• A message for my kids: It’s not you, it’s me

    My kids have been incredible during these pandemic/apocalypse/end-of-days-times. I, however, have not. I have started to lose my mind over really minor stuff (e.g. everything having to do with the procuring and disposing of food). I know I’m not alone in this, since all of of my mom and dad patients and friends have been experiencing the same thing. In…

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  • From Mom the Fixer to Mom the Closer

    I wrote this piece in Motherwell Magazine about coming to the realization that I can’t fix my older son’s problems anymore. The idea that I can’t fix things for my kids has been on my mind even more over the past few days, as I’ve felt so powerless as a parent amidst this national turmoil. What I’ve come to accept…

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  • Anxious about the future? Try leading with “I wonder…”

    Like so many other families, my family recently experienced a COVID scare: We were exposed to someone who was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID. While the person we were exposed to was awaiting the results of their COVID test, we felt compelled to quarantine. We didn’t want to send the kids to school or soccer or anywhere…

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  • What to do when it’s you–not your kids–with separation difficulties

    I’m one of the lucky parents whose kids went back to in-person school a few weeks ago. Despite my anxiety about the pandemic, I was mostly relieved and grateful that they’d be back in a school building. I was surprised, then, when I found myself having some separation issues, not unlike what I experienced when I first sent my kids…

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  • When the best response to a family argument is to let it go

    Last week, my son had an epic meltdown at 7:45 am. Grievances included, but were not limited to: the regrettable lack of Kashi in the pantry, the “loud chewing sounds” his brother was making, and the sudden disappearance of a Patrick Mahomes Teeny Mate. I was barely awake, yet found myself thrust into Defcon 5-level kid-consoling. But my son wasn’t…

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  • Self-care during COVID-19: How to prioritize your mental health

    Thanks so much to the Junior League of Summit for hosting my talk on self-care during COVID-19. As I emphatically state during the talk, you must consider your own physical and mental health needs during this time. To this end, I share a number of strategies aimed at helping you care for yourself amidst the chaos. I look forward to…

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Mom Brain Book
mom brain

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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