Psychologist reveals viral hack to teach kids about the mental load

If you’re a mom, these two things are most likely true: your house is probably messier than you’d like it to be, and carrying the mental load for your family is tiresome work. But what if there was a way you could ease both these struggles while also teaching your kids valuable life lessons? Thanks to Dr. Morgan Cutlip, there is.

The psychologist, who specializes in burnout and mental load support, shared a reel on Instagram about a tip she received from a friend who lives in Denmark on how to teach your kids about the mental load. 

“You give your kid a zone of the house to be in charge of,” the mother of two reveals in her video. “For example, our daughter is in charge of the living room. It’s her job to regularly check it out, observe what’s out of place, and put it back together. Each of our kids has a shared space that belongs to them, and it’s their zone, and it has helped SO much in their initiative taking and them being a family team player.”

Dr. Cutlip went into more detail about the strategy in the caption.

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A post shared by Dr. Morgan Cutlip | Mental Load & Burnout Support (@drmorgancutlip)

“This tip came out of a great conversation with one of my friends who grew up in an entirely different culture where the mental load is not a thing like it is here,” she wrote. “One of the reasons [among many] is that kids are given more responsibilities as they grow up so that they learn how to be initiative takers and team players in their family.”

“Putting your child in charge of a shared space of the home is a wonderful way to encourage them to observe when things need done, do it without being asked, [and] know that shared spaces are everyone’s responsibility,” Dr. Cutlip adds. “You don’t just look after your own stuff but we all have a shared interest in our home.”

Dr. Cutlip’s kids are 10 and 7, and though she didn’t specify what age would be good to introduce this concept to your child, chores are a great way to begin the process for kids at any age (and can help mold them into happier, more empathetic, and more successful adults). 

Children can begin helping with simple tasks like picking up toys and washing produce as early as age 2. You can find a comprehensive list of age-appropriate chores here.