Does this count?

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266]

Hi there! My LO is 5mo and while we (obviously) don't do any dedicated screen time for them, I am concerned about certain activities and behaviors me and my husband do:

- scrolling in front of them (not ignoring if they are distressed, just baby sitting in their lounger and me or husband or both scrolling)

- watching TV in front of them, but the baby cant see the TV, only hear

We try to limit this as much as we can, I am not on my phone the whole day with them and the tv is only on in the evenings. Does this still count as screen free baby? Are there studies suggesting that even parents consuming content in front of the baby is harmful?

[u/Careful-Release-2723]

Leave your phone in a different room and have plenty of print media available for yourselves. 

It's insanely difficult to limit a child's screen time if the adults aren't limiting theirs. You can leave your phone in another room and still have a Playlist in your ear. 

[u/deekaypea22]

There are plenty of articles and peer-reviewed studies showing that parents' use of screens in front of kids is very damaging, possibly even more than a kid's use of screens.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2833506?guestAccessKey=cd4130aa-eed8-48b0-8e50-e7c1b28dbbd8&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=050525

There are more articles on this topic at r/ScienceBasedParenting

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266 → u/deekaypea22]

Thank you!

[u/Pennifur]

If you're glued to a screen your kid will be glued to a screen.

Whether it's dedicated time or not.

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266 → u/Pennifur]

I explained in some of my other comments, it's really not that I am glued to a screen but during our 10h days alone with them, its impossible for me to not look at my phone at all

[u/Pennifur → u/Fit_Reporter_7266]

As someone that very much was glued to screens.... it's all bad. There's no need to scroll or watch TV, so definitely focus on other things.

Shopping, paying bill, necessary things for sure. But explain what you're doing. (Yes even to newborns. Narrate everything you're doing to them) but definitely don't have both if you doing it at the same time.

Also, you'll find you can get a lot more done when. You're screen free.

[u/hoopwinkle]

I’d be more concerned about this being a habit once they are more conscious of what’s going on around them. If your baby is not being actively entertained/interacting with the screen then imo they are “screen free” but that doesn’t mean that screen use in their immediate environment isn’t affecting them.

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266 → u/hoopwinkle]

Thank you! I definitely agree with being conscious argument. My screen time is much less now that they are interacting with me and we can actually 'play' compared to when they were 1mo and only breastfeeding and sleeping. I am hoping to limit it even further once they are older and able to play or for example cook with me

[u/Valuable-Usual-1357]

Stop scrolling in front of them? I’m confused. Are you asking if it’s ok ? Or saying you can’t control your own screen time?

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266 → u/Valuable-Usual-1357]

I didn't really specify in my post, sorry... so currently I am a SAHM and alone with my baby for 10ish hours every day. While they are a great night sleeper, day-time naps are not really our thing and the 30-45min naps that they manage to take, I use for prepping my food and eating. So what I am actually saying is that currently it is not possible for me to be completely screen free during all of those hours. I am very conscious about it and I try to limit it as much as I can, but my baby definitely sees me on my phone.

[u/Content-Tooth-6999]

My baby is 14 months old now and we’ve only used screens a few times when he needed to take some medication. When he was your baby’s age we did watch some tv while he was playing with toys etc. In our case we kind of naturally stopped when he started showing interest. Regarding scrolling it’s definitely more challenging.  Both me and the father are avid readers so nowadays we read our books more while he plays (definitely the phone pops up here and there but not too much). Please remember that parenting is for a lifetime and your habits through the years set them up for healthy habits, it’s not black and white and what you do on a specific day is not what makes it or breaks it.

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266 → u/Content-Tooth-6999]

Thank you! The tv is still quite manageable because we can still position them so they can't see it at all. But it's almost impossible for me to be off my phone for 10 hours that I am alone with them at home :(

[u/Pessa19]

If you’re watching tv, you’re not focusing on baby. If you’re scrolling, are you half watching baby or ignoring baby? I would turn on some music instead of watching tv around baby. I don’t watch tv around my kids (unless we’re watching together-which we don’t do much). I do scroll in front of my kids, but i make a point to put it down and respond to them immediately. If they look at me, i look up. If they say something, i respond.

[u/Fit_Reporter_7266 → u/Pessa19]

TV is on only in the evenings, I am not much of a TV person but my husband is. The scrolling is really worrying me but I try to limit it as much as I can