Mental health for babies and toddlers: what it is and why it matters

Mental health is the way babies and toddlers think and feel about themselves and the world around them.

Good mental health is when babies and toddlers feel good about themselves and feel loved, safe and secure in their environment.

Good mental health is an important part of healthy child development. It helps babies and toddlers to:

  • understand and manage their emotions
  • build healthy relationships
  • learn, play and be creative
  • adapt to change
  • cope with life’s challenges and stresses.

What good mental health in babies and toddlers looks like

The signs of good mental health change as children grow and develop. They can also vary among children. But there are general signs of good mental health that you can look for.

In the first year, if your baby has good mental health, they’ll probably:

  • make eye contact
  • show interest in people and surroundings
  • enjoy attention from their parents or carers and respond with smiles or cuddles
  • start to communicate with their face, voice and gestures, like waving and pointing
  • start copying your gestures
  • cry when they need something and calm down when you meet their needs
  • get upset around people they don’t know and want your reassurance, especially towards the end of their first year.

At 1-2 years, if your toddler has good mental health, they’ll probably:

  • be strongly attached to you and might get upset when they’re separated from you
  • be able to cope with brief separations from you
  • start to develop self-regulation
  • have tantrums but also start learning how to manage big feelings
  • start to show that they understand other people’s feelings – for example, by hugging you if you stub your toe
  • start wanting to do things themselves.

At 2-3 years, if your toddler has good mental health, they’ll probably:

  • keep interacting with other people and building healthy relationships
  • enjoy being around people other than you
  • start learning how to behave in positive ways
  • start learning about taking turns and sharing
  • start using words to express their emotions.

The signs of good mental health can look different if you have a premature baby or your child is unwell, is neurodivergent or has a disability. It’s a good idea to talk to your paediatrician, GP or child and family health nurse about the mental health signs to expect in your child.

A safe environment and good mental health for babies and toddlers

A safe and predictable environment helps babies and toddlers feel safe, secure and looked after. This is important for developing good mental health.

Ideas for creating a safe environment that promotes good baby and child mental health

  • Have routines. Routines create predictability in your family life. When your child is very young, it’s best to balance routines with responsiveness. As your child gets older, you can create routines for different times of the day, including bedtime routines.
  • Make sure your home is safe. You can make a safe but creative environment for your child by supervising your child and looking for risks.
  • Try to keep conflict with your partner away from your child. If your child sees kind and respectful relationships, they’ll feel safe and secure. They also learn to be kind and respectful themselves.

Relationships and good mental health for babies and toddlers

Warm and responsive relationships directly and positively affect baby and toddler brain development and can lead to good mental health.

The key to building a positive relationship with your child is consistently and warmly responding to your child’s needs for food, comfort, sleep, attention and so on.

Baby and toddler cues can often tell you what your child needs. But it’s OK if you’re not sure. The most important thing is that your child knows you’re always there for them, because this helps them feel safe and secure.

Ideas for promoting good baby mental health through relationships

  • Just be with your baby. Take time to watch your baby, regularly touch and cuddle your baby, make eye contact and smile at your baby. This helps you get to know each other and build your bond.
  • Regularly spend time together doing things you and your baby enjoy. For example, go for a walk outside, meet other babies and parents, and listen to music together.
  • Soothe your baby’s crying calmly and consistently.
  • Talk to your baby warmly and gently as often as you can. It doesn’t really matter what you talk about – just describing what you’re doing together is fine.
  • Tune in to your baby’s interests. For example, if baby shows you Teddy, you could say ‘Yes, it’s Teddy. Is Teddy having a cuddle?’
  • Be gentle with your baby when you’re interacting or handling them.
  • Adapt your parenting to your baby’s temperament, as you start to understand more about your baby.

Ideas for promoting good toddler mental health through relationships

  • Give your toddler plenty of positive attention. This can be as simple as getting down to your toddler’s level when they show you something in the sandpit.
  • Tell your toddler that you love them. You can also show love through your body language and nonverbal communication – for example, by making eye contact, giving a hug or smiling at your child.
  • Respond to your toddler’s attempts to communicate. For example, if your toddler points to a toy, you could say, ‘Do you want the truck?’
  • Label your toddler’s emotions. This helps your toddler learn about emotions and how to manage them. It can also help your toddler feel understood.

Learning to behave in positive ways is good for your child’s mental health. That’s because positive behaviour helps children get along with others, stay safe and develop well. A warm and loving relationship with you supports this part of your child’s mental health and development too, because children do best when they feel supported, encouraged and safe.

Play and good mental health for babies and toddlers

Play is important for your child’s mental health and wellbeing. This is because play helps babies and toddlers:

  • feel loved, happy and safe
  • explore and be creative
  • have fun
  • develop self-esteem and confidence
  • build connections to others and learn about caring for others
  • develop social skills, language and communication skills
  • develop physical skills.

Play ideas for promoting good mental health in babies and toddlers

  • Follow your child’s lead in play. This sends the message that what your child is interested in is important to you.
  • Help with play only if your child needs it. For example, you can hold a toy while your child puts the pieces in it. This builds your child’s confidence.
  • Use play to help your child express and learn about emotions. Play ideas to develop emotions include puppet play, singing songs and nursery rhymes and messy play.
  • Read and share stories with your child. Reading promotes brain development and imagination, develops language and emotions, and strengthens relationships.
  • Give your child plenty of opportunities to play outside. Your child can explore the natural environment, test their physical limits and build self-confidence.
  • Give your child opportunities to practise sharing, especially as they move into the toddler years. Taking turns and sharing while playing with blocks is a great way to start.

Good physical health is important for mental health. You can help your child stay physically fit and well by encouraging them to eat well, helping them get enough sleep, and giving them plenty of opportunities for physical activity. For toddlers, it’s also important to balance digital technology use with other activities.

Signs babies and toddlers might need help with mental health

For babies and toddlers, signs that something isn’t quite right or that they might need extra support can include:

  • crying in a way that can’t be soothed
  • being frequently unsettled or irritable and difficult to soothe
  • not wanting to make eye contact
  • withdrawing from you or not responding to you
  • consistently not sleeping or eating well
  • consistently losing weight and not growing as expected
  • being extremely stressed and anxious about separating from you
  • losing skills over several months
  • behaving in challenging ways – for example, throwing things, hitting, having persistent and severe tantrums, or persistently biting, pinching or pulling people’s hair
  • having unexplained or sudden changes in behaviour.

What to do if you’re worried about baby or toddler mental health

You know your child best. If you’re concerned about your child’s behaviour, development or wellbeing, it’s important to seek professional help. There are various professional support options, including:

If you don’t know where to find the most appropriate services for your family, your GP is a good place to start.

Looking after yourself: why it’s important for children’s mental health

Looking after yourself helps you stay physically and emotionally well. This is good for you, and it’s also very important for your child. When you’re well, you’re better able to give your child the warmth, care and attention they need to grow and thrive.

Looking after yourself includes:

If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed or you’re struggling with your mental health, relationships or another issue, getting professional support is a very good idea. You could start by talking to your GP.

Here are more ways to get support:

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Raising Children Network is supported by the Australian Government. Member organisations are the Parenting Research Centre and the Murdoch Childrens Research Institute with The Royal Children’s Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

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