The word “well-being” can be used in many different settings, like in schools, doctors' offices, social media, and even on television. But what does it really mean?

In addition to their physical health, a child’s well-being is affected by their mental and emotional health as well as their ability to feel like they have some control in their life through consistency and routines.

Child well-being depends on a child’s feeling of safety and stability with their families and where they live. Children’s physical, mental, and emotional well-being support their overall development, which helps them to grow, learn, and build the skills they need to reach their full potential.

Mental and Emotional Health

Mental health helps children think clearly, make good decisions, manage stressful situations, and have positive relationships with others. Emotional health supports a child’s ability to manage their moods and feelings.

Strong mental and emotional health is supported by ongoing positive experiences of belonging to a family, community, and culture. These experiences provide children with the support they need to develop self-confidence, positive self-esteem, and a healthy emotional outlook on life.

You can start supporting your child’s mental and emotional well-being right from the start—when they are just a baby. Your baby's mental health begins with their connection to caregiving adults, including you and their child care providers. Continue this support as your child grows.

Learn how to support your child’s mental and emotional health by reading these resources.

Importance of Routines and Consistency

Routines and schedules help organize family activities and keep life from becoming too chaotic. Familiar, predictable routines and schedules can provide a sense of comfort and security for children. Young children often feel like they have very little control over the things happening to and for them. Just like adults, children feel more confident and secure when their daily activities are predictable and familiar. A consistent daily schedule and step-by-step routines allow children to have a predictable day and make them feel like they have more control in their daily activities.

  • A schedule organizes when main events or activities will happen during the day, week, or month. For instance, during the week, we go to before school care at 8 am each day.
  • The routine is knowing who will do what and in what order. For instance, we brush our teeth before bed every night or Grandma walks me to school every morning. It also includes commonplace tasks, chores, or duties that you and your child will do regularly.

Following a schedule and routine helps children understand what to expect and when to expect it. This predictability allows children to adjust quicker to changes and transitions. This structure reduces stress and gives children clues about what behaviors are acceptable in different situations.

Learn more about how schedules and routines can support children’s well-being.

  • Consistent routines and rules help create order and structure in the day and allow things to go more smoothly because you and your child know what to expect. To learn more about the importance of structure and rules and find tips to make them work, see the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s "Tips for Creating Structure and Rules."
  • Routines provide the two key ingredients necessary for learning: time for relationships with caregivers and repetition. Learn more in Zero to Three’s resource about ”Creating Routines for Love and Learning.”
  • Children do best when routines are regular, predictable, and consistent. Read more about the importance of family routines with this resource from AAP.
  • Young children can learn how to do simple self-help activities. The Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning provides helpful information you can use to teach your child to become independent by using routines.