01/08/2026
Moving from being the friend or family member to being the primary caregiver is a huge identity shift that nobody really prepares you for. Suddenly, you're the one managing prescriptions and doctor schedules, and it’s easy for the "business" of caregiving to start drowning out the actual relationship. You don’t want your mom to feel like she’s just a task on your to-do list, and you don’t want to feel like you’ve lost your family member to a medical chart.
The trick to not losing that spark is finding ways to separate the care from the connection. Try to carve out "sacred spaces" where the caregiver hat comes off—even if it’s just 20 minutes of watching a favorite show together or gossiping about family drama while skipping the medical talk. It’s about remembering that while their needs have changed, the person inside hasn’t, and they still need you to be their child or partner just as much as they need the help.