August 18, 2025

No is a Complete Sentence

I am the mom who often feels guilty about too much screen time, disappointing my children (or other people’s children and really many other people in general), working too much and not spending enough time with them, and not getting everything done to have a clean and orderly home.

My rational brain knows that I cannot come close to pleasing everyone and neither can anyone else, but I still have to work at self-kindness and self-compassion when I have maladaptive thoughts about my parenting. It’s encouraging to read or to hear others say that the parents who truly care are the ones who overthink.

I know how very much I care, but it’s quite difficult to know what to care the most about at a given time.

A good friend of ours was talking with us during a a Meet the Teacher event this evening. He said that between their 3 children he and his wife added 172 activities or events to the calendar for the school year with sports and other practices and activities.

I am in the midst of making summer birthday magic for three of our kids and it’s just a lot as we attend practices and Back to School events and await and prepare for Mom’s upcoming surgery in less than two weeks.

The mental load is real and complicating it with self-doubt and self-criticism is all too common and can feel very heavy.

If you’re there with Summer’s End and facing Back to School and all that comes with it, you’re not alone.