The “mental load” is one of those phrases that you may not have heard of, but it describes a very common and often invisible experience. The mental load is the invisible weight of noticing what needs to be done and thought about. For parents, the mental load might sound like, “How long will the diapers that we have last?” “When does my child need to go for their next dental appointment?” “How far out do I need to schedule that appointment?” “Does my child have the right size clothes for the next school year?” “What about shoes?” “Will both children eat what I make for dinner when Child 1 dislikes anything green and Child 2 doesn’t like soft, mushy textures right now?”
In the following article, the author interviews several experts on this topic and provides tips on how to share the conception, planning, and execution of tasks involved in the mental load.
https://www.romper.com/parenting/mental-health-parenting
If you would like to speak with a counselor about managing stress or parenting, you can make an appointment with one of the EAP’s counselors. To schedule an appointment, please email us at eap@austin.utexas.edu or call 512-471-3399.