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Twelve questions adapted from the Parental Burnout Assessment and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Scored on a 0, 48 scale with clear next steps for each band.
0 of 12 answered
There are no right answers. Score yourself in the last seven days, not your worst week ever, and not your best.
Q.01I feel completely drained by my role as a mom.
Q.02I no longer have the energy I used to have for my children.
Q.03When I get up in the morning to face another day with my kids, I feel exhausted before it even starts.
Q.04I sometimes feel like I'm just going through the motions as a parent.
Q.05I have less patience with my children than I used to.
Q.06I'm not the parent I used to be, and I don't recognize myself.
Q.07I've stopped doing the small loving things for my children that used to come naturally.
Q.08I've started avoiding moments alone with my kids because they feel like work.
Q.09Being a mom feels like one long obligation, with no joy in between.
Q.10I feel like I can't keep up with what my children need from me.
Q.11I'm too tired to engage with my children even when I want to.
Q.12I feel emotionally numb when I think about parenting.
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Methodology · How the score is built
Items 1, 4 measure emotional exhaustion (how drained you feel). Items 5, 8 measure parental distancing (the urge to withdraw from your children). Items 9, 12 measure loss of fulfillment (when motherhood stops feeling meaningful).
Each answer scores 0 (Never) to 4 (Daily). Twelve questions × 4 maximum = 48. Bands at 12, 24, and 36 mark the transition points where research suggests escalating concern and different recommended actions.
This is a screening tool, not a diagnostic instrument. It cannot account for postpartum-specific patterns, perimenopause, neurodivergence, or socioeconomic stressors. Treat the score as a conversation-starter with a professional, not a verdict.
If you scored high · You're not alone
Frequently asked questions
Your score reflects how many burnout symptoms you are currently experiencing across three domains, emotional exhaustion, distancing from your children, and loss of parental fulfillment. A low score (0, 12) suggests you are managing well; moderate (13, 24) means watch the trend; high (25, 36) means it's time to act; severe (37, 48) means please reach out to a mental-health professional this week.
No. This is a self-screening tool adapted from validated research instruments, primarily the Parental Burnout Assessment (Roskam et al., 2018) and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (Maslach & Jackson, 1981). It is meant to flag patterns and start a conversation with a professional, not to replace one.
Burnout is context-specific: the symptoms appear in the parenting role and tend to ease when you get a real break from it. Depression bleeds into every part of life and persists regardless of context. They overlap and often coexist. A licensed therapist can tell them apart in one session.
Three things, in order: (1) Tell one trusted person, a partner, friend, sibling, or your physician. Saying it out loud lowers the score immediately. (2) Schedule a check-up to rule out thyroid, anemia, perimenopause, and postpartum hormonal shifts, all can mimic burnout. (3) Find a therapist who works with parents. Postpartum Support International runs a free helpline at 1-800-944-4773 that connects you to one in your area, often with sliding-scale fees.
It isn't. The quiz runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is uploaded, no cookie tracks your answers, and we cannot see your score. If that matters to you (it should), you can also take the quiz with airplane mode on, it still works.
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