ARTICLE SUMMARY:
- Work, school, home…: 5 tips to start the new school year off right
- 3 tips to help with baby's return to school
- Recognizing and managing mental load
- Mental load: the signs that should alert you
Back to school is here! With its host of new projects, tasks to prepare, school supplies to buy, new extracurricular activities to choose… a whole new rhythm to adopt, on top of the changing seasons. The question remains: who will manage the organization and coordination? In heterosexual couples, things are clear: women take charge! So much so that this work has a name: mental load.
Work, school, home…: 5 tips to start the new school year off right
Everyone to bed! (Including you)
This is a classic occurrence during the back-to-school and return-to-work periods, but re-establishing a regular and effective sleep pattern is essential for children as well as for parents.
To avoid tears, pressure, delays, and arguments, put everyone to bed early enough. This way, everyone has time to enjoy their little rituals before going to sleep : reading, bedtime story, review of the day… Everyone can then approach the end of the day with more serenity.
We anticipate any workload that can be anticipated
From the shopping list to the clothes baby will wear this week, including the choice of evening meals or the inventory of upcoming birthdays not to be missed: anticipate everything that can be anticipated before returning to work.
Be careful, the idea isn't to overload your last few days of vacation and risk burnout! We advise you instead to Take 15 to 30 minutes regularly , when you feel good, available, and rested, to plan. Each box checked frees up mental load.
We empty our bags and release the stress.
Literally and figuratively, getting things off your chest feels good! Literally, remove the last grains of sand and check that your sunscreen is no longer tucked away in your makeup bag. Figuratively, tell anyone who will listen (or even if they don't) how much this back-to-school season frustrates, delights, excites, depresses, or exhausts you—simply because it feels good.
We're getting the whole family involved
For a majority of women, housekeeping = mental load. Shopping, medical and/or veterinary appointments, extracurricular activities, forms to fill out, gifts to buy, family gatherings to organize… The list is long and never ends there.
For a lighter life, share the household chores! To each their own affairs, and for the rest, long live sharing and fairness in the couple .
We don't force ourselves and we remain ourselves.
Back to school, Whether returning to work , launching a new professional activity, a new product or resuming a well-established routine, nothing beats naturalness and its expression for the mind.
To avoid as many injunctions as possible and free yourself from the mental burden that too often accompanies them, remain yourself against all odds (or everyone!). Dare to say "no", "I don't know", "I don't like it" or "I don't want to" as soon as you feel the need.
3 tips to help babies get back to school
Flexible scheduling
Whether it's the first days of daycare or the first day of school, if you can, take the time to drop off and pick up your little one. Also, be prepared for the possibility of being called earlier in the day. Because a relaxed baby brings you inner peace and tranquility , your mental workload will thank you.
Daily reference points
To free your mind, create rituals and establish routines. This is especially true with toddlers. Thanks to these familiar routines, your baby won't be caught off guard. Each ritual put in place indicates the next step. of his day.
- Checking the contents of the diaper bag at the same time every morning gives baby the go-ahead.
- Using a cuddly toy, a handkerchief, a blanket… to slip into the nursery bag or to take to school, creates the link between you and the community.
Trust your child
We know it, you know it, the Babies possess an incredible capacity for adaptation . Therefore, trusting them helps to partially relieve stress and mental burden.
Is the bed different at daycare than at home? Do they offer a glass instead of a sippy cup for drinks? Are the nap room shutters not completely closed, unlike at home? Don't try to revolutionize your routine at home or adapt it to the routine of the daycare or school your baby attends. It's quite possible that what doesn't work at home works at daycare or school, and vice versa.
Recognizing and managing mental load
THE glossary of labor law defines mental workload as "the sum total of demands received by the brain during a given period".
However, in the 21st century, mental load is everywhere, demands are constant, and—within the family context—they are primarily directed at women. It is often during pregnancy that expectant mothers learn to manage their child's needs. This habit persists after birth and doesn't disappear after returning to work.
Mental load: the signs that should alert you
- You are constantly tired , impatient and even Irritable . This is the beginning of physical and mental exhaustion.
- You feel depressed . You think that You won't succeed , you won't be able to hold the roles of mother, housekeeper, cook, partner, employee, entrepreneur... And for good reason!
- YOU You gradually lose the desire to go out , to see your friends and family, to have activities… Even your libido and your couple relationships may suffer from it.
Of course, written down, the observation seems simple. Yet, mental load (or mental exhaustion) shouldn't be taken lightly. If you recognize yourself in the first point, take action before reaching the second! Let go, forget about perfection, give yourself some time alone, talk with your partner, ask your parents for help, seek professional help, or take a solo vacation if you can. Anything that helps prevent burnout is beneficial!
