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What if I can’t find my kid that toy they desperately want? What if I run out of time to turn my house into a Winter Wonderland? What if I can’t manage to get my holiday cards sent out? These types of worries often send my mom patients into a holiday anxiety tailspin. In response, I ask them to consider…
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Today’s Mom Brain holiday tip: Just say “screw it!” Lots of my mom patients spend time worrying about how things will go when they take their kids to holiday celebrations. Where and how will their kids nap? What will their kids eat? How will they maintain their kids’ schedules? Moms scramble to control what is essentially an uncontrollable situation: kids…
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Overwhelmed this holiday season? Try what we call graded task assignment in CBT, which means breaking big tasks down into smaller steps. Make a list of the things you need to get done. This includes gift shopping, house cleaning, food prep, packing for travel, etc. Break the list down into several discrete, manageable steps, and assign yourself (and your family…
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The holidays are *so hard,* especially this year, when moms are feeling pressure to make up for last year’s disappointments. I devote a whole chapter of Mom Brain to holidays and special events, and will be sharing some of my coping strategies in short weekly holiday coping videos starting Monday. Please reach out with any suggestions for issues you’d like…
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I speak often (too much?) about how much I love the show Parks and Recreation and the character of Leslie Knope specifically. One of my favorite Leslie bits involves her made-up holiday of Galentine’s Day, which falls on February 13 (today!). Leslie describes the holiday as follows: “Oh, it’s only the best day of the year. Every February 13, my…
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Emma, mom to a 1 and 3 year-old, was a proud member of what she called “The Sleep Police.” Her kids were on a strict sleeping/napping schedule that she would move mountains to maintain. By her own admission, Emma was rigid with her children’s schedules, believing that if she wasn’t, chaos would ensue. Emma’s holiday plans always involved staying over…
Mom Brain Book
Proven Strategies to Fight the Anxiety, Guilt, and Overwhelming Emotions of Motherhood—and Relax into Your New Self
About Me
I’m Ilyse Dobrow DiMarco, Ph.D., aka DrCBTMom. DrCBTMom.com combines the expert advice of a self-help book with the warmth and readability of a mommy blog.
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