We are 18 months and counting into the pandemic and as parents, we continue to balance mandates and unknowns for our children, sometimes day by day. Keeping up with communication coming from school and other places has become a job in and of itself.

You know what...it is exhausting!

You know what else...it is ok to recognize your exhaustion.

When a significant event occurs such as divorce, the death of a parent, or physical and/or mental abuse we tell ourselves that the “children are resilient and will pull through.” Children are resilient, but they still need tools that will help them cope with the trauma. Often what we believe are children being resilient is really a child packing away what happened and not addressing their feelings.

Why does self-care come easily for some while others struggle in allowing themselves the time? When the concept of self-care is mentioned, many dismiss it out of hand as a buzzword or fad.

We’re not meant to keep our emotions in check 100% of the time. We need to find some balance or outlet, understanding how to express our feelings appropriately in a safe environment. How do we monitor our own emotions while helping our children understand their own?