Small children need to explore and be stimulated, but also to seek security, rest and sleep. They can’t really sense when they need to unwind as their regulatory skills are still developing, but they need help from you as a parent.

As parents, we like to stimulate our children by helping them develop. However, children can easily be overstimulated when there are too many sights, tastes, sounds and activities that they don’t know how to handle.

All children are different – some take in everything going on around them and get tired relatively quickly, while others can relax in messier environments. Sometimes children can appear restless or active when they are actually tired, which then leads to overtiredness. To avoid your child getting overtired or overstimulated, it is important to try to listen to their signals and help them to calm down when needed.

Understanding these signals is something that happens over time, but having regular routines and structure in everyday life tends to make things easier. This will make it easier for you as a parent to plan both play and rest, while it usually provides security and predictability for many children. Always remember that as a parent, you are an expert in understanding your child and their needs.

Children may need extra rest and reassurance when they are going through changes and experiencing lots of new things. They may also get more anxious and need more closeness as they learn new skills. Get to know your child and do what is best for you as a family.