Today was one of those days. The kind of day where everything bubbles to the surface and spills over.
I was at home with Amelia. From the outside, nothing looked particularly unusual — just a tired mum and a toddler doing the usual dance of cuddles, chaos, and clinginess. But inside? I was unravelling a bit.
The truth is, this whole week has been heavy.
It started with the holiday — a lovely family trip to my hometown to celebrate my dad’s 80th birthday. But it was a long journey, and being away from routine is always a challenge for me. Especially now that I’m back at work for the first time since the second trimester of my pregnancy.
That return stirred something I hadn’t anticipated. I expected nerves, maybe some tiredness. What I didn’t expect was the wave of mum guilt — and the echo of a deeper guilt that’s lived in me since our time in the NICU. That feeling of Am I doing enough? Did I do enough? came roaring back louder than I’d prepared for.
Amelia has been more clingy than usual — probably sensing the shift in routine and emotions. She’s said “Mummy” hundreds of times today, and we were up at 4am, so I was already exhausted. Then there was the laundry, the never-ending list of house jobs, and just a growing sense of being overwhelmed.
Eventually, I sat down and cried. Not just a tear or two. Full-on tears. Because sometimes, everything just hits. And that’s okay.
What helped today was something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins.
Originally, it’s about letting people do what they’re going to do, and not trying to control their actions or reactions. If someone forgets to call? Let them. If someone doesn’t invite you? Let them. If someone is late, rude, or unkind? Let them.
But there’s a second part that’s even more important in my opinion — and that’s “Let Me.”
Let me feel the feelings.
Let me sit with the sadness.
Let me take five minutes away from the noise.
Let me be human.
Let me cry.
Let me breathe.
Because how we respond to those outside triggers — the stress, the expectations, the toddler tears, the guilt — matters just as much as the triggers themselves. “Let me” is an act of grace. It’s what stops us from bottling it up until we break.
I think especially as neurodivergent parents, or just parents full stop, routine changes can knock us sideways. The weight of the world gets heavy. But giving ourselves permission to be — not to push through, or perfect, or perform — that’s what gives us the space to reset.
So, if you’ve cried today too, or felt like you were teetering on the edge, just know you’re not alone. And please, if no one else has said it to you: let you. You deserve it.
💜 If this resonated with you, please like, share, or subscribe. You never know who else needs to hear that they’re not alone.
References & Resources
Robbins, M. (2023). The Let Them Theory – Mel Robbins Podcast & YouTube Bliss – Support for Parents of Premature Babies: https://www.bliss.org.uk Tommy’s – Trauma and PTSD after the NICU: https://www.tommys.org Start4Life – Returning to Work as a Parent: https://www.nhs.uk/start4life The Good, The Bad, and Your Parenting Journey: https://thegoodthebadandurparentingjourney.family.blog
The bad and your parenting journey 