Today, we’re celebrating with (in)courage mentor and book club co-founder Jessica Turner as she releases a brand new hardback, Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive. It’s an empowering and practical guide for all kinds of working moms, be it full-time or part-time, at home or somewhere else. Here’s an adapted excerpt from Stretched Too Thin and the book trailer that made us all cry. We know many of you will be encouraged by this message!
_____
I was always going to be a working mom. I’m part of the 70% of American moms who work. And while working motherhood is not easy, it has taught me so much over the past decade. When I take time to practice intention, really listen to my husband and kids, take care of myself, and love the work that I do, I find myself thriving in working motherhood. Sure, dishes may be left on the counter and the laundry baskets may never be empty, but that’s okay. I have systems in place to ensure we never run out of diapers and toilet paper, and eventually, all the projects get completed – even if the timeline is sometimes a little slower than I would like it to be.
Thriving in working motherhood is about knowing who you are and loving the people closest to you. That’s it. And that’s what I want you to find too.
I believe work and motherhood can coexist in a positive, exciting manner. Yet for too many women, that’s not the case. For the past eighteen months, I’ve explored what it means to be a working mom by talking with moms all over the country to learn both what brings them joy and what they struggle with. Their common refrain: I’m stretched too thin.
Living stretched too thin is a norm for many working mothers, but it doesn’t have to be. Moreover, I believe that it is not the way we are intended to do life. Jesus calls us to love our neighbor as ourselves. The key part of that calling is that we can only love others in our lives (our families, our neighbors, our coworkers, etc.) to the degree that we are taking care of ourselves. So to love well, and thereby live well, we must make a change to go from barely surviving to thriving. We truly can live with purpose, experience love, and be content with both a family and a career.
Let me give you a permission slip to reprioritize yourself, make changes to your day to day, and embrace a new normal that is free of feeling stretched too thin. The greatest struggles we working moms have are numerous, including boundaries with our work, fostering meaningful relationships with our spouses, kids, and friends, practicing self-care, and managing our home.
Contentment can be cultivated amidst the busyness of life. Happiness and joy are yours for the taking every single day. Yes, living this way takes intention, dedication, and drive. But you already have all of that. Each of us was born with an innate God-given desire to live well.
_____
Working mothers constantly battle the pull to do all the things well. From managing work and home responsibilities to being impacted by a lack of self-care and time for deep friendships, the struggle is real. In Stretched Too Thin, Jessica shows the working mom how to:
– work and parent guilt-free
– establish clear work boundaries
– set achievable goals
– discover more flexibility
– develop home management solutions
– prioritize self-care
– invest in her marriage
– cultivate deeper friendships
– feel like a good mom, even while working
This book is for all the moms who have struggled with figuring out how to do a job, parent well, practice self-care, and just live life without going crazy. In it, Jessica says both “me too” and “let me show you another way.”
On Monday, September 24 at 8pm CST, Jessica and Angie Smith are also going to host a special Bloom Book Club revival on our Facebook page. Join them for a special discussion about Stretched Too Thin and their own working mother experiences. Angie’s job is home based, while Jessica has a corporate job plus a side hustle. They have eight kids between them, so expect lots of messy, honest stories and laughter. They will also be answering live questions.
Stretched Too Thin is available at a special price at DaySpring.com.
Congratulations, Jessica, on your new book, and may God use your words to free women to be their best version of a godly mum.
Jessica,
I give you credit…I honestly don’t think I could do what you do. I work from home with grown kids and I still can’t get it all accomplished. I pray your book will minister to those who want to keep God first in a busy life.
Blessings,
Bev xx
Wondering if your book addresses single mothers at all. A large percentage of working moms are single and statistically paid less which translates to needing to work more. https://singlemotherguide.com/single-mother-statistics/
Sally,
Working single moms are unsung heroes in my book! During my separation and divorce, I was a single working mom with two young ones. Those had to be some of the hardest years of my life. Not only was I having to work, but I was having to be both mom and dad. I hated weekends because they were filled with mowing the yard, laundry, grocery shopping, running errands, cleaning. While others enjoyed events with their families, I was continuing to work….just not at my daytime job – which like you said didn’t pay very much. I find that many moms who were stay at home moms and then are thrown back into the workforce have skills that are not up to date and therefore are paid less. Working moms with two incomes is one thing….making it on a single income and knowing you are the bottom line bread winner is a lot of stress. Lifting you in prayer, Sally….you are a warrior!
Blessings,
Bev xx
Sally,
Single parenting is hard both on the parent & child/children. Single working moms have it super hard. You are super heroes. So many times you have to miss stuff at your children’s school due to work. You are lucky if you have a support system to help you with ll the chores, & errands. I pray God sends extra blessings to you all. You are wonder woman doing it all without much recognition or pay.
Blessings 🙂
Jessica,
Thank you for writing a very important book. For to long society has tried to pigeon hole women into two categories: either stay home with the children or have a career. You are showing your daughter that you can have both. Women just need to learn balance & how to ask for help. It isn’t easy being a working mom, but it can be rewarding. Family time & self care must be prioritized. Your children must know that they are loved & mom is working because she either has to or enjoys her career.
Blessings 🙂