulting in the meltdowns we would rather not have in the first place).
Songs + Stories is a great intro to screen time. It’s a real person talking to them—similar to something they’d experience in a library story time—and created with their development in mind. We love it for our families, and our community loves it for theirs, too!
"Thank you for creating this! It brings me so much joy to see my son engage with what he's watching instead of staring blankly at the screen. So much love and appreciation for you ladies!"
-Melodi, mom of a 2-year-old
Try Songs+Stories For Free
Want to see what Songs+Stories is all about? You can now try 3 FREE story time videos from our membership that check all the healthy screen time boxes. Press play today and rest easy knowing your child is learning and having fun!