Justice for the Exhausted Parent

Sor Juana lived within unjust systems—gendered restrictions on women's education, institutional control, limited autonomy. She didn't internalize these as personal failures; she named them as injustice. Many parents, especially mothers and single parents, exhaust themselves trying to "do it all" while systems remain unchanged: inadequate leave, unequal domestic labor, lack of affordable childcare, the expectation of constant availability. Sor Juana's tradition of justice-naming applies here: your exhaustion may not be a sign you're doing something wrong; it may be a sign that the system is. This concept calls parents to distinguish between personal boundaries (which you can adjust) and structural inequities (which require advocacy and change). Reframing parental struggle as a justice issue—not just a wellness problem—opens space for collective action, policy change, and solidarity rather than individual self-blame. You deserve conditions that allow you to parent without disappearing.