Pandemic Parenting + Mental Health

Under the best of circumstances, being a mother means being a chef, driver, teacher, therapist, friend, housekeeper, and more, somehow all at once.  But being a mother during a pandemic? All bets are off.  

In this unprecedented time, mothering means holding our fears and anxieties, while trying to maintain some semblance of consistency for our children.  We are trying to figure out whether to educate them or let them be. We are trying to figure out whether they need support, or need to be left alone. We are trying to figure out the right balance of love and boundaries.  Perhaps we are navigating complex custody and co-parenting situations, or increasing financial struggles.

And we are trying to do all of this while spending more time together under one roof than ever before.  

Perhaps we have a partner by our side, and perhaps we don’t.  Hopefully we have a few friends for SOS middle of the night text messages, TikTok videos, and memes.  If we are fortunate, we have a safe, secure environment within which to muddle our way through pandemic parenting. 

The reality of mothering during this time can be stressful and overwhelming.  It is a time when we may notice anxiety and depression creeping in, with rapidly diminishing resources to handle our emotions.  Our own social outlets and coping mechanisms–whether that be the respite of the yoga studio, a girls night out, or the structure of the workplace–may no longer be available to us.  

This is the time when we need to place our mental and emotional well-being at the forefront of our priorities.  It is our time to put our proverbial oxygen masks on first. There is no way to be the mother we want and need to be to our children if we ourselves cannot breathe.  

We at the Mental Health Collective get it.  Not only do we have a leadership and clinical team full of mothers, but we understand that, fundamentally, healthy and connected mothers help sustain healthy and connected families and communities.

As a result, for the first time, the Mental Health Collective is bringing treatment into your home.  We are leveraging technology and our team of highly skilled therapists, mindfulness experts, and parenting coaches, so that you can access support when and where you need it the most.  

So join us, and mothers from around the globe, as we navigate pandemic parenting together.  One small step at a time, we can do this. We can come through this as healthier, stronger, and more compassionate mothers–for the sake of ourselves, and our children.  

Written By: Dr. Monisha Vasa | The Collective’s Co-Founder + Clinical Advisor