I remember long before I ever became a parent, my own mother telling me that being a parent means that you never stop worrying about your child. At the time, this seemed a little excessive and I was probably a teenager, arguing with my mother to get off my back and stop being all up in my business all the time. Now that I have teenagers of my own, they have a very difficult time understanding why I am waiting up and worrying when they don’t call to tell me where they are or they are late getting home. “Stop worrying so much!” is one of the things I hear from my teens on a fairly regular basis. Well, as any parent knows, that’s far easier said, than done.
Still, I do have to agree with my kids on a partial basis—I can work myself into a major, full-on worry that can often be completely out of proportion to the situation. Of course, I imagine that comes with parenthood—we are so protective and focused on taking perfect care of our children that it is hard to NOT worry about them when they are out of the house. And, teenagers aren’t exactly known for their sound judgment and good life choices. However, every siren I hear when my kids aren’t home and every time the phone rings—I don’t have to imagine the worst.
Worry is a good, reasonable part of parenthood. We’re supposed to be concerned and constantly looking after the welfare of our children—but letting worry immobilize and get the best of me is probably making me a less effective parent than I would be if I kept things in perspective. And, even if my mother is right and I will always worry about my kids—no matter how old they become, a little positive thinking might be in order too (just to balance things out a bit.)
See Also: Encouraging Children to Take Risks and Teaching Kids the Responsibilities That Come With Freedom