Supermom to the rescue!!!
We joke all the time how being a mother is a super power because of the amount of things that a mother can do or should I say is expected to do.
Raising children comes with an array of duties, taxi service, legal representative, nurse, doctor, nutrionist, Personal trainer, counsellor, leader, chef, teacher, health and safety executive.
Did I miss something off our ever expanding list as a mother?
It sounds like quite an impressive resume for the mother that can keep up with all of those responsibilities and if you are a mother doing all of those duties on your own, I can only guess exhaustion, sadness or even time to process all what you are doing may not even seem like an option.
Talk about pressure.
Which brings me onto the actual feeling of pressure, anxiety, hopelessness, depression, let’s just talk about a mothers mental health.
Having such a variety of responsibilities and duties that spin around the clock, especially if you have younger children, must at some point result in burnout.
24/7, 365 days a week with little rest or rejuvenation is virtually impossible for any body not to feel slightly overwhelmed.
Now I know being a supermom there seems to be a little shame or dirtiness associated with the words “I need help” or “I’m not coping”, but less just be honest for a second.
We cannot be at our very best if we don’t take time to step back, rest or get help when needed.
It is reported that 65% of parents who suffer from mental health related issues are mothers because they are the dominant parental figure in a child’s life, therefore holds the majority of the responsibility.
A London college also reported that a mother with poor mental health has more of a significant impact on a child’s development than a child that is raised in poverty.
A father who suffers from mental health related issues obviously has an impact but not as significant as the mother, because she has always been identified as a child’s security and dominant caregiver.
So don’t be afraid to let go of the cape, the stereotype and be true to your real feelings.
Strength is not always meassured by how much pressure you can withstand it is also knowing when to get support.
After all superman wore the disguise of Clarke Kent and that was so he could take time to replenish.