Parenting at the End of Your Rope

Dr. Elizabeth Torres, a clinical psychologist in Belmont, Massachusetts, instructor at McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School, and mother of three, says having unrealistic expectations of ourselves can be the number-one source of stress for moms. "It's important to be ever-mindful of the balance in the way we live our lives and whether it is sustainable over time (for example: lack of sleep, working from when you get up until you go to sleep for everyone and everything, little or no time with friends, etc.). Our individual limits, not some ideal or comparison to someone else, are our best focus to decrease stress."

Experts and moms alike agree—the biggest key to achieving balance is learning how to cut yourself some slack and embrace imperfection.