7 Magical Things to Ensure Good Mental Health for Your Baby

Joy. Excitement. Exhaustion. Stress. Nervous. Happiness.  A whole host of emotions that every new (and old) parent goes through with their baby.  But what about your baby?  How do you make sure that they have good mental health?  What can you do to make a healthy environment to raise a child? 

Starting from day one with your baby is vitally important. Although your baby cannot communicate this verbally, they need you. They need you for love, comfort, and safety.  Check out these 7 magical things that you can do to ensure your baby has the best chance of good mental health.

Number 1 – do the little things all the time

Sounds straight forward but there are lots of little things which really matter.  Talk to your baby.  They begin to recognise your voice and take comfort in it.  What you talk about really doesn’t matter, it is the sound and tone that matters most to baby.  Babies cry.  When, not if, your baby cries, comfort them, talk to them, respond to them when they need you. 

Number 2 – structure in their world

Babies, like most people, like to know what is going on around them and that the people around them care.  Stories, songs, cuddles, anything you can do to make baby feel good.  Doing this regularly is very effective in creating good mental health. 

Number 3 – the right emotion at the right time

Good mental health is not simply happy and calm all the time.  This isn’t natural and can have a negative effect on mental health.  Your baby looks to you to teach them about the world, so it is important that correct emotions are shown at the correct time.  Knock a class of pop on the carpet?  It is ok to be frustrated, and it is a great way to show controlling your emotions too. Baby will pick up on this and learn from you.

Number 4 – you

It’s not all about baby, you are equally important in the state of your baby’s mental health.  It can be exhausting being a parent, and no one will tell you otherwise.  But you must make sure that you are looking after yourself too. That’s why it’s crucial to see an online psychiatrist who specializes in mental health.  Psychiatrists are qualified to assess your physical and mental problems. Eating and drinking correctly, exercising where possible, keeping on top of your personal hygiene.  You not being in a good state of mind will reflect onto your baby’s mood too.  If you need help from someone, ask!  Keeping on battling alone is not good for your mental health which will then pass onto baby.

Number 5 – keep them stimulated

Babies love bright colour and textures to explore, and these also contribute to good mental health. Keeping the world around them interested allows their brains to develop and encourage communication skills.  Books and songs are also great ways to keep your baby stimulated and interested in what is going on around them.

Number 6 – eye contact

This does not mean a staring competition! Eye contact shows your baby that you are interested in them and allows them to associate a face with a voice. This, linked to good communication, is a very powerful way to give good mental health to your baby.  Baby’s brain development will progress because of this.

Number 7 – don’t panic!

Remember, you are human, and it is normal to panic or worry about something from time to time. If you’ve not read a story in the last 8 minutes, then don’t panic. If your child is disinterested in what you are playing, try something else.  Just because they are not laughing and giggling all the time doesn’t mean they have bad mental health.  Babies sometimes just need some time on their own in their own space.  Everything is new to them so they will need rests in between whatever you are doing with them.

There is no one size fits all to babies and their mental health.  Your baby is unique and may or may not like everything all the time.  Remember to get to know your baby as quickly as possible.  If their behaviour is out of the ordinary you will know about it and deal with it appropriately.  The first 2000 days of your baby’s life are the most critical in terms of mental health so all that you do is making a different to them, no matter how small it may seem.

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Author Bio: Jenny Williams is a business analyst and writer at Assignment writing service.  She has published numerous articles in the business world and has worked alongside some of the leading experts in her field.

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