
Why the Mental Load Gets Bigger When Your Kids Start School (And What to Do About It)
From Working Mumma by Carina O’Brien
May 19, 2026 · 14 min · Episode 191
About this episode
Carina discusses the increased mental load that comes with parenting school-age children and offers insights on managing it.
Working mum life doesn’t necessarily get easier once kids start school, it just changes. In this honest solo episode, Carina shares the hidden mental load of school-age parenting, juggling sport schedules, work, family logistics, and the invisible labour modern mothers carry every day.
People in this episode
Host: Carina O’Brien
Topics covered
- mental load
- school-age parenting
- work-life balance
- invisible labor
- family logistics
Keywords
- mental load
- school
- parenting
- work
- family
- logistics
- invisible labor
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