Introduction
When people think of parenting, they imagine chaos: toys on the floor, loud dinners, last-minute science projects.
What they don’t imagine is quietly staring at the wall in the middle of the night, heart racing, while your inner monologue screams over the baby monitor.
Because no one tells you what it’s like to parent with anxiety. Or bipolar depression. Or ADHD. Or PTSD.
And certainly not what it’s like when you’ve got more than one of them.
Waking Up Exhausted
It starts early.
Not just the morning, but the weight.
You wake up tired from battling yourself all night. Your kids bounce into your room asking for cereal, and all you want is five more minutes of stillness… not because you’re lazy, but because your brain hasn’t stopped fighting you since yesterday.
You smile.
You pour the milk.
You lose 10 HP for pretending you’re fine.
You Can’t Call in Sick from Being a Parent
There’s no PTO when you’re overwhelmed.
No HR department for emotional breakdowns.
You still have to make lunches. Attend the recital. Fold the laundry. Hug the child who just threw a tantrum on the floor while your heart feels like it’s in a blender.
People say, “You’re doing amazing.”
And you nod while wondering how much longer you can keep holding the mask in place.
The Guilt Is a Monster of Its Own
You miss a field trip because your anxiety convinced you something would go wrong.
You cancel plans because your depression decided to knock you flat.
You forget to sign the permission slip… again.
You see other parents who look like they’re managing.
And suddenly, you’re the villain in your own story.
The truth?
You’re fighting a war no one else sees and you still made their lunch. That’s not failure. That’s heroism.
What No One Sees
They don’t see the coping strategies taped to the fridge.
They don’t see you grounding yourself in the pantry before your child’s meltdown triggers a panic attack.
They don’t see the quiet breakdowns during nap time.
They don’t see the strength it takes to not walk away.
They only see you show up. And they call it “normal.”
It’s not.
It’s resilience in disguise.
You’re Not a Bad Parent You’re a Brave One
If you’re raising kids while juggling therapy appointments, medication side effects, trauma triggers, and emotional crashes…
You’re not just “doing your best.”
You’re performing emotional alchemy.
You teach your kids empathy by modeling it.
You teach them emotional vocabulary when you say, “Mommy’s having a hard day.”
You teach them resilience not through perfection, but through presence.
Closing Thoughts
There’s no trophy for parents with mental illness.
No gold star for showing up when your brain begs you not to.
But every diaper changed, every bedtime story told, every meltdown survived?
That’s a battle won.
So if you’re out there wondering if you’re enough:
You are.
You’re fighting harder than most people will ever understand.
And your kids may not see it now…
But one day, they’ll realize you were their hero, too.
