>>>
>>> A
>>> A MOTHER'S WORK IS NEVER DONE.
DONE.
DONE. THAT STATEMENT HAS NEVER BEEN
TRUER.
TRUER.
TRUER. THEY ARE RUNNING HOUSEHOLDS,
EDUCATING THEIR KIDS, AND SOME
WHILE TRYING TO KEEP THEIR JOBS
FULFILLED ALL AT HOME.
OF COURSE, IT'S BEEN REALLY
TOUGH FOR EVERYONE AND MOTHERS
ARE NOT, OF COURSE, SEPARATE
FROM THIS.
FROM THIS. THEY ARE REALLY TAKING ON A
LOT.
LOT.
LOT. A
LOT. A BRUNT OF A LOT OF THE WORK IN
THE HOME.
THE HOME.
THE HOME. SO I SPOKE WITH A PSYCHOLOGIST
ABOUT THIS.
ABOUT THIS. >> OBVIOUSLY, WE KNOW THAT
THROUGH THESE SIX, SEVEN WEEKS,
MOMS HAVE REALLY TAKEN ON A LOT
MORE THAN TYPICAL.
THEY ARE WEARING MORE HATS THAN
THEY TYPICALLY DO.
WHAT ARE SOME SIGNS THAT WE
SHOULD LOOK OUT FOR, FOR MOMS
TO REALIZE THEY ARE IN TROUBLE
OR THEY MAYBE NEED SOME
ASSISTANCE AND HELP.
>> IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT'S
NORMAL IN OUR NEW NORMAL
ANXIETY PROVOKING WORLD.
AND I THINK IT WOULD BE TYPICAL
FOR ALL OF US TO BE MORE
IRRITABLE THAN USUAL, TO HAVE A
LITTLE DISRUPTED SLEEP, YOU
KNOW, HAVE MORE TIME SPENT ON
WHAT IFs AND WORRIES, MAYBE A
LITTLE BIT MORE DOWN DAYS.
THAT IS NORMAL IF IT COMES AND
GOES.
GOES.
GOES. IF
GOES. IF MOMS ARE NOTICING THAT
THEY'RE FEELING IRRITABLE ALL
THE TIME, THAT THEY ARE NOT
GETTING JOY FROM ANY OF THE
ACTIVITIES THAT THEY DO, THAT
THEY ARE SLEEPING TOO MUCH OR
CAN'T SLEEP AT ALL.
OR REALLY ARE JUST FEELING
OVERWELMED AND UNABLE TO
FUNCTION IN THEIR DAY-TO-DAY OR
CERTAINLY ANY THOUGHTS THAT
THEIR FAMILY WOULD BE BETTER
OFF WITHOUT THEM, THOSE ARE
SIGNS REALLY THAT IT IS MORE
THAN JUST A NORMAL STRESSOR OF
LIVING THROUGH A PANDEMIC.
>> THAT IS WHEN THEY REALLY DO
NEED TO GET SOME PROFESSIONAL
HELP AT THAT POINT IN TIME,
OBVIOUSLY.
OBVIOUSLY. >> ABSOLUTELY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK THE MISTAKE A LOT
OF MOMS MAKE IS DEPRIORITIZING
THEIR OWN NEEDS AND REALLY
PRIORITIZING THEIR CHILDREN AND
OTHERS AROUND THEM AND NOT
RECOGNIZING THAT IT'S KIND OF
LIKE THEY TELL YOU ON AN
AIRPLANE, BACK WHEN WE ALL
COULD TRAVEL, YOU NEED TO PUT
YOUR OWN OXYGEN MASK ON FIRST
BEFORE YOU HELP OTHERS DO THAT.
IT IS THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO
FOR YOURSELF AND CERTAINLY FOR
YOUR CHILDREN AND YOUR FAMILY
TO BE ATTENTIVE TO WHEN THE
DEMANDS, REACH OUT FOR HELP AND
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT.
SUPPORT. >> SPEAKING TO FRIENDS,
SPEAKING TO FAMILY ABOUT IT IS
ONE OF THE THINGS.
WHAT ELSE CAN MOMS DO TO
PRIORITIZE THEIR WELL BEING?
GET THAT OXYGEN MASK ON
THEMSELVES FIRST.
THEMSELVES FIRST. >> GET OUTSIDE FOR 20 MINUTES.
GET SOME SUNLIGHT, WALK.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE EATING.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE RESTING.
I THINK THE THINGS THAT MOMS
OFTEN DON'T DO ARE LOOKING AT
THINGS LIKE CONNECTING WITH
FRIENDS OR RELAXING AND READING
A MAGAZINE OR DOING SOME
PLEASURABLE ACTIVITY.
