Commercial airlines instruct us to secure our own oxygen masks before helping others in emergencies, because if we pass out while helping someone else we’re both in danger. Even the biggest “caretakers” among us can’t help as many people if we sacrifice all our health, money, and other resources for others.
Consider the difference between an unhealthy, depressed, sleep-deprived, financially unstable mother, and a healthy, happy, financially-secure one.
One is demonstrating what a healthy adult looks like, while the other is essentially securing her child’s oxygen mask at risk to both of them.