When we talk about infant/early childhood mental health we mean the early relationships infants and toddlers have with their parents or caregivers and their ability to experience emotion and explore their surroundings. These early relationships are important to a young child’s healthy development. Warm relationships by caring parents and caregivers are important to a child’s mental health.
Infant mental health is also the infant’s capacity to experience and control different feelings. Infants explore in order to learn.
Early childhood mental health refers to the social and emotional development of the child. It is the ability to have good social relationships with adults, including caregivers, teachers, and peers and to learn to express emotions in safe and healthy ways.