This Mother’s Day, Let’s Talk About the Burnout No One Mentions

Mother’s Day is upon us, and social media is about to be flooded with heartfelt tributes, hand-drawn cards, and perfectly filtered breakfasts in bed. It’s a beautiful thing to celebrate mothers—but I want to take a moment to talk about something we don’t often see in the posts or the pretty captions: caregiver burnout. Not just the “I need a nap” kind. I’m talking about the deep, bone-tired exhaustion that comes from caring for a child with special needs.

As the founder of Special Needs Caregivers, and more personally, as a mother of twins with global developmental delay and sensory processing disorder, I know that caregiving isn’t a part-time job. It’s a full-body, full-soul, round-the-clock commitment. And while it’s a role filled with love, meaning, and purpose—it’s also overwhelming. No amount of coffee or motivational quotes can sugarcoat that.

For many families, special needs caregiver support is hard to come by.

You might be doing it all—feeding, bathing, managing therapy sessions, handling meltdowns—and still lying awake at night worrying if you’re doing enough. That’s what burnout in special needs parents looks like. It doesn’t arrive with fireworks. It builds up slowly, silently.

This isn’t just about mothers.

I want to pause here and honour the stay-at-home dads and the fathers who are the main caregivers. You may not get a Hallmark card this weekend, but we see you, too. Burnout doesn’t discriminate by gender. It creeps in somewhere between the fifth therapy appointment of the week and the pile of laundry that never ends.

And while we’re giving thanks, we must also honour another group of incredible caregivers—our domestic helpers, many of whom work closely with children who have special needs. Some are also mothers, separated from their own families, pouring their energy and love into ours. Their contribution to support for special needs families cannot be overstated. These unsung heroes are often the ones helping our children progress in daily routines, therapies, and emotional regulation.

The role of domestic helpers for special needs children is real, vital, and deeply appreciated.

The world loves to celebrate “strong parents”—the ones who keep smiling, who don’t complain, who just get on with it. But let me tell you this: strength also looks like admitting you’re tired. It looks like asking for help. It looks like saying, “I need five minutes to breathe,” without guilt.

That’s one of the reasons I started Special Needs Caregivers. It took me two years to find a caregiver willing to learn how to support my children. I don’t want other families to go through that same frustrating, lonely search. Our goal is not just to provide support for your child—but to give you the breathing space you so deeply deserve.

So, whether you’re a mother, father, grandparent, or domestic helper holding the fort down—this Mother’s Day, I hope you feel seen. I hope someone brings you a cup of tea (or something stronger). And if no one does, consider this my virtual hug and heartfelt reminder: you are doing enough. You are enough.

And if you ever need help navigating this caregiving journey—whether for the first time or the hundredth—Special Needs Caregivers is here for you. Not just on Mother’s Day, but every day.