Are you feeling exhausted beyond the usual tiredness that comes with parenting? Wondering if what you’re experiencing is “just stress” or something more? Let’s talk about parental burnout – what it really is, and why it’s distinct from other forms of exhaustion.

Parental burnout is a specific condition that goes far beyond everyday parenting stress. It’s characterized by three key elements:
First, there’s overwhelming exhaustion related to your parenting role. This isn’t just feeling tired after a long day – it’s a deep, persistent fatigue that sleep doesn’t fix.
Second, you might notice an emotional distancing from your children. Parents often describe feeling like they’re operating on autopilot, only able to complete the basic, mechanical tasks of parenting while struggling to maintain emotional connections.
Third, there’s a sense of loss of accomplishment and enjoyment in parenting. Activities that once brought joy now feel like insurmountable tasks.

While this might sound similar to workplace burnout, there’s a crucial difference. When you’re burned out at work, you can take a break, change jobs, or even switch careers. Parenting doesn’t come with these escape routes – it’s a 24/7 role that you can’t step away from.
It’s also important to understand how parental burnout differs from depression. Depression affects all aspects of life, while parental burnout is specifically tied to your parenting role. You might still find joy and energy in other areas of your life while struggling intensely with parenting.
The path to parental burnout often involves:

● A chronic imbalance between parenting demands and available resources
● High personal standards and perfectionist tendencies
● Limited support systems
● Difficulty setting boundaries

Remember, experiencing parental burnout doesn’t make you a bad parent. In fact, it often affects the most dedicated parents who are trying their hardest to be everything to everyone.
Recognising these signs early is crucial. While burnout can feel overwhelming, it’s not a permanent state. With the right support and strategies, parents can recover and rebuild their relationship with parenting.

This article was written by Rachel Stern. As a certified coach specialising in parental burnout, Rachel helpa parents recognize, understand, and overcome burnout.
Want to learn more about your own burnout risk? Take the Parental Burnout Assessment at https://en.burnoutparental.com/test-pba-en and take the first step toward recovery

April 29, 2025