Screen time for toddlers: an Australian parent guide

Screen time is one of the most guilt-loaded parts of modern parenting. One family has a strict no-screens rule; another has the TV on from breakfast to bed. Most of us are somewhere in the middle, making it up as we go.

The good news is that the Australian guidance is clearer than the internet makes it sound. The harder part is applying it while cooking dinner, managing a toddler and trying to stay sane. This guide covers what the guidelines say, what they do not say, and how to build a routine that fits real life.

What the Australian guidelines say#

The Australian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines for the Early Years (birth to five years) cover physical activity, sitting, screen time and sleep together. The screen time recommendations are:

The guidelines also recommend at least three hours of active play across the day for children aged one to five, and plenty of sleep: around 11 to 14 hours for one to two-year-olds and 10 to 13 hours for three to five-year-olds, including naps.

These are population health recommendations. They are designed to protect sleep, movement and development across the whole population. They are not a pass mark for your family, and they are not a reason to feel ashamed if your week looks different.

What the guidelines do and do not mean#

The one-hour limit is a ceiling, not a target. A day with no screens is not a deprivation, and a day with 70 minutes is not a catastrophe. The guidelines also do not count video calls, which are interactive and social, the same way as passive TV.

What the guidelines are trying to protect is the stuff that builds brains in the early years:

• sleep
• movement and outdoor play
• meals and conversation
• reading, singing and pretend play
• face-to-face time with the people who care for your child

If screens are crowding those out, that is the problem to solve. The clock is a useful shorthand, not the whole picture.

Why the early years are different#

Babies and toddlers learn best from real people and real objects. They need to touch, move, repeat, imitate and hear language in context. A screen cannot follow a toddler's point, wait for their response or adjust to their mood in the way an adult can.

That does not mean screens are toxic. It means they are a poor substitute for interaction, especially for children under two. Heavy background TV is associated with fewer parent-child conversations and less focused play, which is one reason the guidelines suggest turning it off when nobody is actively watching.

For toddlers, the quality of what they watch matters. Slow-paced programs with clear language, real people and simple stories are easier to learn from than fast cuts, constant sound effects and autoplay videos. Watching together and talking about what you see turns a passive activity into a social one.

What quality screen time looks like#

You do not need a media studies degree. Use these questions:

• Is it slow enough? If you cannot follow what is happening, neither can your toddler.
• Is there a story or a real person? Programs that show faces, objects and everyday situations are easier to connect to real life.
• Are there ads or autoplay? Both make it much harder to stop and expose your child to content you did not choose.
• Can you watch together? Co-viewing lets you name things, ask questions and connect what is on screen to your child's world.
• Does it end? A program with a clear ending is easier to finish than an endless feed.

ABC Kids programs such as Play School and Bluey are popular for good reason: they are Australian, made for young children and generally slow and social. They are not compulsory, and they are not a substitute for play. But if you are going to use a screen, choosing something deliberately beats whatever autoplays next.

A practical plan for two to five-year-olds#

A workable routine usually has four parts.

1. Protect the non-negotiables#

No screens during meals. No screens in the hour before bed. No screens in bedrooms overnight. These three rules do most of the heavy lifting for sleep and connection.

2. Make screen time predictable#

Choose a time that works for your family, such as after rest time or while you cook dinner. A predictable slot reduces the constant asking. A visual schedule with a picture of the screen and a picture of what comes next can help younger children.

3. Make the end visible#

Toddlers do not understand time, but they understand sequences. Use a timer, a countdown or "one more episode, then shoes on". Give a warning before the end and name the next activity. Hold the limit calmly, even if there are tears.

4. Offer a real alternative#

Ending screen time is easier if something good comes next. Going outside, water play, a favourite puzzle or helping in the kitchen works better than simply saying no. If your child is tired or hungry, fix that first.

What about children under two?#

The recommendation for under-twos is no sedentary screen time, apart from video calls. That is easier said than done when an older sibling is watching and the baby is in the room.

Practical steps:

• Turn the TV off when nobody is actively watching.
• Put your phone face down and out of reach during nappy changes, feeds and play.
• Use video calls deliberately, with a real person on the other end.
• Do not worry about a one-off exception. The pattern matters more than a single day.

If you need a screen to get through a nappy change, a bottle or a flight, you are not a bad parent. You are using a tool. The goal is to make it a choice rather than the default.

Screen time and sleep#

Screens can affect sleep in several ways. They can delay bedtime, replace wind-down time, expose children to exciting content and keep them wired. For some children, the light and stimulation make it harder to fall asleep.

The practical fix is simple: stop screens at least an hour before bed and replace that time with a bath, books, songs and quiet play. Keep devices out of the bedroom. If your child uses a screen to fall asleep, work on changing that habit gradually.

If sleep is already difficult, our toddler sleep guide covers bedtime battles, night waking and nap transitions.

Screen time and behaviour#

Screens do not cause tantrums, but they can make transitions harder. Children get absorbed, the content is designed to keep them watching, and stopping feels like losing something. That is a normal response, not proof that screens are damaging your child.

What helps:

• a warning before the end
• a predictable routine
• a calm, consistent limit
• acknowledging the disappointment without changing the rule
• not using screens as the only way to calm a distressed child

It is also worth noticing whether screens are becoming the main way your child regulates boredom, anger or sadness. If so, gradually build in other tools: movement, music, drawing, sensory play and connection. Our guide to toddler tantrums has scripts for the hard moments.

Childcare, grandparents and travel#

You cannot control every environment. Childcare services may use screens as part of a program, grandparents may have different rules, and travel days are their own category.

Have a short, non-judgemental conversation about your main priorities: no screens during meals, no screens before sleep, and content that is appropriate. Focus on the big three rather than trying to enforce your exact routine in someone else's house.

For long trips, download content in advance, bring headphones if your child will wear them, and mix screens with books, snacks, songs and movement breaks. A screen on a plane is not a moral issue.

When to get help#

Talk to your GP or child and family health nurse if:

• your child is not meeting speech or language milestones
• you are worried about hearing, attention or social interaction
• sleep is consistently poor despite a reasonable routine
• your child becomes extremely distressed whenever a screen is removed, or screens are crowding out eating, play and family time
• you feel unable to cope without screens and it is affecting your mental health

Our speech milestones guide explains what to expect and when to ask for a hearing check. If you are struggling with your own mood, our guide to perinatal mental health lists Australian support services.

The bottom line#

Aim for no sedentary screen time under two, and no more than an hour a day for two to five-year-olds. Then focus on the things that matter more than the clock: sleep, meals, movement, conversation and play. Choose content deliberately, watch together when you can, and turn the TV off when nobody is watching. An imperfect routine that protects those basics is better than a perfect rule you cannot sustain.