The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends not using technology as an emotional pacifier. Parents should not hand their little one’s smartphones when they are having a meltdown. Toddlers learn to self-regulate by working through a tantrum or difficult situation.
The AAP recommends no television, iPad, or smartphone under the age of 2, because images presented on screens are too fast for young children’s developing brains. Too much screen time can contribute to speech and language delays in children under 2 years of age. The AAP also suggests that the television not be kept on for background noise. Families should create tech-free zones for their babies.
A 2012 study (by Funchun et al.) suggests that screen time can affect the development of the frontal lobe. The frontal lobe of the brain is responsible for the development of language, problem-solving, impulse control, and social skills. The critical period of growth in the frontal lobe happens under the age of 3.
For children 18 months and up, FaceTiming with relatives was deemed acceptable.
A Speech Pathologist wrote:
“I have seen a significant increase in deficits of attention, social skills and language processing over the past 10 years. Could this be correlated with technology becoming more accessible over this period? It seems like caregivers themselves are less responsive to their toddler’s communication attempts. They too are distracted by incoming information in the form of texts, emails and social media.”
While multitasking can sometimes make us more efficient when goal-directed, continuous partial attention is different. It means trying not to miss anything, but only paying attention on the surface. This leads to underlying stress and less efficient processing.
So how do we combat all this technology?
Use face-to-face communication and directed floor play.
Add language and problem-solving into daily routines.
Remember: toddlers learn by watching and imitating.
Ideas to Encourage Imitation
Start by copying your child’s facial and hand expressions. Pause and see if your child imitates back.
Model silly gestures (lip pops, lip rolls, tongue clicks) and wait for your child to respond.
Model hand gestures like clapping, nodding, waving, or playing “how big is baby” with wide arms.
If your little one ignores you, gently guide their hands and mouth. For example, as they say “ah” in vocal play, shape their lip into a roll. Sing a nursery rhyme like Baby Shark and guide their hands with the song’s motions.
Encouraging Play
While we need toddlers to imitate us, it’s also valuable for us to imitate them. It validates their individuality and shows interest in what they care about.
If your child is banging two blocks, grab two yourself and say “bang bang bang.” Pause to see if they continue. Then guide their play in a new way, like stacking blocks or dropping them into a cup.
Building Social Interest
For a child to communicate and play with others, they must first be interested in people. Otherwise, they may only engage in solitary play. To strengthen these skills:
Play people games like chase, peek-a-boo, tickles, bouncing, or gestural nursery rhymes.
If your child is on your lap, pause and wait for eye contact before continuing.
If playing across the room, freeze until they look at you for “more.” If they don’t, gently turn their head and say “more” before continuing.
Other Tips
Avoid using TV for background noise. Instead, try calm background music like classical or jazz.
For nursery rhymes, the classics are comforting—and available via streaming, CD, or MP3.
A recommended family tutorial book is by Speech Language Pathologist Molly Dresner (aka The Speech Teacher).