Parenting is hard. At times, it can be overwhelming.
Raising a little human who needs to learn absolutely everything comes with its own set of challenges and frustrations.
And if you're blessed with twins or higher-order multiples, those challenges are compounded by the mere fact that there are two or more little humans who need your full attention at all times and you're only one person with only two hands.
When you're bringing up multiple children simultaneously, things can feel heavy sometimes.
Even if you have a village by your side helping you, there may be times when you feel like you're barely keeping up or like you're isolated as you navigate parenthood.
In order to reset and refocus your mind, you may need to vent or offload some of your parental stress—but choose not to share your concerns, fears, or frustrations because you're worried about backlash if you share your innermost thoughts with your innermost circle.
You don't have to worry about that anymore.
A new app, Air Out, gives users a completely anonymous chat space where they can vent, confess, or brag without judgement or guilt.
The anti-social app
The creator calls it an anti-social app, because, unlike traditional social media, there is no way to engage with other users.
While you can read other posts, you cannot like or comment on them.
There's a very good reason for this.
Everyone has their own opinion, which they're entitled to. And certain people like to be, shall we say, extra vocal about their opinions, especially when they can hide behind their keyboard or phone screen.
Sometimes, you don't want advice. Sometimes, you just want to decompress or get something off of your mind.
Having the app set up in this one-sided way totally eliminates the exhausting cycle of stress-inducing social hate debates.
"If you don't say it, you store it. Air Out is a virtual diary, of sorts," says Courtney Stanfield, Canadian broadcaster and mom of three who designed the app. "It's a place to get stuff off your chest, so you can feel lighter and better, instantly. Even without engagement, it's a powerful space for feeling less alone."
A room for any reason
The app has six different chat spaces: Moms, Dads, Work, Love, Vent, and Brag. So, no matter what you've got on your mind, you'll find a place to share what you're feeling.
For those who still might feel trepidation, consider this: there are no usernames.
This means no one will ever know you're on the app to share your thoughts.
It gives you the anonymity and freedom to express the heavy, trivial, fearful, funny, celebratory, or awesome thoughts that cross your mind without worrying about anything being traced back to you or any wanted backlash from other users.
A safe space for all
With language filters in place, the app strives to be a safe and accepting environment for all users.
The age range (13 and up) means that this app isn't strictly for parents. It could also be a safe space to share feelings for, say, those who are navigating those awkward teenage years, or someone who's a sibling of multiples (and is of the age threshold for the app) and wants to share their thoughts on what it's like to be a singleton living with twins.
If you want to check things out, commiserate with other parents, or clear your mind of something that's bugging you, you can download Air Out for free on your mobile device in the Apple Store or on Google Play.
After the trial period expires, you can subscribe to the app for $.0.99 per month, which is a small price to keep your mind free of all the stuff that's weighing you down.
What do you do to clear your mind after a full day of parenting, feeling overwhelmed and overstimulated, or being pulled in every direction at once? Let us know in the Comments section below.
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