You are the mom.
You likely look after the schedule.
You organize all of the things for your household.
You are a big piece of keeping a family going.
But . . . it’s not just the managing.
It’s the healing.
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You likely work hard to keep the family emotionally and physically healthy.
You bandage boo boo’s and you comfort hard days.
You’re a listening ear and a problem solver.
Needless to say, your plate is full.
Overflowing, in fact.
Time can rush by so quickly, consumed with life, and having a family, that you don’t stop to think twice about that mounting anxiety.
The difficulty sleeping.
You just keep going because people need you. No, people depend on you.
So, you’ll take care of you later.
Please stop this narrative.
Stop this talk. It’s going to hurt you, and your partner, so very deeply.
Take care of you now.
Moms . . . dads . . . you need people.
You need each other.
You need time for yourself.
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And NOT just monthly.
It doesn’t have to be grand, or pretty, or time-consuming.
Stop to drink the extra water.
Take the vitamins.
Read your books, journal, take a bath.
Go for a run, do that yoga class.
Get dinner with a friend.
Plan kid-free time to connect with each other, even at home.
But for the love . . . do not wait.
Mental health and physical health don’t just sit in the corner and wait for when you are ready to care for them, and they certainly do not take care of themselves.
To be our best for our families now, and to be our best for our families later, we have to acknowledge ourselves and one another. Each day.
Talk with your spouse.
Make space.
Flip the script.
Shift the norm.
Because a mom and dad’s mental health matters, and it matters right now, more than ever.