The Platespinning Academy Podcast

World Book Day And Other Additional Stressors For Parents

Nic Davies

With annual World Book Day celebrations upon us again, many schools will be participating in one way or another. The pressure for kids to dress up can often be too much for already overwhelmed parents and caregivers, and if we don’t make it happen we may be left with feelings of guilt, and feel like we’re failing for not making more of an effort.

Having raised my bio kids during the 1990’s and 2000’s, comparing the pace of parenting then to more recently when I’ve raised my step-children, the difference is overwhelming. I used to have time, energy and headspace to fully immerse myself in the enjoyment of making costumes for the kids, and unfortunately more recently it has become all but impossible to keep up with those same expectations.

With the pace of life we live right now constantly gaining traction and speed, is it any wonder we are too stressed to create and make with/for our children? Spending money on a ready-made costume isn’t quite what World Book Day was supposed to be about – but what’s the alternative? I talk about the fact we chose to step out of that particular pressure, and also discuss other aspects of extra-curricular stress for both children and parents/carers alike.

Having to ringfence any time we want to spend slowing down the pace a little, means it doesn’t seem to happen naturally any more. Because we have to make an extra effort to protect this time, activities such as making costumes for themed days like World Book Day can fall by the wayside because they’re simply not a priority if we’re living in constant survival mode. It’s a kicker. Life shouldn’t be like this. But here we are. This is a frank discussion on the comparisons of 1990’s parenting compared to the last few years. I find myself in a privileged position to have done both – and maybe that’s why I find it so unjust that we can’t just press pause so easily now.

About Nic:

I'm Nic Davies, The Mental Load Mentor. I help business owners get life organised at home, so they can reclaim their headspace, time and energy needed to grow and run a successful business.

I've navigated through adverse times with hard-hitting curveballs that have forced me to re-assess the importance of self-care and having firm boundaries in place, as well as becoming more organised in the day-to-day running of home, business, and life in general.

My mission is to make sure that everyone has an equal opportunity to create a business they love, without feeling held back by household obligations, or adversity. Drawing upon a diverse range of life experience, I'm building an online community that supports anyone who is struggling to balance home life and business together.

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