As a parent, there are times when you will feel overwhelmed, inadequate and powerless to meet your family’s needs. The constant stress and pressure of making sure your kids stay healthy, happy and well cared for is enough to strain the abilities of even the most competent parents. This perceived inadequacy can leave you feeling defeated and helpless, but don’t worry: this is all perfectly normal.

The simple fact is that things are going to go off the rails sometimes, and that’s ok. At times, you’ll find yourself swamped with a myriad of strenuous and tedious parenting duties that demand your attention, and you just can’t seem to muster up the willpower to actually get them done. If you’re in this position, don’t worry: it happens to everyone.

What you should do when you find yourself in these situations is take a step back, breathe, and remind yourself that you don’t have to have everything together all the time. Life comes at you fast, and sometimes it’s all anyone can do just to hang on for dear life, much less be a model parent while doing it.

The most important thing is to always remember that having a bad day or two doesn’t make you a bad parent. Maybe you’re stressed and guilty about the fact that you can’t spend as much time with your kids as you’d like. Perhaps you lost your patience and snapped at one of your little ones, only to come to your senses a moment later and regret your short temper.

If you often find yourself feeling overextended like this, there are a number of ways to deal with this problem, however it may present itself. Starting off small, you can use natural remedies like chamomile tea, lemon balm and kava. These remedies will go a long way towards calming your nerves and enabling you to deal with the stress of being a parent.

If your problems with stress persist, you may want to schedule a meeting with a psychologist, in order to verify that your mental health is in order. Although seeking help with mental health issues has been heavily stigmatized in pop culture, there is no shame in making sure you’re doing alright from a mental health standpoint.

Whatever the case may be, just keep in mind that it’s ok to struggle as a parent. Every parent does it; it’s just a part of the job. What’s important is that your family knows that they are the most important thing in your life, and you’ll always love them no matter what. When you have a loving, tightly knit family, the struggles of being stretched too thin are easily surmounted.