Have you ever felt like motherhood might break you? You welcome the weight because it’s evidence of your love for your children and your commitment to your family, but the load you carry is heavy. Not only is your to-do list long, but in many ways, it’s invisible. You’re not alone. In fact, what you’re feeling has a name and it’s the topic Megan brings to this episode of the iMOM Podcast. It’s the invisible load of motherhood.
The invisible load of motherhood is more than just endless laundry, groceries, and kids tugging on your shirt. Yes, it’s physical, like sleepless nights when the kids wake up sick. But it’s also a mental load, like knowing which child likes red apples and which one likes green. It’s keeping track of everyone’s schedules, appointments, and permission slips. And it’s an emotional load like wondering how to mend your daughter’s broken heart after her best friend accepts a date from the boy she likes. And it’s biting your nails as you wonder if the kiddo you stayed up late studying with will pass his test.
We talk about how and why even the most attentive husband probably doesn’t understand the load moms carry. Women were designed in a way that makes us more attentive to details and emotions. But there are things we can do to help lighten the load. We can delegate to our husbands (and then accept their way of doing something), automate what we can, pray, and let the kids take on responsibilities with resources like a chore chart. Motherhood is meant to be joyful, so you might have to pull back on something if it feels more like a burden.
Articles We Mentioned
8 Ways to Manage the Invisible Load of Motherhood
3 Ways to Let Your Husband Help More with the Kids
Printables We Think You’ll Like
How do you feel the invisible load of motherhood in the stage you’re in?
