?Treading water.? That?s how 37-year-old Toronto-based mom Margot Witz describes pandemic parenting with an almost 2-year-old. She jumps on Zoom calls and television appearances between changing diapers and picking up toys. As the vice president of an international beauty brand and an on-air spokesperson, she couldn?t stop working for a pandemic nor could she just stop parenting. She was drained: ?Physically, emotionally, mentally and internally.?
In spite of having a supportive partner, Witz says that roles and responsibilities are still landing primarily on moms. Her burnout started when she tried to navigate her son?s COVID risk?while attempting to maintain some sort of normal childhood? alongside full-time work from home while dealing with judgment from others about each decision. ?We kept him in a bubble. The burnout and the guilt and mom-shaming from other moms?is an insane thing.? A recent study released by The Ohio State University determined that more parents are burnt out than we may have thought. In fact, a whopping 66% of parents are feeling it. The study also determined that trying to parent through that exhaustion impacts our parenting styles, and that they are more likely to scream, criticize, insult, and spank children during that state. But the last thing parents need is another reason to worry they are ?messing up? their children. They need support.
The first step is naming it, without shame
One of the study?s lead researchers, Kate Gawlik, associate profe...