It is often said that “everything is decided before the age of six”. Fortunately, in reality, the human brain only reaches maturity around the age of 25 [1] and never stops adapting. We learn throughout our lives! Nevertheless, the experiences lived during early childhood lay the foundations on which are built the personality, the relationships, the habits of life, the relation to the world of the child. It is true that this is a sensitive and decisive period.
In 2015-2016, 4.8% of Quebec children aged 1 to 5, or 22,010 toddlers, had been diagnosed with a mental disorder [2] .. It is estimated that almost one in ten kindergarten children is vulnerable in one of the following areas : emotional maturity (9.7 %), social skills (9 %), physical health and well-being ( 9.5 %). All dimensions of development closely linked to mental health. [3]
. From 0 to 5 years old, physical and emotional security, the quality of care offered at home and at daycare, the stability of relationships, the human warmth and love received, the environment and the routine play a role in the emotional balance and well-being of the child.
Whether you are parents or educators, here are some courses of action to develop your little ones’ sense of security on a daily basis, and their more general well-being.
You will thus contribute to erecting good pillars for their future balance.
1- Identify the need
To ensure a toddler’s health and well-being, be sure to recognize and meet their physical needs – such as eating, drinking, sleeping, keeping warm or moving – and their emotional needs – such as receiving affection, being reassured or listened to – is the cornerstone. A child whose needs are well interpreted and who receives satisfactory responses to them — perfection not being of this world — acquires a feeling of emotional security. It is this mental health base that he solidifies little by little that makes him available to explore the universe around him and learn from it.
Toddlers need stability. However, contingencies and changes are inevitable. To make them feel safe, young children can be helped to understand what is happening to them, to anticipate new things and to prepare for small and big changes, such as a visit or a move. Giving them the opportunity to make choices appropriate to their development, just as taking into account their tastes, their sensitivities and their limits also promotes their emotional security.
2- Take care of the environment
The toddler develops through his contact with everything around him: his parents, his brothers and sisters, the educator and the children in his group at the daycare service, the house, the playground and the playroom. , the neighborhood… The quality of the environments in which he grows up has a great influence on his psychological well-being. Thus, ensuring that the environment of the toddler is healthy and stimulating is an essential means of ensuring his well-being.
Stress is part of life. However, a situation of high conflict, or involving other types of chronic or high stress, can be detrimental to a child’s psychological well-being. In these situations, it is necessary to act as quickly as possible, because the time in the toddler is not measured as in the adult. Reducing the stress around toddlers and their families isn’t always easy, but it’s always important.
3- Fewer screens
Certain changes of the last decades such as the remoteness of nature, pollution, the current rhythm of life and the increased presence of technologies can have repercussions on the health and well-being of children. Researchers have found that one in three American children is able to use a smart phone or tablet before they can speak . This illustrates how the environment in which toddlers grow up has changed.
Routine times represent pivotal moments, among other things to nurture the relationship between the adult and the child. It is possible that the presence of screens during these activities could interfere with these opportunities for social and emotional development for the child [4] . Indeed, exposure to screens during daily routines — awakening, diaper changing and washing, dressing, meals, naps, bathing, going to bed — could even lead to delays in socio-affective development [5 ] .
Electronic media are entertaining for toddlers — especially background television. They can limit important learning opportunities [6] . Moreover, too much screen time at a young age would affect the development of executive functions. These are related to the regulation of attention, thoughts, emotions and behavior [7] .
4- Prioritize free play
Children from 0 to 5 years old need to play to be happy. This is his natural and privileged way to discover and learn. With the best possible intentions, parents and educators sometimes tend to overload toddlers’ schedules with social and educational activities. However, toddlers above all need time to play freely in favorable conditions.
Easing toddlers’ schedules is often a better strategy for increasing their well-being than finding them an activity to do, no matter how good it may be for their social and emotional development. Between 0 and 5 years old, nothing is more profitable than tracing paths in the snow, playing dragons, throwing pebbles in a puddle of water, in short, than having time to be a child!
5- Challenges
From an early age, children need to take up challenges in order to progress and gain confidence. Providing opportunities for toddlers to perform actions that are difficult but achievable with practice or with a little nudge is essential.