Have you ever felt that you were stretched thin? Have you ever had a chance to sit and think about all of the hats as a parent that you wear. Today, I would like to give some words of encouragement. When I sit and think about all of the hats that I wear I get exhausted just thinking about it. I am a mother, chef, uber, accountant, secret shopper, housekeeper, teacher, nurse and friend. Now the question is, how do I balance all of this into my daily schedule. Most days I have to do all of these in the same day as needed. As the kids get older it may appear that they don't need you as much but don't get too comfortable because this may be the time they need you the most. Sometimes as a parent you may feel overwhelmed and that you are in it all alone. For single parents this can definitely be a struggle. Sometimes even for married people this is a struggle because it is still almost impossible to balance due to conflicting working schedules. One parent will most likely do the majority of the work. Speaking from a spiritual perspective as a Christian and believer of Jesus Christ for those of you that believe. It is important that you remember to stand on the word of God and remember all that is stated about who you are and the things you do. Below are some areas to help you stay focused.

• Remember that you are more than a Conqueror through Christ who strengthens you. This is where your strength comes from and not within yourself.
• Remember not to be weary in well doing. If you have a spouse you should function as a team so it is okay.
• Do a little bit every day to help tackle those major tasks.
• Make a calendar of things that need to be done and spread it out over the week.
• Delegate tasks to the kids that are age appropriate that may be able to help you out.
• Balance and compromise tasks between you and your spouse.
• If you are single, find support within your family and friends (this can be helpful also with married people).
• Find support groups online and network and connect with other parents to see what they are doing to help them balance.
• Reach out to your community (church, recreational organizations, etc.) to find things in the community that may be helpful.
• Pay attention to self-care and find time for you to be able to focus on your self-care and mental health.
• Get the appropriate amount of sleep and eat healthy.

All of these are things you can do to help you move closer to balance out your life so that you don't feel stretched out too thin. Definitely focus on your physical and mental health.