Handling Overstimulation in Parenthood

Do you find yourself feeling irritable, snappy, or overwhelmed with your child or partner?
Do you have more headaches or body-aches than usual, or find yourself craving the elusive quiet, clean house that you used to have in the past? One of the contributing reasons behind “mom-rage” or frustration in parenthood that is rarely recognized is the role that sensory stimulation plays in this, especially over-stimulation.

Chances are, before you had children, you rarely had to listen to babies crying, toddlers arguing, the incessant music that plays from baby toys and children’s shows, and you probably didn’t have little hands clutching at you all day. Enter parenthood, and your house probably contains many more objects and clutter than it did before, your time is stretched, and noise seems to be a constant part of your day now.

I would hazard to say that all parents experience some sensory overwhelm in parenthood. Parents that have some form of neurodiversity (including but not limited to: ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, Learning Disorders, and other disorders) may be even more likely to be susceptible to sensory concerns, including feeling sensory overstimulation and overwhelm (Mahler, 2025).

A few strategies that may be helpful could include:

-Noticing your sensory triggers. Oftentimes we don’t realize we are over-stimulated until it is too late and we have yelled, gotten frustrated, or engaged in some other unhealthy coping pattern. Take some time throughout your day to notice how your body is feeling, and what your triggers are. This ties in with a valuable concept called “interoception” (Mahler, 2025), which is the concept of noticing and listening to our body’s internal cues.

Do you feel frustrated and tense by clutter in your house? Or do many different noises get on your nerves? Are certain noises more frustrating than others, such as whining, crying, or overly-cheery children’s music? Some people are very affected by bright lights or florescent lights. Maybe you love your child’s snuggles and grasps for hugs to a point, but then find yourself “touched out” by a certain point each day? Noticing what triggers you, where you feel this in your body, and how you react is the first step in this process.

-Start by playing around with some accommodations, strategies, and tools. Maybe you put in earbuds or earmuffs during a very loud time of the day (for many families this can be the end of the day, such as dinner/bath/bedtime). Maybe you borrow a friend’s weighted blanket and snuggle under it for a few minutes during an overwhelming part of your day, or before bed to wind down. Possibly you schedule in a yoga class or meditation time into your week.

-Scheduling “quiet time” into your day.

-If you work outside the home, this might be more do-able. This could include having time in the car on your commute without music, or scheduling time on your lunch break to mindfully eat lunch in quiet or take a walk outside.

-If you are a stay-at-home parent, this is likely trickier. However, it could include: scheduling a babysitter at regular intervals in your week to give you time outside the home, taking time when your child naps to sit in quiet and sip a coffee or tea, or creating “quiet-time” boxes or activities for young children to engage in independently (this has many benefits, including it teaches the child how to modulate their own sensory needs and include time in their day for this decompression).

-Voicing to your partner (and when appropriate, your children) what you are affected by and what you need. Sharing with children that you are feeling overstimulated by noise and need to implement a quiet time for the whole house can be great teaching for the whole family.

-Therapists who have awareness and training in interoception and neurodiversity (such as myself) or Occupational Therapists can be amazing resources to explore this concept, solutions, and more. Remember, every brain and body is unique, and we need to learn what best fits us for our own unique self-regulation!

Mahler, 2025 (https://www.kelly-mahler.com/what-is-interoception/).