Before kids, or in the early innocent newborn days, you imagined your future family with visions of joyful laughter and play, endless love, a happy rich and fulfilling partnership, and a world of wonder and precious moments you can’t wait to share with your little one(s)…Instead, life sped up SO fast that you feel like you can’t keep up between your career, marriage, and taking care of your littles, there’s just too much to keep up with, and you can’t keep the balls in the air. You find yourself experiencing fatigue, your regular rituals are falling by the wayside, your marriage is harbouring resentment and perhaps experiencing lack-luster, and you notice yourself showing up for your children in ways that you know you don’t want to, or can do better, but you just don’t know how.
These are all signs and symptoms of parental burnout, which I am way too familiar with. I’m a very happy and proud mama to a brilliant and VERY energetic and strong willed 3-year-old boy, and found myself saying to my husband and parents “I LOVE my son, I wouldn’t trade this life, but sometimes I kinda wish I didn’t become a mom.” I was completely burnt out, and I had nothing left to give to anybody. I was losing my temper way more than I wanted to (and I know the importance of programming), smoking and drinking regularly (even though I had healthier coping mechanisms), and my goals and self-esteem started to slip away, (and I honestly didn’t even care). It was time to approach my life, and parenting in a completely different light...You can relate a little bit, can't you?