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📰 Stuck in the Middle – Issue #226

Date Monday October 27,2025

Subject: 👶 Parenting When You’re “Stuck in the Middle” — without burning out (or going broke)

Stuck in the Middle — Issue 226 — Monday, October 27, 2025

👋 Welcome

If you’re juggling kids, caregiving for parents, a career, and a relationship, this is your spot. New here? Reply SUBSCRIBE to get two free issues each week.

🧠 Big Thought: Shrink the guilt by shrinking the promise

Parenting guilt explodes when our daily promises to our kids don’t match our real bandwidth. This week, trade “perfect” for predictable: one small, repeatable ritual (10-minute check-in after dinner, a weekly walk, or a Saturday pancake date). Guilt fades when kids can count on something steady, and you stop over-promising what life can’t deliver right now.

🧰 Money Moves (kids/parenting with financial, emotional, and physical lenses)

1. Cut child-care costs (fast lookup).
   Use the national portal to find state child-care assistance, subsidies, tax credits, and local programs. Enter your ZIP and explore options you may qualify for:
   https://childcare.gov/consumer-education/get-help-paying-for-child-care Childcare.gov

2. Plan for school/college (even $25/mo matters).
   Read a plain-English intro to 529 education savings plans from the SEC’s Investor.gov, then decide if a prepaid or savings plan fits you:
   https://www.investor.gov/introduction-investing/investing-basics/glossary/529-plans Investor.gov

3. Lower screen-time battles (and stress).
   Build a simple Family Media Plan (bedtime rules, device zones, consequences) with the American Academy of Pediatrics tool. Do it with your kids so they buy in:
   https://www.healthychildren.org/English/fmp/Pages/MediaPlan.aspx HealthyChildren.org

4. Homework help without tutors.
   Set up your Khan Academy Parent Dashboard in ~15 minutes to track lessons and keep momentum when you’re stretched:
   https://support.khanacademy.org/hc/en-us/articles/360040168512-Khan-Academy-for-Parents-Quick-Start-Guide Khan Academy Help Center

5. Stabilize emotions at home.
   Use CDC’s practical stress tools (journaling, outdoor breaks, media limits) and pick one habit you can actually keep this week:
   https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/living-with/index.html CDC

6. If you have a teen: have “the talk,” again.
   CDC’s Free Mind guide has bite-size scripts for conversations that reduce risk and build trust:
   https://www.cdc.gov/free-mind/parents/index.html CDC

🛠️ Tool of the Week

Common Sense Media — Family Tech Planners (free printables).
Turn tech fights into family agreements with fill-in templates for rules, privacy, and screen time:
https://www.commonsensemedia.org/family-tech-planners Common Sense Media

📰 Reads (all free, no paywalls)

1. Preventing Parent Burnout — practical resets and connection builders.
   https://childmind.org/article/preventing-parent-burnout/ Child Mind Institute

2. Make a Family Media Plan — why co-creating rules works better than enforcement.
   https://www.healthychildren.org/English/family-life/Media/Pages/How-to-Make-a-Family-Media-Use-Plan.aspx HealthyChildren.org

3. Managing Stress — CDC’s evidence-based coping basics for overwhelmed parents.
   https://www.cdc.gov/mental-health/living-with/index.html CDC

🤝 SKOOL COMMUNITY (free to join)

Swap playbooks with other Sandwich Generation parents and get accountability:
https://www.skool.com/stuck-in-the-middle-community-1730/about?ref=4956bcfb588b4962b89c23002360ff83

💬 Connect With People Who Get It

Caregiving can feel isolating — and so can relationship stress.
Join our private Facebook group to talk to others who truly understand.

👉 https://www.facebook.com/groups/stuckinthemiddlenews

💸 TOOLS YOU CAN USE

Feeling buried? Grab the $9.99 “What Can I Let Go Of?” Checklist — a ruthless, one-hour audit to drop low-value tasks, stop surprise bills, and reclaim your evenings:
https://briansacks.samcart.com/products/sandwich

💬 Reply & Engage

What’s one small, predictable ritual you’ll start with your child this week? (Example: “10-minute Lego chat after dishes every night.”) Hit reply and tell me — I’ll share a roundup next issue.

↗️ Share the Relief

Know another parent stuck in the middle? Forward this. Ten minutes of calm is a huge gift.

P.S.

If grandparent care is also on your plate, explore Lifespan Respite to find coordinated respite resources in your state:
https://acl.gov/programs/support-caregivers/lifespan-respite-care-program ACL Administr