ARTICLE SUMMARY:
- Work, school, home…: 5 ways to get back to school on the right foot
- 3 tips to help baby go back to school
- Recognize and tame the mental load
- Mental load, the signs that should alert you
That's it, back to school has arrived! With its cohort of new projects, tasks to prepare, school supplies to buy, new extracurricular activities to choose... a whole new rhythm to adopt in addition to the change of season to tackle. It remains to be seen who will manage its organization and coordination. As for heterosexual couples, things are clear, the women are in charge! So much so that this work has a name: mental load.
Work, school, home…: 5 ways to get back to school on the right foot
Everyone to bed! (including you)
It's a great classic for back-to-school and back-to-work periods, but resuming a regular and effective sleep schedule is essential for children and parents alike.
To avoid crying fits, pressure, delays and arguments, put everyone to bed early enough. So everyone has time to enjoy their little rituals before sleeping : reading, evening story, review of the day... Everyone can then approach the end of the day with more serenity.
We anticipate any workload that may be
From the shopping list to the clothes that 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 done before the start.
Be careful, the idea is not to overload your last days of vacation and verge on burnout! We advise you instead to take 15 to 30 minutes regularly , when you feel good, available and rested to plan. With each box checked, so much mental load is released.
We empty our bags and relieve stress
Literally and figuratively, emptying your bag feels good! Clean up, remove the last grains of sand and check that your sunscreen is no longer stored in your beauty bag. Figuratively, tell anyone who wants to hear it (or doesn't want to) how much this return to school frustrates you, delights you, excites you, depresses you or tires you, quite simply because it feels good.
We get the whole family involved
For a majority of women, stewardship = mental load. Errands, medical and/or veterinary appointments, extracurricular activities, applications to fill out, gifts to buy, family reunions to organize... The list is long and never ends there.
For a lighter life, distribute domestic chores at home! To each his own and for the rest, long live distribution and fairness in the couple .
We don't force ourselves and we stay ourselves
Back to School, return to work , launch of a new professional activity, a new product or resumption of a well-established routine, nothing beats the mind, the natural and its expression.
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 all!). Dare to say “no”, “I don’t know”, “I don’t like” or “I don’t want” as soon as you feel the need.
3 tips to help babies go back to school
Flexibility in schedules
First days of nursery or first day of school, take the time if you can to accompany your little one and pick him up. Also anticipate the fact that someone may call you earlier in the day. Because a relaxed baby makes you gain inner peace and tranquility , your level of mental workload is affected.
Daily benchmarks
To free your mind, create rituals, establish habits. This is especially true with toddlers. Thanks to these markers, your baby is not caught off guard. Each ritual put in place indicates the next step of his day.
- Checking the contents of the diaper bag every morning at the same time gives baby a head start.
- Using a cuddly toy, a handkerchief, a blanket, etc. to slip into the nursery bag or to take to school, creates the link between you and the community.
Confidence in your child
We know it, you know it, Babies have an incredible ability to adapt . Also, trusting them allows you to partially relieve stress and mental burden.
Isn't the bed the same at daycare as at home? To drink, we offer him a glass rather than a sippy cup? The dormitory shutters are not completely closed unlike usual at home? Don't try to revolutionize how it works at home or adapt that of the community on which your baby depends. It is quite possible that what does not work at home will work at daycare or school, and vice versa.
Recognize and tame the mental load
THE labor law glossary defines mental load as “all the demands received by the brain during a given period”.
However, in the 21st century the mental load is everywhere, the requests are constant and - in the family context - mainly addressed to women. It is often during her pregnancy that the future mother learns to manage the needs of her child. A habit that lasts after birth and does not fade after returning to work in a company.
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 are feeling depressed . You think that you won't succeed , because you won't be able to play the roles of mother, steward, cook, companion, employee, entrepreneur at the same time... And for good reason!
- YOU gradually lose the desire to go out , to see your friends, your family, to have activities... Even your libido and your relationship can suffer from it.
Of course, written in black and white, the observation seems simple. However, mental load (or mental exhaustion) should not be taken lightly. If you recognize yourself in the first point, act before reaching the second! Let go, forget perfection, give yourself time just for yourself, talk to your partner, ask your parents for help, consult or take a solo vacation if you can. Everything is good to avoid burn-out!
