The Mental Load of Motherhood: Using ABA to Lighten the Load

Are you constantly keeping track of everyone’s schedules, to-do lists, meal plans, and birthday gifts—even if your partner “helps out”? That invisible, overwhelming responsibility is called mental load, and it’s a major factor in burnout for many mothers and caregivers. In this episode of Everyday ABA, hosts Paola (BCBA), Leslie and Brittanny (RBT) explore how Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) can be used to reduce and redistribute the maternal mental load—the often unseen cognitive labor that women carry in their households. The hosts unpack what mental load really is, why it disproportionately affects women over men, and the behavioral science behind why it’s so hard to delegate. They also share their lived experiences and insights from modern books on domestic life and relationships. Listeners will walk away with actionable ABA strategies—like task analysis, positive reinforcement, and behavior contracts—to help share the load more fairly among caregivers. 🎙️ Support your favorite ABA podcast hosts by showing them love at buymeacoffee.com/everydayaba⭐ Help EveryDay ABA reach more people by following the show + , turning on automatic downloads, and leaving a 5-star review! 📲 Follow us on Instagram: @EverydayABA.3 for daily ABA insights and behind-the-scenes podcast updates.📋  Get your CEU certificate HERE📖 Buy the books!How Not to Hate Your Husband after KidsFair PlayFind your Unicorn Space👟  Get a 10% Discount at Tiny Explorings Shoes using code PAOLA 🎁 Earn Rewards every time you shop by using Shopkick 🤑 Earn $50 cash back by using Rakuten  📊   Earn 125,000 bonus points by opening a new Sapphire Reserve® account or 75,000 bonus points for opening a new Sapphire Preferred® account using EveryDayABA's code at Chase📢 To advertise on this podcast please e-mail: [email protected]