Paranoid Or Prudent? The Top 5 Parenting Fears And What You Can Do About Them

A little bit of fear is natural when you’re a parent. Some people worry they won’t be adequate as parents while others shudder at the thought of sending their children out into the harshness of the world. What you don’t want to do is allow these natural worries to develop into paranoia. To help you avoid this, here are the five most common fears parents experience and how to combat them:

Paranoid Or Prudent? The Top 5 Parenting Fears And What You Can Do About Them 
[Image: unsplash by henley design studio]

 

1. Sickness And Health 

Holding that tiny newborn for the first time has many people panicking – how are you supposed to keep this tiny person happy and healthy? In today’s society, there are many tools and support systems available to help you safeguard your child’s health. For example, using a bottle steriliser will minimize the risk of illness, giving your little one time to develop a strong immune system, supported by the nutrition you provide with each feed. 

2. The Costs Of Raising (And Educating) A child 

It’s hardly surprising that in this economic climate, many parents feel under-prepared for the financial obligations associated with raising a child. The cost of tertiary education alone is alarming. 

Starting a college fund early can help, especially if you speak to a financial advisor about opening an account that earns interest. However, there are equally important skills you can equip your child with, whether you can afford a college fund or not. 

Problem-solving skills, social skills, compassion, and the ability to persevere are all vital building blocks for success. These skills are learned at home and require no money. All you need to invest is your time and lots of nurturing attention. 

3. Early Days: Cot Death 

This is every parent’s worst nightmare – to find their baby having quietly stopped breathing with no warning or signs of illness. You can’t keep checking on your sleeping infant as this only feeds the fear. Instead, consider acquiring a breathing monitor which will alert you if there are any changes to your baby’s breathing. 

4. Repeating Your Parents’ Mistakes 

There are many ways in which parents can harm their children without intending to do so, simply by making mistakes. Make peace with the fact that parenting is a process, and you will make mistakes. 

The key to breaking unhealthy cycles in a family lies in allowing your children to talk about how you make them feel. Think about how that might have helped you when you felt your parents made mistakes with you. Take your child’s feedback to heart, and find better ways of handling conflict resolution and discipline. 

5. Bullying and abuse 

We hear so many horror stories from adults who were bullied as kids. They recall how unkind relatives or school friends were to them and how they felt there was no one they could tell. The best way to combat this fear and keep your kids safe is to create a relationship of trust early on.

This means reining in your emotions and always reacting with compassion, even when your child has made a mistake. If you put the work in to cultivate a relationship of trust early on, your child will feel safer opening up to you if they ever experience bullying. 

As long as your parenting is done with love, there is always room for mistakes. No one can step into any role and flawlessly perform their duties without ever having practiced (babysitting doesn’t really prepare you for the full role). So, forgive yourself, apologize to your children when you mess up, and seek help if you feel overwhelmed by your fears.