I am burnt out. There, I’ve said it. I am burnt out, and on top of that I feel guilty for feeling burnt out. Summer was supposed to be our break, a time to recharge, relax, and maybe take a vacation before the chaos of the school year starts up again. Well, that isn’t happening. So yeah, I need a break. I have decided that am not going to feel guilty about it.

There is no room for “Mom Guilt” during a pandemic and global crisis. Being “on” 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for, hmmm… let’s see, four months now is starting to take its toll. We deal with enough Mom Guilt in our regular day-to-day lives. You know what? We just don’t have the room for it right now. That space is currently reserved for things like keeping our kids healthy, safe, entertained, and educated.

For the last few months we have been doing everything parents normally do. In addition to our normal duties we have been teachers, our kids sole playmates, advocates for the greater good, and an army of other duties too exhaustive to detail here. We’ve been doing this expanded role all while all being together, in a shared space, with all the sounds, feelings, and smells (oh, the smells) for 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no end in sight.

Hey, all you moms out there: give yourself the break that you have more than earned, and do not spend a single, precious moment feeling guilty about it. Mom Guilt needs to take a back seat to staying sane. We need time to ourselves because our mental health and well being is just as important as everyone else’s. Let that screen be the babysitter for a while (no one has to know!)… put the kids to bed early one night so you can enjoy a movie and a glass of wine all by yourself… set up a tent in the yard and move your family’s stuff into it for a night or three… be just a little selfish for a change. We have the rest of our lives to feel that Mom Guilt. Now is not that time. Mom Guilt is out of commission until further notice.