If it feels like the parenting is taking a toll on your mental health, you’re not alone. Parental burnout is real, and at Babe, we want to dedicate space to having real, honest and open conversations about it.”

Our friends at Vivvi partnered with the Chamber of Mothers to shed light on some pretty astounding stats surrounding maternal mental health. 

For example, did you know: One out of 4 parents is showing clinically significant mental health symptoms right now? And that number is even greater for Black women and other women of color. 

“It’s such a challenging time to be a working parent,” Gretchen Richer, director of family experience at Vivvi tells us. “We have caregiving duties from morning until bedtime, work to get done, and of course the ongoing stress of the ever-evolving pandemic. It’s no wonder so many of us are feeling burned out.”

According to the Chamber of Mothers, “studies suggest that mothers without childcare or with informal childcare arrangements have higher depressive symptoms than mothers whose children are enrolled in a free center-based program.”

“Self-care has never been more critical for working parents, and we shouldn’t feel guilty for prioritizing it,” Richer tells us. “Adding an extra hour onto your regularly scheduled childcare can give you the space you need to get a manicure, meet up with a friend or do whatever it is that you need to do to help recharge.”

Here, watch how three parents are using childcare solutions to help maintain their own mental wellness: 

This article was written in partnership with Vivvi.