“Your children don’t need a perfect parent.” Stress expert Elke Van Hoof on “good enough” parenting and parental burnout.
She wants to be the perfect parent, makes a point of spending time with her children every day, and yet feels increasingly stressed. Her to-do list keeps growing, and social media makes her wonder if she’s doing things right. Mom guilt all around. It’s a feeling many parents can relate to.
Elke Van Hoof explains this phenomenon by referring to three psychological mechanisms. She explains why the drive for perfection not only puts pressure on you, but also unintentionally burdens your child. She also explains what happens in your brain when it’s constantly predicting your “failure,” and why that’s so exhausting.
Perfectionism also turns out to be a persistent myth, and how you, as a parent, can protect yourself from parental burnout. You don’t have to be a superhero to be a good parent. Your children don’t need a perfect parent. They need you.
