How long should you use a baby monitor for?

If your young baby is sleeping in a different room to you, using a baby monitor seems obvious. But what about once they get a little older? It can be challenging to know when to turn off the monitor for good. Read on for all the must-know info. Baby monitors have become an important piece of tech for parents. A baby monitor puts your mind at rest by allowing you to keep an eye on your little ones as they sleep, play and explore. This is particularly helpful if you’re a first-time parent still figuring out this whole parenting thing! Audio and video baby monitors can offer anxious parents some much-needed reassurance. If your young baby is sleeping in a different room to you, using a baby monitor seems obvious. But what about once they get a little older? It can be challenging to know when to turn off the monitor for good. Read on for all the must-know info about baby monitor usage, including when to stop using a baby monitor and how to phase out using a monitor in your home. When should parents stop using baby monitors? Like so many aspects of parenting, there’s no set answer to this question. It depends on your family’s circumstances and what you feel comfortable with as a parent. There’s no official healthcare recommendation; it depends on when it feels suitable for your family. To reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), experts recommend that your baby sleeps in the same room as you for the first six months of their life. After that, you can safely choose to move your baby’s crib to their room and invest in a baby monitor to remain watchful. There’s no fixed age that a child ‘grows out’ of needing a baby monitor. While many parents stop using a baby monitor when their child is around two, others feel more comfortable continuing to use it for longer. Rather than ceasing to use an audio or video monitor once your child reaches a certain age, weigh up the pros and cons of continuing to use one. Why should you stop using a baby monitor? If you’re considering phasing out your child’s audio or video monitor, it’s important to weigh up your reasons for doing so. Here are some common reasons parents decide to unplug their baby monitor for good. The child is aware they’re being watched While intended to let you observe your baby sleeping and playing, while they’re peacefully oblivious, your child may become aware that they’re being watched by the time they are 3 or 4. As parenting coach Aubrey Hargis has pointed out, children may modify their behavior if they don’t feel comfortable being watched in particular ways. Your child’s bedroom should be their safe space, so a baby monitor should never act as an infringement on their privacy. When your child starts to understand modesty and a sense of their privacy, it’s time to consider ditching the baby monitor.