The early years of your toddler’s life are full of exploration, play, lessons, and emotions. While it may feel overwhelming to consider teaching your toddler good mental health practices when you’re busy teaching them everything else, the impact is profound. 

The rapid brain development in a child’s early years forms the prime landscape for foundational mental wellness. According to Harvard’s Center on the Developing Child, “In the first few years of life, more than 1 million new neural connections form every second.” 

Why is mental wellness something children should learn so young? Early experiences have a significant impact on the architecture of the brain – and lay the groundwork for future health, behavior, and learning. An introduction to the world of mental health can set the foundation for emotional regulation, help your child develop social skills, prevent mental health illness (according to WHO), build resilience, promote academic success, enhance the parent-child bond, and positively influence long-term health outcomes. 

How can a busy parent manage it? 

At The Astor we have five science-backed steps for you to start taking, even one at a time, to set your child up for success. 

Encourage Play and Creativity

Play and creativity foster imagination, which is a cornerstone of mental health for a child. Encouraging play can often look like simply sitting in the presence of your child, undistracted. Creativity can be encouraged by letting children work out their problem solutions. Additionally, having open-ended toys available to your children can spark that creativity when the mood strikes. Check out some of The Astor’s recommendations for those toys here.

Provide Routine and Structure

Routine and structure provide your little ones with a sense of control, as they can anticipate what happens next. While weekends may be for flexibility, relaxation, and spontaneity, maintaining a schedule during the work week provides ample opportunity for routine. Children are less likely to battle you on getting dressed or eating breakfast when they can anticipate the rhythm of the day. 

Encourage Emotional Expression and Communication

Little people feel big feelings. Not only do they need to learn how to express those feelings, but they need to learn to communicate. To encourage this, you can acknowledge your child’s feelings with empathy: 

It’s okay to be disappointed. 

Thank you for sharing that with me. 

I can see that you are upset. 

These statements do not encourage your toddler’s outbursts or give strength to bad behavior but rather validate their feelings and permit your child to feel them. Without the allowance to express their feelings or the guidance to acknowledge them, children often feel a loss of control. 

Instill Healthy Physical Habits

In a study reported in Nature Reviews Science, the authors write that “exercise might not only help to improve their [children’s] physical health but might also improve their academic performance.” Exercise does not have to mean a miniature stationary bike next to yours, or mother-daughter exercise classes (though we love our parent participation enrichment classes at The Astor). Healthy physical habits mean the limitation of unhealthy physical habits (i.e. excessive screen time), adequate exposure to the outdoors (plenty of good information from WebMD), and toys to encourage activity. 

Create a Safe and Supportive Environment

Creating a safe and supportive environment means more than childproofing everything in sight. While safety is surely a primary concern, our fears can often stunt developmental growth. Children need environments conducive to physical exploration – the ability to safely crawl, climb, walk, and scoot. The freedom of an open environment fosters independence and imagination. You want to avoid having many spaces where you feel like you can’t take your eyes off your little one: places with unmounted bookshelves, sharp corners, and pretty baubles they can’t play with. A supportive environment can also mean an easily accessible you! This might mean a designated screen-free (phones included) space for yourself and your toddler to spend quality time together. 

One of the best, long-term interventions for your child simply may be education (and demonstration) on good mental health. As parents and caregivers, you are the best fit for the job; however, you don’t have to do it alone! The Astor was designed with your child in mind, creating a safe and nurturing environment for toddlers to explore mental health practices. Interested in checking us out? Set up a tour to see the space for yourself!