For many parents, winter break arrives with mixed emotions — excitement to slow down, but also the challenge of filling long days, managing routines, and keeping kids engaged. The structure that school provides suddenly disappears, and without it, many families find themselves juggling work, energy levels, and expectations. Yet with the right tools and mindset, winter break can become more than a survival period — it can be a chance to reconnect, recharge, and strengthen family bonds.

The mental load is the invisible planning, tracking, organizing, and anticipating that goes into running a household, supporting a child’s needs, and keeping everyone afloat.

It sounds like:

• “We’re out of oat milk.”

• “I need to schedule that IEP meeting.”

• “Is she eating enough at school?”

• “Did I ever respond to that email from the teacher?”

It includes the emotional labor of comforting tantrums, noticing your child’s sensory shifts, and carrying the weight of everyone’s wellness while often ignoring your own.

Parenting is one of the most rewarding roles in life, but it can also be one of the most exhausting. Between managing daily routines, juggling work responsibilities, supporting children’s emotional needs, and maintaining a household, it’s easy for parents to feel overwhelmed. This ongoing stress can lead to parent burnout, a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged caregiving stress.