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Good morning, L.A. It’s Jan. 21.
I don’t know if y’all know this, but parents of kids under the age of five are like, not okay.
I say that as the parent of a three-year-old myself. In the past month, my son’s preschool has shut down twice for seven days at a time, leaving my spouse and me to manage a schedule that suddenly includes two full-time jobs and a rambunctious child accustomed to playing with other three-year-olds for eight hours a day.
There are no words in the English language that I know of to describe this situation, so I will make do with calling it not ideal. Or, as one mom told my colleague Mariana Dale, the circumstances are resulting in mothers she knows “crying all the time … literally losing hair, stress vomiting — and I don’t think that ends with the vaccine.”
Part of the problem, Mariana explains, is what’s known as the cognitive load. Anyone who’s spent time reading modern feminist think pieces will be familiar with the concept; it’s also called the mental load or, similar but different, the emotional load. The term refers to all the thinking and planning and monitoring that goes into keeping family life running on a normal basis.
The pandemic has upped this type of work by about tenfold.
According to Harvard University doctoral candidate Allison Daminger, the cognitive load can be broken down into four key parts:
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Daminger’s research shows that women typically take on more of this cognitive labor.
In my own mom group text, we’ve reached the point of sharing when and where we do primal screams (for most of us, it’s in the car). If that’s helpful to you, please feel free to adopt the practice. Either way, keep reading for more on what’s happening in L.A., and stay safe out there.
Yes, there is a spot in SoCal to glimpse the majestic Coastal Redwood trees. Head to Carbon Canyon Regional Park in Brea and walk the easy one-mile nature trail to the park’s three acres of redwoods, which house about 200 non-native trees.
Or, you could: Watch a feel-good West End musical make its North American debut. Catch ’90s alt musicians Clem Snide and Mike Doughty. Screen Danny Pudi’s autobiographical film. Listen to the Harlem Quartet perform live. Attend KPCC’s Public Radio Palooza as it kicks off. And more.
Got something you’ve always wanted to know about Southern California and the people who call it home? Is there an issue you want us to cover? Ask us anything.
Have a tip about news on which we should dig deeper? Let us know.
LAist is part of Southern California Public Radio (SCPR), a member-supported public media network. Hear our news on-air at our partner site:
Live Stream Schedule In Person
