Get Ready, Next Week is Screen-Free Week! April 30-May 6

What is screen-free week?*

This is one week each year where many families commit to turning off all electronic entertainment for an entire week. That means televisions, computers, videos, and any other electronic devises your child may use. This also includes handheld devises and all of those new apps geared toward kids! This might seem very challenging to many of you (including myself) because we definitely live in a world full of technology. Screen-free week is only 7 days long; you can do it, and you might discover something wonderful in the process.

* Screen-Free week is sponsored by the Campaign for a Commercial Free Childhood and is endorsed by hospitals, the Head Start program, the National WIC Association, and local health departments among other groups.

Why screen-free?
Excessive screen time has been linked to:

·        Childhood obesity

·        Poor school performance

·        Attention problems

·        Displacement of other important activities, such as physical activity and creative play

The stats and recommendations

·        Children in America age 2-6 spend an average of 4 hours watching TV per day.

·        According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), 29% of children in America under the age of 2 have TVs in their rooms.

·        Preschoolers spend on average 32 hours of screen-time per week.

·        The current AAP recommendation is for children under age 2 to watch NO TV.

·        For older children, the AAP recommends 1-2 hours of supervised TV time per day, and that the programs are educational and non-violent.

·        For a recent post about new recommendations for media use and babies, click here: Baby Behavior in the News: AAP Releases ANew Policy Statement on Media Use and Babies

Alternatives to screen-time
Explore other ways to play and connect with your baby and other children. Here are a few of our past posts that can help you do exactly that.

1. Baby Talk and the Adult Brain Learn about how talking to your baby actually changes the language centers of your brain, especially for mothers.

2. Entertaining Your Baby WithoutBreaking the Bank This post provides some alternative, cost-friendly activities for you and your baby.

3. For Babies, A Little Playtime is aGreat Workout! Read about the importance of “exercise” for babies every day!

4. Babies’ Emotional Development: SocialReferencing (2 part series) Babies learn by looking at and interacting with YOU.

5. Too Much Fun: Preventing Overstimulation in Infants and Toddlers Don’t forget to give your baby breaks from all of this fun play time!

6. Choosing the Right Gift for Baby Learn about toys specific for your baby’s personality.


7. Barriers to Building Relationships with Babies: Marketing and the Perfect Parent Learn about “The Case Against Baby Einstein” (and other videos targeted to infants).

Ideas for the Long Term (Adapted from “What parents can do to guide and reduce screen-time” by The Early Years Institute)

·        Limit hours of TV per day or week

·        Limit screen-time to specific times or days of the week

·        Balance screen-time with playtime

·        Turn off TV during meals

·        Watch appropriate shows together; ask questions about what is happening in the show; talk about the characters’ feelings and decisions.

·        For older kids, talk about the difference between commercials and the regular show. Most kids don’t know the difference.

Technology can be a wonderful thing. Screen-free week is all about discovering alternatives to technology and finding a balance between play time and screen-time, not cutting out all technology for the rest of your life. We know that screen-free time is impossible to follow during the work day, since many of us work on computers. Instead, promote scree-free time at home with your family after work hours and on the weekend. Participate in screen-free week with other friends or family you know; it might make it a little easier! Good luck and know that we are taking the pledge with our own children for no screen-time this next week as well! Tell us your stories of how it goes!

References and Resources

Screen Time FactSheet and Parent Tips (The Early Years Institute)

Official Sitefor Screen-Free Week 2012

AAPRecommendations for TV Viewing

Reader Question: Visiting Friends with our Baby

Last week we received the following question from one of our readers:

When my daughter was about 9 mos old we visited a good friend of mine that didn't have any kids at the time. The visit was SO stressful because I spent the whole time chasing my very active baby around their house trying to keep her out of their "breakables." My friend has invited us back several times since, but it was so hard the first time that I don't want to go back! How can I tell her that (or make the visit less stressful for me) without offending her?

When we read this question, we immediately identified with this mother’s situation. As mothers of young children ourselves, we each had a story to share of our own challenging visits to friends or family members’ houses that were not exactly “baby friendly.” Personally, I flashed back to a recent vacation we took to visit my best friend in Southern California (hopefully she’s not reading this!). I love my friend, but she and her husband don’t have kids and thus, their beautiful home is decorated with fragile (i.e. tempting) objects. My daughter has never been the type to sit still, and somehow she has it in her mind that “no” actually means “yes.” So, I spent the entire 4 day visit keeping my child from breaking something, making a mess or falling down their very steep staircase. Does this sound like a relaxing vacation to you?

