Video chats can be good for babies

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screen time for babies under 18 months, with one important exception: live video chats. Because they allow your baby to have the kind of back-and-forth conversation so critical to language development, the AAP says video chats are okay.

Here are some tips for a meaningful video call 

Find the right time and keep it short. Since video chatting requires your baby to sit and focus, set expectations for a short call and aim for a time when your baby is less likely to be hungry, tired, or restless. 

You interact too. Your baby will pay more attention to the person on the screen if you participate.

Help the conversation come alive. Ask family and friends to be animated: wave, make faces, and use exaggerated gestures. Your baby can only use two of their senses on a video call—seeing and hearing—so you can help make an interaction come alive with lots of movement.

If someone blows a kiss to your baby, you can blow on their face or kiss them to let them pretend to receive it. When your baby tries to share food with the person on the screen, encourage them to pretend to eat it. 

Tell stories and sing. Invite loved ones to read your baby a story while you hold the same book. Singing is also a great way to connect, especially when you and the people on the other end of the call sing songs with motions, like ‘The Itsy Bitsy Spider’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.’