Paige Connell has a PSA for parents: the work of the holidays begins at Halloween, and it’s time we talk about it.
Connell (@sheisapaigeturner) is a working mother of four and a popular influencer who shares about the mental load of parenting on various platforms, including TikTok.
She posted a video about the mental load of Halloween, and many moms are finding it scarily relatable.
Connell says that as a mom, the mental work associated with Halloween is much more than she realized it would ever be.
The mom also made a compelling point, adding that identifying the work of the holidays, including Halloween, does not take away the joy.
Some critics want to tell mothers like Connell to stop “making a big deal” out of the holidays by focusing on the work involved. They accuse mothers who talk about the mental load of sucking the joy out of it, or complaining too much when everything they’re doing is a “choice.”
But Connell counteracts that argument with the simple fact that fathers are often praised for minimal involvement in holidays, like being lauded for wearing a costume to the kids’ classroom party or put on a pedestal for wrapping presents. Yet, no one ever praises mothers for working so hard to make the holidays magical for their kids.
Connell is a believer that noticing the very real work involved in making the holidays special for kids does not take away the magic; it simply acknowledges what is primarily invisible, exhausting work from mothers.
“It can be both things,” she states. “It can be work, it can be fun, it can be magical, but the holidays are here, and let’s remember that this work does not have to disproportionately fall to women.”
