Screen time & digital
IAP and WHO screen-time guidance turned into a family rulebook by age.
Screens are part of modern family life, and the goal is not zero but balanced and purposeful. What a child does instead of a screen — talking, playing, moving, sleeping — is what powers early learning, so the guidance below (from the IAP and WHO) is really about protecting that time. The habits you set now shape a lifetime relationship with screens.
What it looks like, age by age
Where to focus on screen time & digital at each stage. Tap your child's age above for a fuller picture.
Avoid screen time altogether, apart from occasional video calls with family. Babies learn from faces and real objects, not screens.
Keep screens to a minimum, and none is better. If you do use them, co-view and talk about what you see; never during meals or before sleep.
No more than about an hour a day of good-quality content, less is better, always co-viewed. Protect meals, play and outdoor time.
Up to about an hour a day of quality content, co-viewed and talked about. Keep bedrooms, meals and the hour before sleep screen-free.
Consistent family limits, quality over quantity, and firm screen-free zones — meals, bedtimes and bedrooms. Model the habits you want to see.
A screen budget they manage themselves teaches more than rules imposed. Keep devices out of bedrooms and off the dinner table.
Phones, gaming and online life arrive. A written family device contract, signed by everyone, beats arguments — and keep talking about what they see online.
Try this at home
Free, DIY-first activities using what you already have.
Screen-free meals
Make every meal a no-screen zone for the whole family, adults included. Meals become talk time, which powers language.
A visible daily rhythm
Agree when screens are on and off and put it where everyone sees it. A clear rhythm cuts the constant negotiation.
Co-view and talk
Watch together and ask questions about what you see, so a screen becomes a shared, active experience, not a babysitter.
A wind-down hour
Switch off all screens about an hour before bed and swap in a bath, a story and quiet talk for calmer, deeper sleep.
In-depth guides
📚 5–8 years
Screen Time Rules for 5-Year-Olds in 2026: IAP Guidelines & 5 Home Rules That Actually Work
IAP 2026 screen-time limits for 5-year-olds: 60-90 minutes daily maximum with mandatory co-viewing. Plus 5 pr…
Screen Time Rules for 5–8 Year Olds in India: 5 Home Routines That Actually Work
IAP 2026 limits recreational screen to 2 hours daily for 6–8 years. Five routines that work in small flats: d…
🔭 8–10 years
When to check with someone
📚 Reviewed against
This guide was checked against the sources below. It is general parenting guidance, not medical advice — for any concern about your child's development, talk to your paediatrician.
- WHO Guidelines on physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep for under-5s (2019) — Movement and screen-time guidance for children under 5
- Indian Academy of Pediatrics — Guidance on screen time and healthy child development