The Mental Load Checklist
Six things that usually live only in one parent's head. Check off what you've already got written down somewhere a second person could find and use — and use the blanks as your list for this week. One page, front only, meant to be printed and stuck to the fridge.
The people
Whoever steps in — a sitter, a grandparent, a co-parent — needs to know who to call, in order, without guessing.
- Primary pediatrician / specialist, with phone number
- Who to call first if something feels wrong but isn't 911
- Who has legal authority to make a decision if you can't be reached
The medications
Name, dose, and schedule aren't enough — write down what "normal" looks like and what a missed or late dose actually requires.
- Every medication, exact dose, and exact times given
- What to do if a dose is missed or given late
- Any rescue medication: where it's kept, how it's given, when it's too soon to give it again
The safety information
A first responder or an unfamiliar caregiver needs this in under a minute, not after ten questions.
- Allergies and how a reaction actually presents for your child
- What a seizure, a meltdown, or a medical event looks like for your child specifically
- The one sentence you'd want a paramedic to hear first
What a normal day looks like
The routines you've stopped noticing are exactly the ones a substitute caregiver has no way to guess.
- The sequence that makes a transition (bedtime, leaving the house) go smoothly
- Foods, textures, or sensory triggers to avoid
- What "a hard day" looks like, and what actually helps
The paperwork on a clock
These renew whether or not you're ready, and none of them send a reminder that fits your week.
- Prior authorizations currently active, and when each expires
- IEP or 504 plan review date
- Medicaid waiver or insurance renewal date
What's coming up
The next two things on the calendar, and what you need before you get there.
- Next appointment, and the one question you don't want to forget to ask
- Anything due before then (forms, labs, a school meeting)
Once it's written down, it's not just yours to remember anymore. Our handoff sheet post covers turning this into something you can hand off in an emergency — or if logging this once a day sounds better than filling out a page from scratch, that's what CareHaven is built to do.