Today I Gave My Daughter A Mental Health Day, And It Was My Best Decision Ever

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“Today as soon as I picked my five-year-old up from kindergarten, I could tell she was in, what I like to call, one of her ‘moods.’

She was crying over everything, not being herself, and acting so uptight. My immediate reaction was to get annoyed and say, ‘You’re almost six, why are you acting like this?!’

It wasn’t until a few hours of her acting like this, that she looked at me with tears in her eyes, and I said, ‘are you just having a draining day?’ She hugged me and said, ‘I’m just tired mommy.’

And that’s when I realized, I totally forgot what I always preach about to my kids:

Your mental health being your top priority.

So, I drew her a lavender bubble bath, gave her a face mask, and lit some candles while she read her books and sipped on her apple juice.

After the bath, she was a new kid. The kid I usually know. She was happy, had more energy, and was handling things better.

I think we all forgot that even for kids, life gets too much sometimes. And even they need a break from it all.

Today taught me that I need to be a more understanding parent, as I too go through so much and need a nice bath to myself to escape it all.

It doesn’t matter the age. We all need that.”

Little girl sits in bathtub with face mask on and candles lit
Courtesy Caitlin Fladager

This story was submitted to Love What Matters by Caitlin Fladager. You can follow her journey on Facebook and InstagramSubmit your own story here, and be sure to subscribe to our free email newsletter for our best stories.

Read more from Caitlin:

‘Yes, I have 2 kids. Yes, I smoke weed daily. Weed makes me a better mom.’: Mom says marijuana has helped her anxiety, ‘weed is my glass of wine’

‘I’m the backpack of the family. I carry all of your things. Put it all on me. Physically, and mentally.’: Mom pens sweet letter to children, ‘I love being your safe space’

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‘The day a woman stops asking for your affection is the day that means she doesn’t want to fight anymore. Put your phone down, look at her and listen.’: Woman advocates for healthy relationships

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