Screen time in the Early Years: What we need to know. The new Government guidance unpicked.
Communicating evidenceinformed guidance to parents is one of the most complex and delicate responsibilities within early childhood education, particularly at a time when policy is ever-changing. As a Mum (and soon to be Grandma) I am very aware that creating a balance between professional expertise, empathy, clarity, social media feeds and experiences of reallife family pressures is a challenge. Daily, we all walk a careful line, where we must uphold what we know to be developmentally sound while knowing that we are not being judged, and what is needed in this busy life many lead. In sharing the reflections below, I hope I have conveyed our thoughts in a way that is both professionally grounded and genuinely caring.
Over the past week, you may have seen the news about the UK Government releasing new guidance on screen use for children under five. For those of us working in early years, none of this came as a surprise but for families, it finally puts into writing what many practitioners have been noticing, feeling and gently navigating for years.
The guidance highlights something important: children need sleep, movement, connection, and calm, and what they watch matters just as much as how long they watch. I feel this is definitely a step in the right direction, and as the adults in children’s lives, it gives us a tangible reason to reflect on what we do.
But here’s the thing and every parent will understand this straight away: we know modern family life is busy and messy, and it’s not always easy to know what’s “right,” what’s realistic, or what even counts as developmentally appropriate. And when you’re juggling work, routines, tiredness, and trying to keep everyone fed and happy, broad advice like “find balance” doesn’t always help. What families often need is clarity, reassurance, and simple guidance that supports real life not an idealised version of it.
That’s why conversations like this matter, sometimes we may read what we don’t want to hear, but also we may reaffirm our actions. Below I have tried to unpick the legislation into what I consider to be helpful guidance and to open up the conversation for you all to have with each other.
Why screen guidance for our youngest children matters
Research reminds us that the early years (0–5) are a time of extraordinary brain development around 90% of the brain forms by age five.
During these years, children grow best through:
These early experiences are what support language development, attention, social skills and emotional regulation.
Screens can show children things… but they can’t replace the feeling of touching, testing, trying, failing and trying again which is where real learning happens.
This is why, in Montessori-informed communities, we encourage:
Not because technology is “bad,” but because young children simply need something else first.
So, what does the new Government guidance actually say?
Here are the essentials from the new guidance released 26–27 March 2026:
Under 2s
Ages 2–5
Where I feel the guidance still falls a bit short – just to share my thoughts
While the guidance is helpful, it’s still quite gentle for something that’s become a very real public health concern.
Reflecting on the research, it’s clear that children under five truly thrive with very limited daily screen exposure. Those first five years are such a sensitive, formative time, and simply saying “under two” doesn’t quite capture just how important that whole early period is. For children aged two to five, clearer and more practical guidance could really help families something gentle and achievable, like intentional use and perhaps no more than around 30 minutes of slowpaced, calm content each day. Studies continue to show, in a careful and evidencebased way, that too much screen time in the early years can have lasting effects on development. My aim in sharing this isn’t to judge, but to reflect what the research is telling us and to support families in finding what works best for them.
This isn’t about being strict or adding pressure. It’s about us, as a community, creating clearer starting points that genuinely help ourselves and our families. When guidance is too vague, it’s often us as parents who already feel stretched or unsure who end up without the right help and support. We’re all navigating this together, and clearer guidance can make it easier for everyone to feel confident and supported.
The real daily challenge
Knowing what’s recommended is one thing. Living it day in, day out is something else entirely.
Families today are navigating:
No one is failing ; No one is doing this “wrong.” ; Everyone is doing the best they can with the resources they have.
The thing is, when guidance feels like criticism, we can tend to shut it out. So we want you to know that we are here to support, and we will be opening dialogue with the children when they are with us, about what screens can be used for, whether that be the TV, the ipad, the computer or the telephone.
As I view everything though that trusty Montessoriinformed lens, I feel we must ask ourselves :
“How can we help this work better for the children”
We know that real change grows from: trust, respect, tiny, manageable steps, understanding each child’s unique context. The challenge is: what does this look like in real life ?
Here are some gentle, realistic ideas that might help:
Prioritise real-world experiences first
Movement, play, conversation and exploration build the brain in ways screens simply can’t.
Keep screens intentional
If you’re using screens, choose calm, slow content. Watch together when you can.
Protect a few screenfree rhythms
Even small tweaks can make a difference.
Your presence matters more than any programme, your actions matter
Children feel your attention, they know you are there. They copy your habits. You are the most powerful influence in the room.Put your own screens away when you are with them.
Technology isn’t “bad” it just needs the right timing
Contrary to common misconception Montessori herself didn’t say “no” to technology. By the very fact it was not a technological world when she wrote down her theoretical and philosophical thoughts. I would argue that she would now say “not yet, and not instead of something more important, such as movement and social communication.”
So why this guidance now?
The interesting thing about the new guidance is that it mirrors what early years practitioners have been observing and discussing long before it made headlines:
These patterns have been noticed daily in nurseries and childminding settings. Now the national guidance finally reflects what the sector has been quietly trying to support for a long time.
So maybe the real story here isn’t the guidance itself, but recognition that the whole community around the child is responsible to support the child and their development.
As we come to the end of this conversation, I think the most important reminder for all of us parents, grandparents, and practitioners alike is that we are far more influential in our children’s lives than we often realise. The everyday moments we share, the tiny decisions we make, and the way we choose to show up all matter deeply.
With that in mind, it’s comforting to remember that the most powerful learning and development experiences we can offer our children are beautifully simple and completely accessible:
🌱 time in nature
🌱 being outdoors
🌱 unhurried moments
🌱 space to explore, to help, to “be part of things” alongside us
Inviting children to be present in the real parts of our lives cooking, tidying, washing, hoovering, walking, chatting, daydreaming supports their development, behaviour, confidence and sense of belonging in ways no screen ever could.
You, your presence, and your connection are the things that shape children most deeply.
Screens will always have a place in modern life, and that’s okay but they will never replace the warmth, safety and real-world belonging that comes from being with the people who love them.
My final reminder is that we are in this together learning, reflecting, adapting and supporting, as a community around the child. We’re all doing our best and that is more than enough.