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Shawn's Mental Load Doesn't Stop Over Summer But She's Here to Help đ
If your mind is ever racing through tomorrowâs to do list, youâre in good company. What youâre carrying is called the mental load, and yep...it can be heavy. We're here to help! â¤ď¸
Why the âMental Loadâ of Parenting is RealâŚEven Over the Summer
(and What You Can Do About It!) đ§
Letâs be honest: parenting isnât just about packing lunches and breaking up sibling arguments. Itâs also about remembering when the next dentist appointment is, noticing that youâre low on baby wipes, mentally planning dinner while answering 12 toddler questions at once, and somehow still remembering to text your neighbor back đ
If your mind is ever racing through tomorrowâs to do list, youâre in good company. What youâre carrying is called the mental load, and yepâŚit can be heavy.
But the good news is you donât have to carry it all alone â¤ď¸ Weâre here to help!
 | âSomething weâve been working on this summer is the power of saying ânoâ. To be a great spouse and parent you simply canât say âyesâ to every single thing. When weâve done this, it leaves us feeling drained and worn down as a family. My mental load simply cannot catch up when we are constantly packing our schedule full. Thereâs power in sitting down, looking at your calendar and prioritizing the things that matter most to your family.â -Shawn Johnson East |
The East Famâs Load-Lightening Habits đĄ
Here are a few practical ways Shawn and Andrew keep the chaos from taking over:
Sunday Reset đ: Every Sunday night, we do a quick âresetâ as a couple. Sometimes itâs as simple as three minutes where we look at the calendar, flag any busy days, and make a plan for the week. It helps SO much.
Mental Load Check-In đŹ : We check in with each other once a week (usually on date night) and ask something like, âHow do you think our schedule has been and what would you change?â
Use Shared Calendarsđą: We use an Apple Calendar for schedule reminders, appointments, work schedule, important school days, etc. We both live by this and itâs a game changer.
Lower the Bar (but in a good way!) đ§ş: Sometimes a dinner of frozen nuggets and baby carrots is just fine. Give yourself grace and know that you donât have to be perfect for your kids, just present.
Andrew dragging their sonâs carseat through the airport while trying to keep everyone on time, fed & on a schedule âŚmental load was HEAVY đ¤Ł
A Daily Check-In for Parents â¤ď¸
Take a second and ask yourselfâŚ
Is there a task Iâm carrying mentally that I can write down or delegate?
Have I asked for help lately? Or am I assuming I need to handle it all?
Whatâs one thing I can let go of this week for the sake of peace for my family?
Are Your Kids Always Snacking? đ
What if we told you thereâs protein chocolate milk your kids will LOVE?!
Look no further than Pioneer Pastures, available at Target!
14g of protein in a cup of milk OR 30g of protein in one milkshake- you canât beat it!
Andrew with his favorite flavor of Pioneer- chocolate!
Solve your snack-time slump by trying Pioneer Protein for yourself! Available at Target
For any dads out thereâŚthis oneâs a tear jerker 𼲠It gets Andrew every time!
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