1. Learn a Little About Social and Emotional Development
You can learn the broad strokes from a used child development textbook or free resources on milestones for ages 0 to 17 from the CDC, Doan says. Of course, individual kids will have unique abilities and needs that vary based on their cultural context, personal developmental trajectory, and other factors, she notes.
2. Support Self-Trust
Starting at an early age, help your child learn that theyâre the experts in themselves and that no one knows how theyâre feeling better than they do, says Rebecca Hershberg, PhD, clinical psychologist and parenting coach in Dobbs Ferry, New York. You can do this by accepting what kids say about their internal world and not telling them how to feel â even when setting limits on behavior, Dr. Hershberg says.
3. Offer Your Full Attention
âKids are very social, and one of the most valuable things you can give them is your full-on attention,â says Doan. Even five phone-free minutes before bed each day can help nurture their emotional health, she says. When children donât get the regular quality time they crave, their well-being suffers. In a review of 13 studies on âtechnoferenceâ (when digital devices habitually interrupt time together), having parents glued to their phones and other devices was linked to increased depression and anxiety in adolescents.
4. Amplify Positive Moments
âKids are very social, and one of the most valuable things you can give them is your full-on attention,â says Doan. Even five phone-free minutes before bed each day can help nurture their emotional health, she says. When children donât get the regular quality time they crave, their well-being suffers. In a review of 13 studies on âtechnoferenceâ (when digital devices habitually interrupt time together), having parents glued to their phones and other devices was linked to increased depression and anxiety in adolescents.
5. Give Chances to Work Through Challenges
âWhile it may seem kind to smooth out as many bumps as possible on your childâs path, this approach doesnât nurture mental health, research suggests. For example, in one study, university students who said their parents were overprotective were also more likely to report worse emotional well-being as measured by anxiety, depression, and inability to recognize and describe feelings.
6. Model Emotional Health
When caregivers model mental health, kids benefit, says Hershberg. âEmotional health doesn't mean spotless, emotional perfection,â she adds. âItâs about emotional awareness and emotional expression. Research backs this up. In one study, for instance, fathers who had trouble naming or talking about their feelings said their toddlers had more emotional and behavioral problems than dads who were more comfortable doing so.
7. Nurture Healthy Sleep Habits
âWhen we donât sleep enough â even for one or two nights â we are more irritable, we are more sensitive, we cry more,â says Hershberg. Thatâs why moving a childâs bedtime earlier by 15 minutes is one of her go-to recommendations when parents say their kids are having a hard time. While individual sleep needs vary, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) recommends kids sleep between 8 and 16 hours, with younger children needing more hours and teens needing fewer.