At first I was afraid to say anything to my friend, so I tried reasoning with my daughter instead, saying “those aren’t okay to touch. Let’s play over here.” Then I would show her a safer area to play in. Redirecting her worked for awhile, but after 2 days, I needed a break! Finally, at my wits end, I asked if we could put some of the more delicate items up and out of reach. My friend said “no problem” and I relaxed a bit.

Since you can’t expect your mobile baby or toddler to sit still for long periods of time or not touch anything when they are driven to explore their environment, nor tell a friend or relative that you do not want to visit them because of the way their house is arranged or decorated, we’ve come up with a few things you can do to make the visit easier on everyone.

1. Ask your friend or family member if breakable items can be put up higher and out of the reach of your baby. Some people without children may not realize that babies as young as 9-months-old can pull themselves up on furniture and reach for items near them.

2. Bring a play pen with toys and books so your baby has safe activities to do. Keep the play pen near you and pack it with your child’s favorite toys to keep his interest.

3. Put a blanket on the floor with books and toys. That way you can sit and engage your baby and socialize with your visitors at the same time.

4. If you are really worried about going to someone else’s house, ask if your friends could come over to your house. Your child will feel more comfortable in his own home and you will be able to relax knowing he can move around freely.

5. If you are visiting around your child’s bedtime remember to bring pajamas and a blanket. Try to stay with your child’s normal bedtime schedule and routine even if you are away from home and be sure there is a safe sleeping space available for your child.

6. Bring a safety gate with you to block off dangerous staircases or rooms that have many breakables. While you’re at it, pack a few power outlet covers.

Remember, babyhood and toddlerhood fly by. Soon, you will be able to take your child on visits just about anywhere without worrying about her destroying your host’s home. Instead, you’ll just have to worry about reminding your newly potty trained child to use the big girl potty so that she doesn’t have an accident on your Aunt’s new white carpet. I guess this job called parenthood never really ends!

New Babies, Growing Families, and Fitting In

Because babies are so small and needy, we tend not to think of them as needing to adapt to “fit in” to their new families. Instead, parents think of all the adjustments that they have to make to meet their babies’ needs. Yes, we know how hard it is to care for a new baby, but try to imagine early life from the baby’s perspective. Babies must adapt to a whirlwind of new experiences and learn how to communicate with no words and very little control over their own bodies. They must rely on adults to meet their needs and teach them everything about life. The relationships babies build with their parents, siblings, grandparents, and other family members provide the foundation they need to grow and develop into happy, successful people. As we wrap up this series and babies' relationships, we'll take a close look at the critical role that the family plays in babies' lives.

The Foundation of Family

Sixty years ago, developmental psychologists thought that the only relationship that mattered for a baby was the one he had with his mother. These days, researchers realize that many people are involved in helping babies socialize and learn. Of course, the first and most influential group in a baby's life is his family. In today's diverse world, "family" is defined more in terms of members' emotional ties and responsiblities rather than by genetics or roles in more formal or traditional structures. For our purposes, a baby's "family" refers to the group of people who interact with and care for him.

The Family "System"

As scientists have learned more about infants' social development, they've come to understand that family influences on babies don't work in isolation from each other. Families form networks with each member playing a special role in the baby's life. As mentioned in an earlier post, family members' relationships with a baby are influenced by the temperament and behavior of the baby. But, these relationships are also influenced by family members' relationships with each other. The whole family works together as a "system" as they interact with the baby and with one another. In secure and happy families, this "system" creates a safety net for each member to deal with the inevitable ups and downs of childrearing. When families are uncooperative or in direct conflict, the safety net breaks down and everyone, including the baby, is challenged.

For many new parents and family members, the physical and emotional stress of dealing with a new baby is overwhelming. No one ever seems to be doing enough to help. Ties between family members that may be already strained can snap, and caregivers can turn against one another. Fortunately, no family "system" is inevitably stuck in one pattern. Familes have the capacity to change and develop just like their children. For many familes, this development happens naturally as babies get older and easier to care for, but others may need help, and even professional support, to work together.

Baby Behavior and a Lighter Burden

Babies need consistent loving care from those around them. Even when they are not exhausted, family members who don't understand what the baby wants or why the baby is crying are far more likely to avoid or resent having to care for the baby. As more family members learn to understand babies' behaviors and cues, more individuals are ready to confidently support babies' efforts to "fit in." Sharing the basics of baby behavior might help lessen the burden on everyone.

In our first post in this series, we asked "where is that village" that is supposed to be needed to raise a child? For some, that village is already close by and family members are ready to work together. For others, help is needed from trusted friends or professionals to get family members to see how working together is best for themselves as well as the baby. Still, others may need to build their village from scratch, reaching out to trusted friends and making a family "system" all their own.

Next time: We'll answer some of your questions!