CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Life has not been the same since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Parents have taken on double-duty roles as many of their children are staying home.
All of the stress can be overwhelming.
"Not only the stress of having a newborn during the season but also toddlers," mom Amy Brandt said.
Brandt is a mother of three and a real estate agent in the Corpus Christi area. She has found that balancing work and taking care of her three children has been tough.
She is not the only mom to be dealing with that stress. Dr. Elisabeth Netherton of the Menninger Clinic in Houston said the pressure moms are under during this pandemic are numerous.
"The burdens of parenting, the burdens of homeschooling, the burdens of managing it all do tend to fall on the moms," she said.
Netherton, along with her work partner, Dr. Jessica Rohr, have created a breakthrough program they hope will help moms at home deal with the stresses that have come with the pandemic.
"The financial issues, staying at home with the kids being out of school, has created stress that I don't think we have seen before," she said.
The doctors said the Menninger Mom's Program is a first-of-its-kind virtual-therapy group focusing on maternal mental wellness.
"Just being able to provide a space where people can come and have a non-judgmental space to say 'We are all struggling and doing the best we can and that is actually OK,' " Rohr said.
The program has different aspects to it. One of those is a free group-therapy session for moms to speak with one another about the struggles they may be experiencing.
"You just log on to a Zoom call, and there are several other women in there," Rohr said. "I'll have a topic if we have trouble getting started, but we never have trouble getting started."
It is a program for moms created by moms. Rohr and Netherton are available any time to help clients.
"She'll call in, she'll talk with one of us and we will come up with a plan that fits with what she is looking for," Netherton said.
Moms are also able to participate in one-on-one sessions with Rohr, those do have a price point.
For anyone interested in participating in the Menninger Mom's Program to help manage the pressure the pandemic has caused, call (713) 275-5400.