Screen Time for Babies & Toddlers: Guidelines | Parenting Hub
Australian guidelines: no screens under 2 (except video calls), and ≤1 hour/day for 2–5 year-olds. Here's what the research shows and how to manage it.
Screens aren't bad — but for under-2s they're no substitute for back-and-forth interaction with real faces. Here's a practical, non-judgemental guide to making screens work for your family.
Australian guidelines
The Australian 24-hour movement guidelines for children under 5 are:
- Under 2 years: no screen time, other than video calls with family
- 2–5 years: no more than 1 hour per day of sedentary screen time — less is better
- Screens off for at least 1 hour before bed at every age
Why it matters most under 2
Babies and toddlers learn language and social skills from real, back-and-forth interaction. A passive screen — even an 'educational' one — doesn't build language the way conversation, books and play do. Background TV reduces parent-child talk by around 25%, even when no-one is watching.
Making it work in real life
- Watch together when you can — talk about what's happening
- Choose slow-paced shows over fast cartoons (fast cuts overwhelm young brains)
- Avoid screens at meals and in bedrooms
- Use ad-free or kids' apps to avoid algorithmic content
- Don't beat yourself up about an occasional bigger day — long-term patterns matter most
When to seek help
- Screen use linked to speech delays, big behaviour changes, or sleep problems should prompt a GP/MCH conversation
Common questions
Are video calls OK under 2?
Yes — they're recommended in the guidelines because they're interactive. Grandparents reading a book over FaceTime counts as connection, not screen time in the harmful sense.
What about educational apps?
Under 2 they have little evidence of benefit. From 2–5, they're fine as part of the 1-hour limit, but real play and books still teach faster.