The backstory of my working mother burnout When I was a young working mother, I felt very unsuccessful. Struggling to care for three children, work full-time as a physician, and get adequate help from my husband, I was chronically unhappy. Childcare challenges (an unexpectedly sick child) seemed to present themselves at the worst possible moments…
How much stress at work can you take?
Stressful work in the NICU I loved my work in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) because there was always some excitement, plenty of intellectual challenges, and various procedures to perform. Some days working in NICU, however, I felt like a fireman running around putting out fires – one baby deteriorating here, another baby needing…
Methods to Overcome Your Mom Stress
Methods to combat against your mom stress & prevent burnout. Time alone & self-care are crucial. Among the issues leading to mom overload, many of us find it difficult to make time & save energy to care for ourselves. Hobbies & enjoyable activities with friends before we became a mother are past. However, many of…
The best features of a family schedule
The school year schedule. My favorite family schedule is the school year schedule. It begins with meet the teacher, then back to school night where you get a feel for their classroom and sit in those precious little desks. Next is the fall festival or Halloween carnival. There are costumes to order and decorations to…
The 5 Best Family Rituals
Among these five family rituals, is your favorite one on the list? Is your favorite family ritual the family dinner, trips to the grocery store, bedtime routines, family movie night, or family meetings? As parents we try to structure our family time together to provide love and connection. There are certain family rituals that are…
Three sure signs of serious mom burnout
My mom burnout remembrance. I was reading an article about mom burnout for those of us who are at the end of our rope with a certain child or adolescent. This can happen if you have a difficult child, or a challenged child, or a child with a physical disability, or one with a challenging…
Feeling worthwhile in the NICU
A Typical NICU patient I love to think about this one baby boy patient of mine. It was such a feeling worthwhile. He was born into my care nineteen years ago. His mother came into L&D with premature rupture of membranes, without any fever. She was given antibiotics and steroids to mature the baby’s lungs….
5 Things Our Parents Used to Say….That Were Right!
We heard certain things, over and over again, from our parents. It turns out that they were pearls of wisdom and still true today! Here are some of my favorites: “Go outside and play” Children aged 8 to 10 years spend about 6 hours a day in front of a screen (inside) for entertainment (4…
“Soft Skills” are an effective mother’s tools for living
Recently, I read a businessman’s update on critical skills that employers are searching for. The skills that may not be listed on your resume. These “soft skills” – he called them – that are currently desirable in business include: Scheduling Time management Communication Customer service Flexibility Ability to work independently Project management Analytical thinking I…
Gun Violence in Children
Gun violence is now the number one cause of death in children Currently, the number one cause of death in children & teens ages 1-19 is gun violence and injury. Motor vehicle accidents used to be the primary cause of death, but not anymore. Researchers found that firearm-related deaths overall increased 14% between 2019…
Any plan to have long term marriage stability?
Our marriage predicament: My husband and I have been going through a rough patch, and it made me wonder about the emotional stability of our marriage. There was an attic fire in our home last November. It began in the chimney shaft upstairs and spread to the attic, sending smoke and soot throughout the whole…
Suicide Prevention in Teens Begins with Parental Awareness
Risk factors for teen & young adult suicide. Suicide prevention begins with parental awareness of risk factors in your teen or young adult. By knowing these risk factors, parents can recognize if their child or teen needs extra supervision, support, & more chances to talk: Deliberate but non-suicidal self-harm, such as cutting – puts kids…
