By Julie Leduc

Children start to form an attachment bond with their parents from birth. This bond is essential to their development and sense of security. “The quality of a child’s relationship with their parents during infancy shapes their psychological development,” says psychologist Nicolas Berthelot, a professor in the nursing department at Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.

More specifically, a child’s first experiences and the environment they grow up in have an effect on their mental health, which is why it’s important to understand psychological well-being in early childhood. The more a young child is stimulated, whether at home or at daycare, the more connections are formed between the neurons in their brain to help them learn.

From age 0 to 5, a child’s brain rapidly transforms in response to the stimuli it receives. “And it develops better when the parents enjoy taking care of their child,” adds George Tarabulsy, full professor at Université Laval’s school of psychology and scientific director of the Centre de recherche universitaire sur les jeunes et les familles.

Every day, you help ensure your child grows up healthy by taking care of them and meeting their needs. Below are various recommended actions (many of which you no doubt already do without thinking about it), organized by area of development, that can contribute to your child’s well-being.

When you meet your child’s basic needs (e.g., food, care, shelter), you are looking after both their physical and mental well-being. Here are some examples of good habits to adopt.

• Make sure your child gets enough sleep. In addition to helping them regulate their emotions, quality sleep facilitates learning and improves their ability to concentrate and exercise reason.
• Encourage them to be active every day. “This is essential for not only their physical development, but also their mental well-being,” says psychologist and author Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. Physical activity alleviates tension, reduces anxiety, and stimulates the secretion of hormones that help your child feel calm and at ease.
• Allow them to safely explore their environment. This helps them get to know their body, build self-confidence, and gain autonomy.
• Play with them every day. Children grow and discover the world around them through play. Having fun with your little one also deepens your bond. “With a baby, playtime can be as simple as smiling at them, imitating what they do, or letting them play with your finger,” says George Tarabulsy.
• Stimulate their senses. For example, play them music and expose them to different textures, tastes, and smells.
• Take them outside as much as possible. Kids are more active when they’re outdoors, and they have more opportunities to challenge themselves, which builds their confidence. “We also know that contact with nature has mental health benefits,” says social worker Marie-Pascale Deegan, who co-runs the Agir tôt program in Nunavik.

Your little one feels content when they are loved, listened to, understood, and respected. Here are some additional ways to help them develop emotional security.

• Respond quickly and lovingly to your child’s needs. By wasting no time going to comfort your child when they cry, you’re indicating that you’re there to help. “Do it with a smile,” says George Tarabulsy. “This shows them that you’re glad to see them even when they’re upset. It’s very reassuring.”
• Give them love and attention every day, whether through words or gestures, like cuddling or rocking them. This helps them understand that they are loved and have value, laying the foundation for their sense of security and self-esteem.
• Help them learn to regulate their emotions. From the time they’re an infant, narrate your little one’s reactions (e.g., “Oh! You jumped because you were scared!”). “This helps them begin to understand what’s going on inside them,” says Nicolas Berthelot. Then, as they get older, help them put their experiences into words.
• Accept their emotions calmly and without judgment to show them that what they’re feeling is normal. How you react affects their ability to self-regulate. “Some parents panic the moment their child gets anxious,” says Berthelot, “but anxiety is a normal reaction.”
• Establish routines and let your child know about upcoming events and changes in their schedule. Knowing what to expect gives them a sense of control, which reduces stress and anxiety while promoting autonomy.
• Avoid shouting or overreacting in front of them. If you slip up, apologize and admit that you shouldn’t have raised your voice. “This helps your child see that they’re not at fault,” explains psychoeducator Chloé Gaumont. “It’s also a lesson that if they make a mistake, it’s possible to make amends.”

When your child has a strong bond with you, they feel secure enough to reach out to others. In doing so, they can begin building relationships that support their well-being. Here are a few ideas on how to encourage your little one to open up.

