Parental burnout - a reality that should not be ignored

17.07.2020
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Parental burnout - a reality that should not be ignored

Parental experience is one of the most educative and happy parts of life. However, the romance of a parent’s life can become an issue, when reality brings fewer rewarding moments.  Why? Because there will be sleepless nights spent with the crying baby, the 24/7 need to offer the child attention and care, especially during the first years, numerous extracurricular activities at which the parent must take part and for which he/she must prepare. All of these and many others, combined with the professional life, could lead to parental burnout.

What is parental burnout? 

The Burnout is a syndrome of exhaustion characterized by the feeling of overwhelm, physical and emotional exhaustion, emotional detachment from the children and the feeling that you are an ineffective parent. All these lead to a toxic relationship that you develop with the child generated from the desire to offer him/her everything the child needs. In addition, chronical exhaustion and the feeling that you are not doing enough, are triggers for a series of severe health problems, for excessive consumption of alcohol and for insomnia.

Here are a few solutions that would help you get out of this vicious circle, that would affect both your health and family:

1.      Accept the fact that you have a limit in your role as parent

Do not forget that you do not have to be a model parent, who juggles with a successful career, who takes part in all child’s activities, who prepares dinner 7 days per week and who does homework with the child, while reorganizing the house. Being a parent who tries to do perfectly all these jobs would lead, inevitably, to burnout.

2.      Look for support

Discussions with friends, parents or colleagues that could empathize with your situation and that could bring solutions have healing effects. Sometimes, the feeling that you are not the only parent who feels this mix of feelings takes a burden from your shoulders and re-charges you.

3.      Involve the entire family in household activities

Responsibilities must not fall only on the parents’/parent’s shoulder. Children could be involved in activities such as dishwashing, doing homework without supervision, cleaning the house or the yard, finding holiday locations, discussions with respect to customized health care services depending on the age, included in the health insurance etc. All these activities help parents and, at the same time, make children responsible. Thus, these activities could change into an educational and pleasant family moment.

            Parental burnout is a notion too less discussed and analyzed but represents a severe problem that affects many parents. The acknowledgment of such a problem and taking measures in due time would settle the life quality of the family members. 


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