The love for our kids is the reason for the fear
Becoming a parent changes your life. It rewires your brain.
All parents will have worries and fears that will haunt them for all of their years - such are the stresses of parenting! However, it is important to remember that you can only protect your kids so much and the rest is up to them in the long run. That doesn’t mean it gets any easier as they get older though and it is worth accepting that you will always have parenting fears but it is best to handle them as much as possible to avoid you driving yourself crazy worrying.
- Bullying- Once your children are of school age one of your biggest fears will be if your child will get bullied and will you be able to help them? The truth is if your child gets bullied you will provide them with the support that they need and you will help them to move forward with their schools help. It isn’t a nice experience for all involved but in most cases kids bounce back afterwards and kiddies are pretty resilient, in fact you will probably worry more than your child about it.
- Stranger danger- As parents we know that children need a certain amount of freedom but where is the line and how do you ensure their safety at all times? The reality is there is no easy was around this, and you have to make a decision based on your own opinion and how much you trust your child to walk from school to home without delaying and by being careful of strangers and their surroundings.
- Future worries- It is only natural that parents will fret about the future and how they are going to pay for their children’s secondary school books or even college. Though it isn’t easy financially there are many ways around this, being prepared for one saving from the time your kids are babies and putting aside any spare cash that you might ever have for the future. Failing that there are always scholarships, grants and loans (if you must) to consider before your child goes to college.
- Illnesses/health- If you are being honest most of us parents would say that their biggest fear is their child getting sick or having ill health so prevention (in most cases) is key to their long term health. Be a good role moral and adopt healthy eating at home, along with physical exercise every day and don’t forget the importance of mental health either as it too is a health problem especially among our youth of today.
- Providing for the kids- The children will have as much as you can possibly give them and that has to be enough right? Of course your kids don’t notice the invisible things you pay for like heating, electricity and the mortgage but they do notice the jacket that you got them for 100 euro! Again being open with your children and telling them you can’t afford everything they might want but you are happy for them to save and you will pitch in a few bob when you can.
Parenting will always be stressful and cause you to panic with fear but think of all the love and cuddles you will get too!
Written by Emma, staff writer with www.familyfriendlyhq.ie and Irish mummy blogger. Check out her own blog at emmasmadjotters.com