Supporting Healthy Mental Development in Kids

A child can be doing well on paper and still be struggling to grow into who they are. They're meeting milestones. They're doing fine in school. There's no diagnosis and no crisis. There's nothing that sends up a red flag. But are they learning how to manage frustration, build healthy relationships, navigate conflict, recover from setbacks and ask for help when they need it? Mental health in childhood isn't just about identifying what's wrong. It's also about understanding what healthy development looks like and recognizing opportunities to strengthen it before there's a problem to diagnose.

This episode was recorded live on the exhibit floor at the 2026 American Academy of Pediatrics Conference in San Diego, California. Joining us for this episode is Joan Jeung, MD. She is a clinical professor within the Department of Pediatricians and Division of Developmental Medicine at the University of California San Francisco School of Medicine.

Some highlights from this episode include:

• Understanding healthy mental development beyond diagnosis
• How this changes across age groups and what pediatricians should expect
• When and how a pediatrician can provide support to a family who is struggling
• The role of sleep, physical, activity, play, school, friendships and family connection

This episode is underwritten by Wings Credit Union, a proud supporter of Charting Pediatrics and Children's Hospital Colorado. Wings generously responded to Children's Colorado's State of Emergency for pediatric mental health in 2021 and is pleased to support this episode. For more information on Children's Colorado, visit: childrenscolorado.org.