238: Feeling exhausted and overwhelmed? Tools to help you cope
Your Parenting Mojo - Respectful, research-based parenting ideas to help kids thriveShow Notes
Feeling Overwhelmed by Parenting Stress? You’re Not Alone.
If you’re exhausted, stretched too thin, and struggling with the stress of parenting, you’re not the only one. Many parents—especially mothers—find themselves running on empty, constantly trying to meet everyone’s needs while their own go unnoticed. Parenting stress can leave you feeling frustrated, drained, and even angry at your kids, whom you love so much.
In this episode, we’re unpacking why parenting can feel like too much and what we can do about it. We’ll explore the hidden pressures that push parents toward burnout, the unrealistic expectations we place on ourselves, and small shifts that can help you feel more supported, more present, and less overwhelmed by the daily stress of parenting.
Questions this episode will answer
Why does parenting feel so much harder than I expected? Is it normal to feel resentful or emotionally drained from the stress of parenting? Am I an angry parent? Is this just who I am? How can I take care of myself when my kids need me all the time? Why do I feel guilty when I set boundaries or ask for help? What small, doable changes can I make to feel more balanced and present?
What you’ll learn in this episode
Why so many parents feel like they’re drowning—and why it’snot your fault What’s really behind that constant exhaustion and frustration Practical ways to lighten the load without adding more to your to-do list How small mindset shifts can make parenting feellessoverwhelming How to recognize when parenting stress is turning you into an angry parent—and what to do about it
This isn’t about striving for perfection or forcing yourself to do more. It’s about finding simple, meaningful ways to care for yourself while still showing up for your family.
Parental Burnout Quiz
Here's the quiz mentioned in the episode: https://en.burnoutparental.com/suis-je-en-burnout
If you snap at your kids more often than you'd like...
If your anger seems to come out of nowhere, and you can't stop it...
If you've promised your kids you won't yell at them as much, but keep on doing it...
...the Taming Your Triggers workshop will help.
Click the banner to learn more!
Core episodes we reviewed: 111: Parental Burn Out 130: Introduction to mindfulness and meditation with Diana Winston 122: Self-compassion for Parents 186: How to meet your needs with Mara Glatzel SYPM 009: How to Set Boundaries in Parenting
Other episodes referenced 193: You don't have to believe everything you think 121: How to support your perfectionist child 017: Don't bother trying to increase your child's self-esteem
Jump to highlights
02:21 Introduction of episode
04:05 Four key symptoms of parental burnout
05:00 Factors why the parents in some countries burnout more than others.
06:02 Kelly's burnout experience
08:55 Cortisol level on burnout parent
09:28 Important risk factors for burnout
11:30 The roles of societal expectations on parents
12:58 Personal strategies to address burnout
13:37 Mindfulness awareness
20:25 Self-compassion for parents
21:43 Parents debilitating perfectionism
24:20 Strategy for achieving self-compassion
25:54 Introduction on parental neediness
29:33 The common barrier to prioritize needs
31:31 Need that often gets neglected
34:50 Difference between boundaries and limits
38:36 Why we default to limiting so much
39:59 What happens when parents don’t set boundaries
43:13 Reasons why parents feel overwhelmed
49:00 Ideas to bring out to life
More from Your Parenting Mojo - Respectful, research-based parenting ideas to help kids thrive
This is the third and final episode in our series on Dr. Russ Barkley's approach to ADHD. In the first episode, we looked at how ADHD gets diagnosed and why diagnosis rates keep climbing. In the second episode, we covered the medication research - including the largest ADHD treatment study ever conducted, and why most kids stop taking medication within a few years. This episode zooms out to ask a bigger question about whether the medical model has misunderstood ADHD from the start.
You did everything right today, and it still wasn't enough. Your kid melted down over something small, you lost your patience faster than you wanted to, and now you're lying in bed wondering if today's hard moment left a mark.
You promised yourself you wouldn't become your mother. Then your kid won't put their shoes on for the third time, and the voice that comes out isn't really yours.
Before my daughter was born, I made a book split into two halves. One cover said 'me.' The other said 'you.' I filled the 'you' side with a list of hopes for who she'd become. I had a lot of ideas about the person she should be before I'd ever met her.
Your child's preschool number shows up on your caller ID, and your stomach drops before you even answer. Preschool never calls with good news. Your kid hit someone at the sand table, or kicked a friend in line for the bathroom, and now you're standing there wondering if you have to call another parent and apologize, and whether this is the start of your kid becoming the one nobody wants to play with.