For Parent Mental Health Day, we’re pleased to share this blog written by Charlotte Speak, Founder of Power of the Parent.
At Thrive Law, we regularly see how supporting parents’ mental health at work is about far more than policies or good intentions. It’s about trust, flexibility, psychological safety and recognising that people don’t leave their lives at the door when they come to work. While our work often focuses on the legal and strategic framework, we also know how valuable it is to hear from voices rooted in lived experience.
In this blog, Charlotte brings a thoughtful, honest and practical perspective to this topic, offering a reflective and conversational view, to give employers and parents alike space to think differently about what support can and should look like. We’re pleased to platform her voice as part of the wider conversation about creating psychologically safe, sustainable workplaces.
Parent mental health day – January 2026
My money is on lots of you reading this blog will know more than you realise about looking after parents’ wellbeing and mental health in the workplace. But in a noisy world, it can be tricky to know what to listen to – as an employer or a parent.
So this is going to be about bringing some simplicity and practical ideas to a complex topic. Don’t worry, I won’t be reductive because there’s no doubt this is one heck of a topic. Let’s dive in…
What’s the bigger picture in the workplace?
A foundation we all need to remember is this isn’t something to file under ‘nice to do’. It’s a powerful piece of the strategic puzzle for employers. Knowing you’re going to be supported in the workplace goes a long way to building psychological safety and engagement – two key markers when it comes to commercial success.
Ultimately we borrow people from their lives when they come to work, and we need to acknowledge what that means in reality. We can’t expect everybody to neatly leave their day to day at the door, but of course we also know a job needs to be done. It’s a tension that can feel tricky to hold, but if done properly pays dividends for all.
A very realistic alternative to not supporting people properly is that we lose talent. And whilst a natural amount of attrition is expected / needed in the workplace, hemorrhaging talent isn’t the goal. The commercial impact could be huge – losing expertise, the cost to recruit, taking specialist knowledge elsewhere. And bring with that the dent on company culture if you build a reputation for not nurturing your employees in their most vulnerable moments – well, I’m not sure anybody has that on their strategy plans.
What could we do?
Here are three practical things to consider as an employer, no matter what stage you’re at:
- How you handle policies
Now, the hill I am willing to die on is this: support doesn’t happen from policies on an intranet. However…that doesn’t mean we don’t want them. The implication instead, is that we need to communicate them out brilliantly and make sure we keep them accessible (in every sense), whilst regularly checking in on how they’re being used. Consider things like where you’re housing them, ensuring communication plans aren’t a one hit wonder and providing a feedback loop so you can hear how your valued team members are getting on with using them.
- Avoiding performative action
If you throw a load of activity at recognising a day but then don’t engage with it for another 364, that’s sending all sorts of wrong messages. And that goes for any ‘moment’ – not just parents’ mental health. Consistently acknowledging people have a life outside of work, and you’re there to help them manage the blend is imperative. There’s also no neat timeline here – you never know when the support might be required.
- Flexibility in your solutions
Can you build up a suite of ideas and suggestions that can be easily accessed? When we’re in the moment of trying to help somebody it can feel like a heavy pressure to come up with solutions – but if we have a few seedling ideas ready and waiting in a central place, those ideas can come with a bit more ease. It can showcase the art of the possible and the rich tapestry of options to nurture mental health and wellbeing for parents (well, anybody actually!).
I share these as ‘no matter what stage you’re at’ because even the most established of employers can use them as a mini audit to see what’s working well and what you might want to change up. And for those at the beginning of getting established, they’re flexible enough to go at any pace.
Helping ourselves
For parents, our wellbeing and mental health can feel like a luxury at the bottom of an ever growing to do list. How do we actually make time to focus on it? The practicalities of life have to take priority don’t they?
But here’s the thing – we have to accept that looking after our wellbeing and mental health is essential. It doesn’t need to be elaborate, we don’t need to seek permission and it isn’t a bargaining tool for ‘once I’ve gotten through these 546 jobs I’ll meditate for 3 minutes’.
If we overlook our own mental health, we’re making it really easy for others to do the same. Looking after ourselves in this way isn’t something we need to earn, but it can often feel like it! I know ‘just asking for help’ isn’t straightforward for lots of us, and for a myriad of reasons – so I’m not going to fire that approach at you. I’m more in the camp of looking at some practical steps and reminders to help us take even the gentlest of steps forward to get access to the support we need.
No life hacks that add to your list
Here are three things I’d love you to consider if you’re a parent or have caring responsibilities. They come with a heavy dose of progress not perfection energy!
- It’s not a ‘moment’
It’s in the day to day, micro moments – it doesn’t always have to be big elaborate stuff that only leaves you feeling like you’re adding to a check list. You might have bigger ticket items that you need to feature a couple of times a year to keep you feeling connected to yourself, but what are the too small to fall things that you can stick to and stay topped up on a daily basis?
- What actually works for you?
Inspiration can be powerful, but is it time to put down the scrolling of ‘five daily habits that will transform your life’? (I know, there’s an irony given the format of this list, but bear with me!). Collated ideas online can have a place, but we need to use them selfishly. Simply lifting and shifting what’s worked for one person and trying to cram it into your own 24 hours isn’t the guaranteed sustainable fix we’re searching for. Consider what’s being presented to you, what you actually want to commit to and shape something around YOUR specific life set up.
- Knowing when to escalate
You might be in the camp of ‘I can just crack on, it’ll be better next week’ vibes. And some weeks, that might be true. But if we’re honest, many of us have been there hundreds of times and that following week isn’t quite so transformational. You don’t have to go it alone, you don’t need to strive for perfection or have all the answers. Are there any indicators for you that mean you need to ask for help? Perhaps you’re ignoring them or downplaying the impact right now – but this isn’t about chastising yourself, it’s being honest about what’s the kindest thing you can do.
Reminders for us all
This is a complex topic, and none of us will ever have all the answers. But that doesn’t remove our responsibility to act within the reality we’re operating in, as employers and as parents.
The way we approach mental health in the workplace sends powerful signals. It influences trust, retention and engagement, and ultimately whether people can perform sustainably over time. When parents feel supported rather than tolerated, organisations benefit from stronger commitment, deeper capability and reduced risk of talent loss.
Progress over perfection really is where it’s at. Consistent conversations, practical action and a willingness to adapt are what turn good intentions into measurable impact and create workplaces where people want to stay, grow and do their best work.
Charlotte Speak is the founder of Power of the Parent, where she partners with organisations to craft workplaces where parents and the business can thrive. You can find free resources and practical ideas through the website, www.power-of-the-parent.com or connect to Charlotte on LinkedIn
