The Importance of Infant, Toddler, & Preschooler Mental Health

Many young children are struggling with mental health issues that have become more noticeable and more urgent as time goes on.  Behaviors range from: inability to focus, crying, aggression, screaming, and hitting. Also, food refusal, nightmares, sleep issues, & self-harming behaviors can be evident.

 

Without qualified staff or resources to help, child care centers say it’s a problem that will follow these kids into their school years and beyond.

 

Mental health for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers is just as important (maybe more) than adult mental health - since brain development at that age lays the circuitry for everything from language acquisition, cognitive development, and social skills. 

 

Brain research has revealed that up through age 3, more than 1 million neural connections are made every second. If those connections are made under stress or during neglect and trauma, children’s brains get wired to operate under those conditions.  

 

Grieving parents, stressed parents and caregivers, can contribute to atypical child development, especially in the emotion regulation domain. The undesired RESULT can be disruptive behavior, tantrums, hyperactivity, - all things that childcare providers are seeing around the country. 

 

What parents can do to help their kids:

*Ensure a safe, secure and happy home environment

 

*Limit screen time 

 

*Teach healthy conflict resolution and anger management skills

 

*Learn to facilitate tantrums and meltdowns

 

*Seek out child care providers that have ample resources and staff