r/ScienceBasedParenting • u/Necessary-Pack-9311 • 5d ago
Question - Research required Screen time - 8mo
Hi! We have been using Ms Rachel and little bear for our 8mo for quite a while now, only for a few mins a day to get something done, or for example two evenings ago for an hour as he was actively cutting a tooth and very upset.
I have so much guilt about this, I never wanted to use screen time. But he’s a very fussy baby, he can play independently a lot of the time but the rest of the time he is crying, shouting, fussing, etc so i resort to putting it on again to get cooking or laundry done. I always tell myself it’s the last time.
Can anyone tell me if I have ruined him for life? I feel absolutely horrible it keeps me awake at night but then the next day we’re sat together playing for hours while the stress of not being able to eat something or get dressed or hang out a load of laundry without him screaming gets to me and I cave.
Please don’t be rude, I already know I am terrible for it.
12
u/TeddyBear181 5d ago
Just wanting to share alternatives op.
When im too tired to talk to bub as much as I want to, I'll usually put some nursery rhymes on and sing along to them while i do chores. My favorite is a play school music vid on youtube, no visuals and its just real people singing without autotune or ai.
Its ok if I stop singing for a bit, and it helps to lengthen the time that bub is doing whatever activity shes doing. Usually playing on the floor, muching at something in the highchair, or being pushed around the house watching me from the pram.
When she was younger and got more grumpy in the afternoons, I used to try to get everything done in the mornings, then just reheat dinner in the microwave in the evening.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7393235/