It’s Okay to Ask for Help

K Budworth
Jun 22
2 min read

Week 4 of the “Parenting is a Skill” Series

I used to think asking for help meant I wasn’t doing enough.

When my children were younger, I’d power through sleepless nights, emotional outbursts, and school transitions with a quiet sense of pride that I could handle it all. I wore resilience like a badge until it started to feel more like armor. Heavy. Isolating. Hard to take off.

Somewhere along the way, I started to unlearn that narrative.

Not all at once.

But moment by moment. Through deep conversations, a few hard truths, and the gentle presence of people who reminded me that strength doesn’t mean doing it all alone.

I’ve learned that asking for help is a parenting skill, too.

It takes courage to say “I’m not sure what to do here.”

It takes humility to let someone else speak into your story.

And it takes wisdom to know that support isn’t weakness—it’s strength in community form.

Sometimes help looks like therapy.

Sometimes it’s a text to a friend who gets it.

Sometimes it’s saying yes to a carpool or letting your partner take the lead. And sometimes, help looks like walking away from the Pinterest-perfect expectations and making peace with good enough.

I’ve leaned into all of those this year.

Between the emotional intensity of parenting a senior, the energy of high school freshmen, and the weight of my own responsibilities, I’ve come to rely on a mix of tools and people to keep me grounded. A therapist. A few wise mom friends. A sister who sends me memes. Even a coach who reminds me to breathe and see things from another angle.

I used to think asking for help was giving something up.

Now I see it as something I’m giving to my kids.

A model of what it looks like to be human, connected, and aware of my limits.

There’s no shame in needing support.

There’s only freedom in receiving it.

So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, uncertain, or just a little worn down—ask. Someone has been where you are. Someone wants to show up for you.