As the family timeline is changing and many people are opting to wait to have children, we are now a generation of people charged with caring for both our children and elderly parents simultaneously. If you have children (even those in their twenties) living at home and you have parents who can no longer live entirely independently, you are a part of this sandwich generation. Being a part of this generation can be challenging in so many ways, particularly to our mental health.

When parenting young children, you know your time is not yours. From diapers to dance classes, the needs of those kiddos always come before your own. Society forever tells parents that self-care is critical: to care for themselves and find time outside the home to engage with friends and enjoy enjoyable activities. As a mental health professional, I often tell my clients to do these things, too, and even try to do them myself. But what happens when your already minimal free time is spent caring for your elderly parents" This is the challenge many Canadians are now faced with.
Caring for multiple generations is exhausting. Many of the tasks a parent does in their own home for their children are suddenly mirrored in their parents' home. Grocery shopping, laundry, meal prep, doctors' appointments, etc., can all become tasks that elderly parents need support with.
How do we do it all and manage our mental health"
The simple answer is we don't. Many clients come through the doors of my practice...