Secure early attachments for children with their parents and other primary care givers are fundamental for good emotional health both in the short and long term. Babies/young children need parents to provide sensitive and responsive care to support their development and to form secure attachments. Supporting parents to be responsive to their baby’s cues and help them become tuned-in to their child is vital in their journey to parenthood.

The evidence-base from neuroscience and The First 1001 Days is clear that promotion, prevention and early intervention are the key to creating emotional resilience and to support parents/carers to adapt and self-manage and to delight in their babies/children. As part of a multiagency network of partners we can offer support and signpost you to local support to meet your family’s needs.

We can support parents to understand that their baby’s behaviour is their way of communicating a need or emotion.

Understanding the importance of good emotional health for adults and children is central to this public health priority. Mental health and relationship issues, including anxiety and depression, can impact on a parent/carer’s ability to be sensitive and attuned to their baby’s emotions and needs. Perinatal mental health difficulties affect up to 20% of women, and also affect fathers/co-parents, in the perinatal period (pregnancy to 2 years postnatal) and beyond. The most common mental health problems experienced during pregnancy and after birth are anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but there are a range of difficulties that parents may experience. If you think a parent/carer you are working with may be experiencing difficulties with their mental health or their relationship with their baby/young child, you should seek advice/signpost them to an appropriate health professional so they can assess them and identify the right support and treatment, ensuring that support is offered at the earliest opportunity for families to improve outcomes for children.

Enabling children to learn to recognise and understand their emotions are the foundations of good early years practice. It is essential for all emotions to be recognised and valued by adults. Initially, babies begin to learn how to manage their emotions through having prompt responses to their immediate needs (co-regulation); this experience helps them learn how to self-regulate their own emotions as they become developmentally able to do so. If this does not happen it can be much harder for children to develop emotional resilience and to form supportive and trusting relationships, and will impact on many areas of their development.

Often simple changes to lifestyle can make a big difference. Being physically active on a regular basis has been shown to improve overall well-being as physical activity regulates the release of several hormones, and this benefits both children and adults. Being active early on in life increases the likelihood of staying active and provides long lasting benefits and promotes positive emotional wellbeing.

Good emotional wellbeing is essential for everyone to lead a happy, fulfilled life and relationships are clearly the foundation stone for this. An important idea in this priority is for adults who care for children to be responsive and attuned. Equally significant is recognising when this is feeling difficult for the parents and children and determining the best way to support and strengthen this crucial parent-infant relationship.

Sometimes life can present other challenges and situations that impact on a parent’s emotional wellbeing, and The Family Hubs network can offer advice and support on a wide range of issues that can impact on wellbeing and their child’s development.

Here are some links to websites that contain helpful links, videos and resources to share with parents for them to access support and information for their own emotional wellbeing and to support their relationships with their children:

Health Visiting: Getting support with your family’s emotional wellbeing – Children and Young People’s Services (sirona-cic.org.uk)

Start for Life (bristol.gov.uk)