PLEASURABLE ACTIVITY. MANY WOMEN SEE THAT AS SELF-
INDULGENT AS OPPOSED TO THESE
ARE REALLY NORMAL, HEALTHY,
SUSTAINING BEHAVIORS THAT WE
SHOULD BE DOING FOR OURSELVES
AND REALLY MODELING FOR OUR
KIDS.
KIDS.
KIDS. WE
KIDS. WE REALLY WANT TO SHOW OUR KIDS
THAT HEALTHY FOLKS DO A LOT OF
DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES TO
ACTUALLY STAY WELL AND
BALANCED.
BALANCED.
BALANCED. >> AND I THINK WHAT THAT MEANS
IS YOU DO HAVE TO DELEGATE AND
YOU CAN'T TRY TO DO IT ALL.
WHEN YOU DELEGATE IT, YOU HAVE
TO LET IT GO.
IF IT ISN'T DONE EXACTLY THE
WAY YOU WOULD DO IT, YOU HAVE
TO LET IT GO.
>> EVEN IF THERE WERE PERFECT,
YOUR KIDS WOULD NOT BENEFIT
FROM IT.
FROM IT.
FROM IT. BECAUSE THEN EVERY OTHER
RELATIONSHIP THEY HAD THE REST
OF THEIR LIFE WOULD BE
DISAPPOINTING.
DISAPPOINTING. ONE OF THE THINGS MY PATIENTS
AND MY FRIENDS AND FOLKS ARE
TALKING A LOT ABOUT IS HOW
STRESSFUL IT IS TO FEEL LIKE
YOU HAVE TO BE YOUR CHILDREN'S
TEACHER AS WELL AS THEIR
MOTHER.
MOTHER.
MOTHER. NOW WITH ALL OF THE DISTANCE
LEARNING, AND I THINK MOMS
SHOULDN'T TRY TO BE THEIR KIDS
TEACHER.
TEACHER.
TEACHER. THEY SHOULD JUST TRY TO BE
THEIR MOM.
THEIR MOM. RECOGNIZE THAT GIVING KIDS SOME
STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT AND
LETTING THEM MAKE SOME MISTAKES
AND MAYBE NOT GET ALL THEIR
HOMEWORK DONE ON TIME IS
PROBABLY THE BEST ANY OF US ARE
GOING TO DO DURING THIS
DIFFICULT TIME.
DIFFICULT TIME. >> WHAT ARE SOME THINGS YOU
SUGGEST THAT FAMILIES CAN DO TO
REALLY, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATE MOM
THIS WEEKEND?
THIS WEEKEND? >> I THINK THAT MOST MOMS
APPRECIATE A DEMONSTRATION FROM
THEIR KIDS AND THEIR FAMILY OF
WHAT THEIR PRESENCE IN THEIR
LIVES MEAN.
LIVES MEAN. KIDS HAVE A LOT OF TIME, RIGHT?
IF THEY WANT TO DO AN ART
PROJECT, WRITING A LETTER.
IF THEY WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW,
MAKING UP A LITTLE SKIT OR
DOING SOMETHING TO HELP
CELEBRATE HOW IMPORTANT THEIR
MOM IS TO THEM, I THINK THAT IS
THE GIFT THAT MOST MOMS WOULD
FIND THE MOST MEANINGFUL.
IN ADDITION TO NO WHINING.
>> EXACTLY.
>> EXACTLY. AND THEN SOME PRIVATE TIME FOR
HER THAT DAY, WHICH IS WHAT YOU
MENTIONED EARLIER, WHICH IS
REALLY IMPORTANT.
REALLY IMPORTANT. ABSOLUTELY.
ABSOLUTELY. AND IT REALLY DOES NEED TO BE
PERSONAL.
PERSONAL.
PERSONAL. IT NEEDS TO COME FROM EACH
CHILD.
CHILD.
CHILD. EACH CHILD HAS A DIFFERENT
RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU, AND IT'S
NOT JUST A HALL MARK CARD,
THAT'S FOR SURE.
WELL, LISTEN, I APPRECIATE YOUR
TIME AND HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO
YOU AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU.
YOU, TOO.
YOU, TOO.
YOU, TOO. >> NOTHING WRONG WITH HALLMARK
CARDS, OF COURSE.
HOMEMADE MIGHT BE THE BEST
ROUTE THIS YEAR, THAT'S FOR
SURE.
SURE.
SURE. I
SURE. I WANT TO THANK DR. LARUSSO.
THEY HAVE NUMEROUS
PSYCHIATRISTS THAT CAN ACTUALLY
HELP YOU AND THEY ARE DOING A
LOT OF THIS WORK, OF COURSE,
THROUGH ZOOM AND THROUGH