Rock-a-Bye Roles: How OT explores the transition into Parenthood
The transition from “non-parent” to “parent” is one of the most profound shifts a person can experience. Parenthood brings immense joy and fulfillment, but it also challenges one's identity, relationships, career, and daily routines in ways that can feel overwhelming. Using the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E), we can explore this transformation, uncovering ways to lean into the journey with intention, curiosity, and self-compassion.
In this blog, we’ll dive into how Occupational Therapy (OT) approaches can support new parents as they navigate these shifts, balancing the many demands of parenthood while holding onto who they are. Understanding the responsibilities of raising children and how these responsibilities shape actions, relationships, and identity can empower parents to adapt to their new role with confidence.
Understanding the Canadian Model of Occupational Performance and Engagement (CMOP-E)
The CMOP-E is an OT model that helps us understand how individuals engage in and experience life through three core areas:
Person – including physical, cognitive, and emotional aspects.
Occupation – the activities that provide meaning and structure to life.
Environment – the social, cultural, and physical spaces that influence how we live.
By viewing parenthood through this lens, we can see how this new role affects a parent’s self-perception, their daily routines, and their relationships. Each of these elements plays a part in building a balanced, fulfilling life within the demands of parenting.
Shifting Identity: From Self to Self-as-Parent
One of the most significant aspects of this transition is the change in personal identity. For many, becoming a parent shifts priorities and reshapes values, but it’s also easy to feel lost amidst the demands of this new role. This change in identity doesn’t just happen overnight but evolves as parents gain experience and confidence.
How OT Theory Helps: OT approaches remind us that the “self” is flexible and can grow with each new role. The CMOP-E encourages parents to hold onto their core values, interests, and strengths, weaving them into this new identity.
Practical Tips for Embracing Your Evolving Identity:
Create a “Me in Parenthood” Journal: Reflect on the activities that make you feel alive and fulfilled outside of your parenting role. These could be small joys, like reading a book or cooking a favorite meal. Engaging in these activities helps you stay connected to who you are beyond being a parent.
Celebrate Small Wins: Recognize and celebrate small achievements in this journey. Every diaper change, every bedtime story, and every sleepless night add up to growth, resilience, and love.
Navigating Relationships and Social Connections
Parenthood doesn’t just change a person’s relationship with themselves; it impacts their social circles, friendships, and partnerships. CMOP-E views the environment as an integral part of our well-being, including the social and emotional support systems we lean on.
In the transition to parenthood, relationships may feel strained or redefined as priorities shift and time becomes limited. A friend’s spontaneous coffee date may no longer be an option, or a partner’s expectations may need to be discussed and realigned.
How OT Theory Helps: Using an occupational approach, OT encourages parents to see social relationships as an evolving part of life. Adapting to new dynamics while finding ways to nurture supportive relationships can ease the feeling of isolation often associated with early parenthood.
Practical Tips for Maintaining Social Connections:
Redefine Connection: Embrace new ways to connect. A quick text exchange with a friend or a 10-minute coffee date with your partner while the baby naps can offer meaningful connection, even if it’s shorter or less structured than before.
Ask for Help: Remember that it’s okay to lean on friends, family, or parenting groups. Asking for support when you need it can be a powerful way to preserve relationships and lighten the load of parenting.
Balancing Work and Daily Routines: Finding a New Rhythm
For parents who balance career responsibilities, returning to work after having a child brings a new layer of challenges. CMOP-E views “Occupation” as a broad category encompassing all meaningful activities, from professional tasks to parenting duties to self-care. Many parents grapple with finding a balance between work, family time, and their own needs.Returning to work can sometimes feel like a return to a previous identity, yet the responsibilities of parenting remain constant. Parents may feel guilt or stress as they try to meet the demands of both worlds.
How OT Theory Helps: The CMOP-E model encourages parents to view their occupations in a way that integrates rather than separates their roles. Rather than striving for a “perfect” balance, parents can redefine success in terms of what feels right for them and their families.
Practical Ideas for Balancing Work and Parenthood:
Prioritize Flexible Routines: Create routines that support your daily responsibilities without rigid expectations. Planning a morning checklist with work tasks, baby care, and moments for self-care can help create a rhythm that feels balanced.
Redefine Success: Define what work-life balance looks like for you rather than aiming for societal ideals. Recognize that some days may tilt more towards work, while others focus on family.
The Weight of Responsibility: Raising Children and Shaping Actions
As a parent, every decision and action has a ripple effect on your child’s growth, safety, and well-being. This responsibility often brings a heightened awareness of personal choices, from food preferences to values and habits. It’s easy to feel the weight of this responsibility, sometimes leading to a sense of pressure or self-doubt.
How OT Theory Helps: OT views responsibility as a part of “occupational engagement”—the meaningful activities that we commit to every day. Instead of focusing on perfection, OT encourages parents to approach responsibilities with curiosity, exploring what feels genuine and sustainable.
Practical Tips for Handling the Responsibility of Parenthood:
Practice Self-Compassion: Recognize that parenting isn’t about perfection. Embrace the learning process, allowing room for mistakes and changes along the way.
Incorporate Reflection Time: Schedule a moment at the end of each day to reflect on one or two small things you feel went well. This helps shift focus from “doing everything right” to “doing what matters.”
Enjoying the Journey: Reframing Overwhelm into Joy
Parenthood is a whirlwind, and moments of overwhelm are inevitable. But finding ways to shift perspective can turn these moments into opportunities for connection, growth, and joy.
The CMOP-E model reminds us that joy can be found in everyday occupations—taking your child to the park, reading together, or even sharing quiet moments at bedtime. Recognizing these simple joys helps parents see parenting not as an overwhelming duty but as an enriching and deeply meaningful role.
How OT Theory Helps: By approaching each day with openness and curiosity, OT theory helps parents lean into the role shift with a sense of acceptance rather than pressure, allowing space for learning and joy along the way.
Practical Tips for Finding Joy in Parenthood:
Focus on Small Moments: Notice the little moments that bring joy, such as a smile from your child or a shared laugh. These moments often hold the richest memories.
Allow for Flexibility: Some days will be messy or chaotic, but embracing the spontaneity can bring unexpected joy and connection. Letting go of strict routines can open up opportunities for playfulness.
The journey from “non-parent” to “parent” is a transformative process, impacting identity, relationships, routines, and self-perception. By applying occupational therapy principles, particularly through the CMOP-E model, parents can navigate this role shift with greater ease, focusing on growth rather than perfection.
Parenthood, like all roles, is not about reaching a destination—it’s about learning to embrace each step, each challenge, and each joy. For every parent navigating this role change, OT reminds us that you’re not alone, and there’s no “perfect” way to be a parent. Through small, intentional steps, you can create a parenting journey that is fulfilling, authentic, and deeply enriching.ock-a-Rock-a-Bye Roles: How OT Helps You Settle into ParenthoodBye Roles: How OT Helps You Settle into Parenthood
