A mother of a 14-month-old baby took to Reddit to wonder how other parents would handle the situation she and her husband faced. She asked people on the “r/parenting” subreddit what their response would be when they ask their partner out. Take a “break” from parenting duties.
The mother was seeking advice after her husband asked for a ‘day off’ to look after their son.
She described their daughter as having “a lot of energy” and explained their typical schedule – she and the baby wake up at 7, eat breakfast, go outside, play, read, and then the baby goes to bed around 11.
But on the day her mother posted to Reddit, the baby refused to take a nap at her usual time. Later that day, when her husband woke up at 10:30 a.m., he took a shower, drank coffee, and asked for the rest of the day to himself.
Photo: Tatiana Sirikova / Pexels
She said she felt conflicted about her husband’s request: “On the one hand, I understand, but on the other hand, I feel like, ‘I’m so sad.’ She felt it would “save the rest of the day.”
The mother said her husband was ‘having an off day’ and wanted the rest of the day off to take care of their son.
Most of the comments from other parents suggested that she should comply with the leave request as long as she can take a day off from baby duty in the near future. Many parents have noted that in an ideal world, parenting responsibilities would be divided equally; The reality is that parenting labor is not always equally distributed.
Photo: Pixabay / Pexels
As one parent said, “It’s never 50/50. “One of us is always doing ‘more’ and the other ‘less’,” he said. to support each other”
Another man addressed his mother directly, saying, “You both need days like this sometimes and you both need to be honest with each other. Give grace to one another. Another said, “It sounds counterintuitive, but you’ll both be better parents if you take regular breaks.”
The mom who made the original post came to the comments to answer a question posed by a Reddit user, who asked if she was getting the same opportunity for vacation. She replied that her husband offered to let her know if she wanted a break. However, she says, “I don’t think I can ‘vacate’ at home without feeling guilty or wanting to be with my son.”
Her response seems to be the crux of the conflict – the mother doesn’t feel as entitled to a break as her husband. Mother guilt is a huge problem stemming from society’s idea that motherhood is an all-encompassing role and that asking for help makes you an inferior parent.
Parental burnout is a natural part of raising children.
According to an article published by Healthline, burnout is defined as “the result of prolonged stress when the demands placed on a person exceed their ability to meet expectations.” As Healthline graciously says, if you’re a parent experiencing burnout, “You’re not a bad person. There is no need to live like this. There are ways to cope.
The first step in dealing with burning feelings is to be open and direct with your partner about how you feel, which is what the woman’s husband did.
Photo: Gustavo Freng / Pexels
As one person commented on her post, “He seems self-aware and in a vulnerable position, coming to you with parenting stress, that’s good news.
Healthline emphasizes being patient with yourself and understanding that parenting, no matter how much you love your child, is inherently stressful. Scheduling breaks, even if it’s just for 20 minutes a day and just to take a breather, has undeniable value.
Wanting time away from your kids doesn’t make you a bad parent. It just means you’re a human being with real needs and vulnerabilities, and sometimes a break is the best thing you can do for yourself.
Alexandra Blogger is a writer on the YouTango News & Entertainment team. She covers parenting issues, pop culture analysis and all things related to the entertainment industry.
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