Hey Gen Alpha Parents, How's Your Mental Health Today? (12/18/23)

Mental Health Monday check-in just a week before Christmas

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We last did a mental health check-in just before Halloween, and I think we’re well overdue for another one. Especially because, for those of us who celebrate Christmas, we’ve got 7 days left… And just two weeks left before 2024 is here!

So tell me, fellow Gen Alpha parents: How are you doing as 2023 comes to an end? Here’s what’s up with me lately.

ICYMI: I wrote last month about how my family has been celebrating Christmas early since 2020, and I still love that tradition. But I’ll admit: This year has definitely not been quite as “celebratory” as the last.

After putting up our tree the first weekend in November, I am a bit ashamed to admit that we didn’t put up our outside decorations until ahem this past weekend. As in, halfway through December and with barely more than a week left.

And the worst part? We still had our Halloween lights up and these magnetic “Happy Halloween” stickies on our garage door. Though in my defense, it’s not like I ever see my own garage door! Whoops.

But better late than never, amirite?! Well, whatever. It happens.

Feel free to hit “reply” and email me back with your own Mental Health Monday check-in (I WILL KEEP THESE ANONYMOUS!) or scroll down to leave a comment below!

Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash

I still haven’t decorated the mantel above our fireplace or put up our stockings. Part of that is because I’m still getting used to having stockings in the house. That was just never a thing growing up in my Cuban-Russian-American household—just not a tradition that we ever embraced, I guess. I call them “Christmas socks” most of the time because I hardly ever remember the word “stockings,” and also because it’s kind of a weird word.

Is it too late to do it now?!

Probably not. But I’ll be real: We aren’t planning to put anything in the Christmas socks this year. In years past, my husband and I would exchange candy. When our kiddo came, he would get bath toys. But I feel like, at this point, we’ve got plenty of candy and it’s worn off the allure since it’s not particularly rare—nor are bath toys.

I did get Rio some cute pajamas that I figured I’d put in the stocking just cause that’s easier than wrapping them. But for the past two years, we’ve opened one present on Christmas Eve—and it’s been the PJs both times. So I dunno. I kind of like the idea of him wearing those on Christmas Eve night, too, so who knows?

Part of the lack of Christmas decorations is also just me trying to avoid the mom burnout that often happens during the holidays.

This whole year has been really difficult for me, and I just found very little energy to focus on the holidays this year. I often look around and think, “I wish we had more twinkly lights up.” But I’ve been trying to listen to my body more lately, and my body is clearly in need of rest.

And I have always been the kind of mom who prioritizes her own rest, thank you very much.

I was actually at a birthday party for one of Rio’s classmates over the weekend, and the dad of the child in honor and another mom talked about how they can’t rest when they see mess around the house. And I just cannot relate. I mean, sure, the mess stresses me out and makes it difficult to concentrate—especially as someone with ADHD. But my body overrides my anxious mind. So more often than not, I don’t pick up whatever shit is lying around and so our house is a perpetual mess.

But I’ll be honest: As much as I hate the mess and it stresses me out—along with my poor husband, who does 90% of the physical chores like laundry and dishes around the house—if I don’t have the energy, I honor that. Organizing is my job and something I actually really enjoy doing, but it’s also a task I can’t do in small increments. So it’s either that I have the energy and availability to spend 3 hours doing it, or I don’t. And, well… I don’t have the energy much of the time. Much less the time when I’m not working or parenting.

The house is a constant mess. We go through phases of it being cleaner than not, and then back again. And it’s not any better right now, though we need to do some serious organizing and cleaning up before this weekend. That’ll happen, I promise. Probably.

So my mental health? Meh.

It’s better than it’s been all year, but it’s also been in the crapper all year so that’s not exactly saying much.

I’m hopeful that 2024 will be a better year—now that I’ve got a job after 11 months of unemployment and my mental health medication is on track—but I’m bracing myself for a very busy, even more stressful last couple of weeks. And with a new job, I can’t really take off the week between Christmas and New Year’s, which I have done almost every year throughout my career.

I know I’ll survive. Hell, I know we all will.

But the last 2 weeks of the year are always something else, to say the least. So here’s what I am thinking: Let’s all give each other and, most importantly, ourselves a gigantic hug. We need it.

Join me in conversation… I’d love to hear your stories. What’s weighing heavily on your mind, right now, today? No judgments, no fear; just honesty. Simply “reply” to this email to share your thoughts with me (full anonymity, I promise!) or leave a comment below. I’ll start ;) I’d love to hear from all of you!

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Talk soon,
Irina (she/her) - raising a March 2020 gen alpha kid