Parenting has long been described as the hardest job in the world, and research backs that up. Most parents (62%) say raising children has been somewhat harder than expected, while about one in four (26%) admit it’s been a lot harder. The challenge is felt even more deeply among mothers, with 30% saying parenthood has been far more difficult than they anticipated, compared with 20% of fathers.
The science of parenting offers useful insight into why it can feel so demanding. Experts often group parenting into three interconnected elements: knowledge, attitudes, and practices.
- Knowledge refers to the facts, information, and skills parents gain through experience or education, essentially, what they know and understand about child development.
- Attitudes reflect their perspectives, beliefs, and emotional responses toward parenting, often shaped by cultural values and personal experience.
- Practices are the everyday actions and behaviors that influence how children grow and learn.
Together, these elements form the backbone of parenting: what parents know, how they think, and what they do. While knowledge connects to understanding, attitudes drive motivation, and practices determine behavior, all three stem from the same desire: to raise happy, healthy children.
Yet, for many parents, the weight of that responsibility can feel overwhelming. Between caring for children, managing careers, and maintaining homes, it’s easy to lose sight of personal well-being. Parenting today often feels like running a marathon without water breaks.
That’s where Holly Swenson, Founder and CEO of Live Your Glow LLC, wellness advocate, and award-winning author of Stop, Drop, Grow & Glow, steps in. Drawing from her own experiences and years of research, Swenson is leading a quiet revolution in how parents approach wellness. Her message is simple but transformative: self-care and mindfulness aren’t luxuries; they’re the foundation of a healthy family life.
Through her work, Swenson encourages parents to slow down, reflect, and nurture themselves with the same care they give their children. “My purpose is to inspire and champion wellness for parents,” she says. “It’s a fire that burns from within, and I’m dedicated to reaching millions with this message.”
A Wake-Up Call
Swenson’s path toward this mission began in a moment of exhaustion and loss. “About seven years into my parenting journey, I was completely spent,” she recalls. “I had four little ones at home, had just come out of the hospital after meningitis, and my stepmother had passed away unexpectedly.”
That combination of illness, grief, and nonstop caregiving forced her to stop and reassess. “I told my husband I needed to get away for a couple of days to reconnect with myself,” she says. Those few days away at a wellness retreat called Miraval became a turning point.
There, Swenson discovered meditation and stillness, practices she now considers essential. “It helped me recalibrate my habits and my relationship with well-being,” she says. “Since then, I start most mornings in quiet meditation, prayer, and gratitude. It’s how I ground myself before the day begins.”
That experience taught her a simple truth: self-care isn’t selfish. “It’s the loudest way to love yourself and those you love,” she says. “If you want to change your family life, it starts with you.”
Rethinking Self-Care
Many parents, Swenson notes, carry misconceptions about what self-care means. “People think it’s indulgent or that it takes too much time or money,” she says. “But real self-care doesn’t have to be elaborate or expensive.”
Instead, she encourages what she calls “micro-dosing self-care,” small acts throughout the day that restore energy and balance. “It could be savoring your morning coffee, stepping outside for a short walk, sitting in the sun, or taking a quiet moment before bed,” she explains. “When you sprinkle these small acts through your day, you end it feeling nourished instead of depleted.”
And this isn’t advice just for mothers. “Fathers need this too,” Swenson adds. “Everyone benefits from checking in with themselves and tending to their own well-being. We’re all human, and we all need care.”
Simple Tools for Everyday Mindfulness
At the center of Swenson’s approach is a framework she developed called Stop, Drop, Grow, & Glow, a rhythm designed to help parents weave mindfulness into daily life rather than adding more to their to-do lists.
- Stop – Pause and become present.
- Drop – Let go of what no longer serves you.
- Grow – Nurture healthier habits and connections.
- Glow – Live with intention and joy.
It’s a model that turns ordinary moments into opportunities for awareness and connection. “It might mean taking a breath before reacting when your child melts down, or turning a rushed morning into a slower, shared start,” Swenson says. “The goal isn’t perfection. It’s progress and presence.”
Even small shifts like a mindful pause before responding, a shared gratitude ritual, or choosing connection over multitasking can help families feel more grounded.
A Small Step to Start
For parents wondering where to begin, Swenson suggests carving out a few minutes for self-reflection. “Take five to twenty minutes and do a mind, heart, and body scan,” she says. “Ask yourself how you’re doing not just as a parent, but as a person.”
This check-in, she says, can reveal what areas need more attention and care. “Most parents don’t give themselves that time. But when you start noticing how you feel, you can begin to make small, intentional changes. Looking within can be one of the biggest gifts you give yourself and your family.”
From Surviving to Thriving
Swenson envisions a future where wellness is not an afterthought in parenting but a foundation. “When parents thrive, so do their children,” she says. “They’re deeply connected.”
She hopes that more families will embrace a culture of mindfulness and balance—where joy and rest are part of everyday life, not something squeezed in when everything else is done. “Parenting doesn’t have to be about constant productivity,” she says. “It can be about presence, awareness, and connection.”
In a culture that often celebrates doing more, Swenson’s message is refreshingly simple: slow down, tune in, and care for yourself as you care for others.
As she puts it, “Wellness starts with the small, quiet moments we give ourselves and from there, it radiates outward to everyone we love.”
