Every exhausted parent cringes at two small words: screen time. We know we should get control of how and when our kids use screens today, but we feel that doing so is a lost battle. And now we must fight for the youngest in our midst: our babies.

Let’s be honest. Every parent has a love-hate relationship with screens and our kids. We know that when a six-month-old watches Peppa Pig or even a “Wheels on the Bus” video, something negative happens to that tender brain. But letting children, even babies, focus on an entertaining video for a while gives us a break. And we’re tired. But we need to talk.

Every exhausted parent cringes at two small words: screen time.

The psychological and neurodevelopment of our babies is serious business — so let’s look at the effects of screens on these.

1. Screens and babies are a bad mix.

Babies’ brains are simple, relative to that of a toddler or preschooler. In the first year of life, neural pathways are being formed and “software” is being created, if you will, on top of their personalities. So what a baby sees and feels while looking at a screen sticks for a…