Surviving Half Term: The Overlap of Parenting, Work and Burnout

We’ve just come through half term and someone said to me this week,
“Oh, the kids have been off school — did you have a nice holiday?”

And I smiled.

Because here’s the truth:
It is not a holiday when you’re still working part-time, entertaining three children, running two kids’ craft sessions, packing up a house ready to move, and preparing for our upcoming Mindful Parent Hub sessions.

It’s beautiful.
It’s full.
It’s meaningful.

But it is not a break.

And that comment really highlighted something important — how misunderstood parental load can be.

One of the things I don’t talk about enough is this:

Sometimes work can feel like a break from parenting.

Not because work is restful — it isn’t.
Not because I don’t love being with my children — I do, deeply.

But because when I go to work, I’m not holding all the parenting responsibilities in that moment. The load shifts. The demands are different. My nervous system gets a different kind of pressure.

And if you’ve ever felt that — you are not a bad parent.
You are a human carrying a lot.

Five years ago, this was me in a much heavier way.

I had just returned from my third maternity leave, navigating life after separation, and working four days a week while raising three children.

My days felt like a constant relay:
 Drop-off.
 Straight to work.
 Watching the clock.
 Racing to finish on time for pick-up.
 Home. Dinner. Laundry. Bedtime.
 Repeat.

It felt like running from pillar to post.

There was no space to land. No pause. No recovery.

And because I was always “on the go,” I found it hard to truly connect with my children when we were together. That brought guilt. A feeling of missing out. A sense that I wasn’t doing enough anywhere.

This is how parent burnout and work burnout start feeding each other.

You go to work already depleted.
 You parent already overstretched.
 Neither role allows full recovery.
 Instead of rest, you just switch demands.

Your nervous system stays in “doing mode” — always alert, always responding, rarely settling.

Over time this can look like:

• Irritability
 • Emotional exhaustion
 • Feeling numb or disconnected
 • Guilt no matter where you are
 • A constant, invisible mental load

It’s not a personal failure.

It’s a nervous system that hasn’t had a chance to exhale.

And half terms, school holidays, and life transitions (like moving house) can amplify this — because the structure shifts, but the responsibilities don’t disappear. If anything, they multiply.

Burnout isn’t solved by trying harder or becoming more efficient.

It starts with:

• Small regulation moments woven into your day
 • Compassion for your capacity
 • Realistic expectations of yourself in this season
 • Support systems — not doing it all alone

Sometimes it’s about lowering the bar.
Sometimes it’s about asking for help.
  it’s simply about acknowledging: this season is full.

If someone has asked you whether you “had a nice break” this half term and you felt a pang in your chest — you’re not alone.

So many parents are quietly carrying this dual load of work and home, switching roles without ever switching off.

Support can make a real difference — whether that’s coaching, workshops, or simply having space to reflect.

If you’re navigating burnout, overwhelm, or the mental load of parenting and work, I offer 1:1 wellbeing coaching and parent workshops designed to support nervous system regulation and emotional wellbeing.

You don’t have to keep pushing through on your own.  

If you can't make one of our workshops - you can work with me on 1:1 basis.  Personalised sessions give you space to explore your specific challenges, at your pace, with support tailored to your family and nervous system.

If something in this post resonated, don’t sit with it alone — send me a message and we can have a no-pressure chat about what support might look like for you.