Social, Emotional Wellbeing & Health First
Each baby or child will have different experiences with their mental health. Many factors can influence their social and emotional development and wellbeing. This includes things like the quality of their relationship with their parents and carers, nutrition and their experiences in the womb.
Self-regulation and co-regulation
Self-regulation is our ability to adapt, adjust and control our emotions, actions and thoughts. It plays an essential role in mental health. Self-regulation helps us to:
- persevere in challenging situations
- ignore distractions
- think before acting
Children are not born with the ability to self-regulate. These skills are shaped by their temperament and their experiences in the womb and in early childhood. These skills must be developed over time.
Children need to continually learn and develop their self-regulation skills throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). To do this they need responsive, sensitive care from the adults around them.
Responsive and supportive relationships are where adults notice and understand children’s emotions and needs and respond appropriately. This includes soothing children and calming them down. This is called co-regulation. Responsive relationships with reliable adults, like early years practitioners, will help children build their self-regulation skills.
These skills are not only critical during the early years but are also key to being mentally healthy throughout childhood, adolescence and into adulthood. Helping children learn to self-regulate during the early years supports lifelong emotional wellbeing.
The importance of the key person
Every child in the EYFS must have a named key person. This is a practitioner who has a close relationship with their key children and works in close partnership with their parents and carers. A positive relationship between a key person and their key children is central to supporting their mental health.
As a key person, it is important to remember that all babies and young children are different. These differences shape what positive mental health looks like for them and the support they need from you.
At Charnwood Forest Nursery we:
- get to know and understand the child as an individual
- learn about the child’s home life
- learn to understand the child’s cues and the ways they communicate
- respond sensitively to their needs
- form a secure bond with them
At Charnwood Forest Nursery we also have Debbie Read and Emma Cunningham who are Mental health first aiders to support our team.
If you or your child feel extra support is needed please do speak to Nursery as we can offer internal and external support to the family.