Moms discuss back-to-school challenges and mental health strategies
SCHOOL NOW? COMING UP THIS MORNING, WE’RE SITTING DOWN WITH TWO OF OUR LOCAL SUPERINTENDENTS. YOU’LL HEAR HOW THE ORANGE AND FLAGLER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE PREPARING FOR THE YEAR AHEAD. BUT FIRST, WE ALL KNOW THAT SMILES AND MAYBE A FEW TEARS ARE GOING TO BE HAPPENING AS BACK TO SCHOOL SEASON CAN BE REALLY AN EMOTIONAL ROLLER COASTER, ESPECIALLY FOR MOTHERS. MANAGING SCHOOL SHOPPING. THOSE LUNCHES, SAFETY CONCERNS, AND OF COURSE, SOCIAL PRESSURES. THAT DOES CREATE A LOT OF A HEAVY MENTAL LOAD. MEREDITH MCDONOUGH HAD CANDID CONVERSATIONS WITH FIVE LOCAL MOTHERS ABOUT HOW THEY’RE NAVIGATING THIS BUSY TIME OF YEAR, WHILE ALSO PRIORITIZING THEIR OWN MENTAL HEALTH. ONE WORD TO DESCRIBE HOW YOU’RE FEELING ABOUT BACK TO SCHOOL. BYE BYE, MOMMY LOVES YOU. WELCOME TO MOM TO MOM CONVERSATIONS. OVERWHELMED. OVERWHELMED. NOT READY, NOT READY. NERVOUS. NERVOUS. EXCITED. I’M EXCITED TOO. YEAH, OKAY. FROM OUR HOMESCHOOL MOM. I’M. I’M EXCITED ABOUT IT. AND MY KIDS ARE EASY TO TEACH. YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE IT EASY. I’M NOT THE ONE WHO MAKES IT EASY TO OUR MILITARY MOM WHO HAS A CHILD WITH DISABILITIES. MY MIDDLE, WHO’S THREE, IS GOING TO BE GOING TO SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO I’M EXTREMELY NERVOUS. THIS GROUP OF DIVERSE WOMEN RUN BUSINESSES AND HOUSEHOLDS, BUT STILL GET THE BACK TO SCHOOL BUTTERFLIES. JUST REMEMBERING THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE NERVOUS, EVEN THOUGH IT FEELS OVERWHELMING AND YOU ALL ARE EXCITED REMEMBERING THAT WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS BOUNDARIES AND NOT BURNOUT. WORDS OF WISDOM FROM OUR MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT. WE COVERED SO MANY TOPICS FROM SAFETY AND BIG FEELINGS TO CONFRONTING OUR FEARS. WHAT’S YOUR BIGGEST CONCERN FOR YOUR CHILD? AS A MOM, YOU’RE CONSTANTLY THINKING, AM I RAISING A GOOD HUMAN? LIKE, AM I RAISING A GOOD HUMAN? AND AM I GIVING THEM THE TOOLS TO GET THROUGH LIFE? I DON’T KNOW WHY, BUT I’VE HAD THIS UNDERLYING FEAR OF LIKE, WILL HE BE ABLE TO HANDLE HIMSELF IN SCHOOL BECAUSE HE’S NOT AS BIG AS HIS FRIENDS? LOVE MY KID, TAKE CARE OF MY KID BECAUSE, LIKE, I’M NOT GOING TO SEE HER FOR THE NEXT EIGHT NINE HOURS. I THINK ALL THOSE CONCERNS ARE VALID. AND BEING A MOM, THOSE WORRIES, THOSE ANXIETIES ARE NORMAL. BEING A MOM, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE FACTS. HAS THAT HAPPENED BECAUSE THESE THINGS WILL LEAD YOU TO BE TO PROJECT THAT ANXIETY ON YOUR CHILDREN. SO A REGULATED MOM RAISES REGULATED CHILDREN AS WE STEP INTO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR, LET’S MAKE SPACE FOR BOTH MISTAKES AND GRACE WHILE STAYING ATTUNED TO OUR CHILD’S UNIQUE NEEDS. BE MINDFUL OF THEIR BEHAVIORS. WHAT HAVE SHIFTED? WHAT HAS CHANGED? THINK ABOUT THEIR BEHAVIORS. THINK ABOUT THEIR EATING PATTERNS, THEIR CLOTHING THAT THEY’RE WEARING. WHEN THEY SAY THINGS LIKE, I DON’T WANT TO GO THERE. REALLY LEAN INTO THAT. PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY ARE SAYING AND INVESTIGATE IT. HOW DO YOU ALL TAKE CARE OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH AS A MOM? AS A PARENT, HOW DO YOU ALL DO IT? IS THERE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE? THERAPY? WEEKLY THERAPY TO TRY TO NAVIGATE THOSE EMOTIONAL HIGHS AND LOWS? RUNNING A BUSINESS, RUNNING A HOUSEHOLD. YOU CAN’T BE 100% ALL IN ONE AREA BECAUSE THEN SOMETHING ELSE FALLS APART. SO REMEMBER WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITH GRACE? GIVING YOURSELF GRACE. WE’RE WORKING TOWARDS BOUNDARIES, NOT BURNOUT. AND REMEMBER, ALL OF YOU ALL ARE DOING YOUR BEST AND KEEP DOING YOUR BES
Moms discuss back-to-school challenges and mental health strategies
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