Stretched Too Thin

“Stretched Too Thin” is a helpful resource for working moms who struggle to keep all the plates spinning in their lives. Jessica Turner has been there–she’s a mom in the trenches who offers another way to deal with the constant struggle–prioritizing, delegating and accepting “just enough” some days.

There are worksheets at the end of each chapter that help you process through what you’ve just read and apply her suggestions to your unique situation. I found there was much good food for thought and the book is laid out in a way that no mom should feel judged. It reads like a helpful conversation with someone who understands the constant demands on a working mom’s time.

Jessica writes in a way that is both intelligent and honest, along with speaking some hard truths with grace and care. She has interviewed many other working moms, authors and speakers to mine a wealth of knowledge that she puts to good use in the book.

This would be a great gift for a working mom who is trying to be “all things to all people,”
while working on her career, keeping a home, having a thriving marriage, etc. That way of thinking leads to more bad than good, and “Stretched Too Thin” not only explains the why, but shows the how to escape this mindset. I enjoyed Jessica’s perspective and will be passing a copy of this book on to some Mamas I feel could benefit from it. I received an advanced reader copy from Revell and chose to review. All opinions are my own.

All mothers are working mothers but this book speaks especially to those who also work outside of the home. The subtitle of this book is “how working moms can lose the guilt, work smarter, and thrive” and it fulfills this promise. Author Jessica N. Turner offers advice to mothers on how to care for themselves both physically, mentally and spiritually and there are many suggestions on balancing the have-to-do jobs with the want-to-do tasks. I loved that she mentions that ‘Pinterest perfect is not real life’. When I was growing up there was a common comparison of real mothers versus ‘June Cleaver mothers with their pearls’ and today we often tend to think that our lives should be worthy of pins on a Pinterest board.

This book is a mixture of great advice and humorous anecdotes from various sources and at the end of each chapter there is a space to jot down our reflections on what we have just read. There is also a Weekly Time Tracker section at the end of the book to keep a record of our daily activities. Every bit of advice that Jessica N. Turner shares may not apply to all mothers but there is certainly something for everyone who reads it and I can definitely say that this book isn’t just for young working mothers. I personally found it to be very useful because I am a retired grandmother who is now finding myself in a parenting role again. I myself often feel “stretched too thin” and I know that I’m not the only older person who is experiencing this.

The author offers many insightful observations and I especially like how she choose to sum up her thoughts at the end. She reminds us that

Everything is a season—Your work is a blessing, not a burden, to your family—Pinterest perfect is not real life—Your most important relationship is with your husband—You are a great mom.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher but I voluntarily chose to write this review. These are my own opinions.