My friend and colleague Maddy called me recently because her 5-month-old baby is starting to be aware of the TV: glancing over when she and her husband are watching television and getting distracted when nursing. So I thought I’d talk a little bit about babies and TV.

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Here’s the scoop: the AAP recommends no television watching or screen time for children younger than 2 years. Research shows that TV is not educational for babies and can actually lead to learning and language problems, which is a total change from when I had my first baby in 2004 and I was given all these Baby Einstein videos as shower gifts!

I have found that a breastfeeding baby is easily distracted at this age, so it helps to move to a quiet place if possible.  And if you cannot sit and actively play with your infant (like when you have to cook dinner), instead of putting them in front of the TV, opt for supervised play. Have them stack cups, bang a drum, or play with another toy or on an activity mat nearby as you cook.

What happens in your house? Do you or did you let your babies watch TV before 2 years old? Tell me in the comments!

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