• Give them opportunities to develop their social skills. “It can be as simple as taking them to the grocery store when they’re a baby so they can see you interacting with others,” says Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. You can also take them to the park or invite a friend over so they can learn to share, wait their turn, and resolve minor conflicts.
• Respect their personality and learning pace. “If your child is naturally more reserved, it’s important to avoid labelling them as ‘shy,’ because it’ll hurt their self-esteem,” says psychologist Nicolas Berthelot. He recommends continuing to expose them to social activities while giving them time to become more comfortable interacting with people.
• Use role-playing to show them how to interact with others. For example, play the part of a store employee and teach your child to say hello, goodbye, and thank you.
• Help them gain self-awareness and learn to assert themself. Let them make decisions now and then, like choosing what to wear or what games to play, to help them get a sense of what they like. “You should also help them learn to set boundaries,” says Marie-Pascale Deegan. For example, teach them that they don’t have to consent to hugs and kisses if they don’t want to.
• Encourage them to be thoughtful and generous. “You could make a batch of cookies with your child and give some to a loved one, for instance,” says psychoeducator Chloé Gaumont. Experiences like this help your little one develop empathy and learn that their actions have an impact on others.
• Limit their screen time. The more time your child spends using screen devices, the less time they spend interacting with others. Screens shut down many of a child’s opportunities to further their development. “When they’re in front of a screen, they’re not being active, and they become less interested in exploring the world around them,” says Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier. Remember that children under 2 should not be exposed to TV or any other screens. Past this age, screen time should be limited to an hour or less per day.

As your child’s memory develops and their reasoning and language skills progress, they get better at regulating their emotions, thoughts, and behaviours. Here are a few ways to help them improve their cognitive and language skills.

• Look at books with your child from the time they’re a baby. Reading together stimulates their language development while also deepening your bond. In addition, books help your little one learn about the world and foster their imagination.
• Talk to your child whenever you’re with them. Simply hearing words spoken aloud activates their cognitive and language development. “Talking or singing softly to a baby stimulates several parts of their brain,” says George Tarabulsy. “It’s fascinating to see an infant look at their parent’s mouth and move their mouth in response. It’s proof that they’re actively deciphering all kinds of information.”
• Let them express their needs and limits. “You can also teach your child certain words so they can ask for things, like milk or blankie,” says Marie-Pascale Deegan.
• Encourage free play. When your child chooses and organizes games, they’re honing their ability to think and use their imagination, as well as gaining self-awareness. “It’s also important to let them get bored,” adds Chloé Gaumont. “Experiencing boredom is good for their autonomy and creativity.”
• Give them responsibilities. Depending on how old your child is, you can teach them things like how to hang up their coat or lay out place mats at mealtime. In addition to promoting autonomy, this allows them to develop planning and organizational skills.
• Encourage them to look for solutions when they encounter obstacles. This teaches them to reason and persevere. “Ask them questions to point them in the right direction, and ask what they think,” says Gaumont.

Mental health problems are uncommon in early childhood, but they do occur in rare cases (e.g., attachment disorders, behavioural disorders, developmental disorders, anxiety disorders, depression). “Professionals prefer to wait before making a diagnosis,” says Geneviève Beaulieu-Pelletier, a psychologist. “In early childhood, they’re mainly assessing for developmental issues. If they notice something, they’ll look into what steps can be taken to improve the situation and prevent it from turning into a mental health disorder.”

Young children dealing with mental health struggles may display certain symptoms. For example, they may keep to themself, lose interest in playtime, become increasingly irritable or aggressive, demonstrate a loss of appetite, or have trouble sleeping.

If you notice these symptoms in your child and you are concerned or they persist over time, it’s best to consult a health care professional such as a psychologist, doctor, nurse, or social worker. If your child tends to trigger strong reactions from you (e.g., they make you angry on a regular basis), you can also ask for help to improve your relationship.

Source: Naître et grandir magazine, March–April 2025 Research and copywriting: Julie Leduc Scientific review: Sylvana Côté, professor at the Université de Montréal school of public health and researcher at CHU Sainte-Justine

Photos (in order): GettyImages/PeopleImages, Iuliia Zavalishina, O2O Creative, klebercordeiro, VIJ, FilippoBacci, and FatCamera