September 27, 2010
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Parental Anxiety: Big *Little* Fears
Noah started crawling (and standing) a few weeks ago. At first, I thought it was cute (well, it still is), but very quickly I realized just how dangerous EVERYTHING is.
Don’t get me wrong, we baby-proofed the place, but corners on furniture seem sharper.
Drawers seem like death traps.
Carpet just isn’t soft enough.
And by gosh, STAIRS, STAIRS, STAIRS!
Every time he’d try to pull himself up, I was hovering to catch him. When he’d get close to, well, ANYTHING, my hand (foot, body and/or pillow) would be thrown against the offending object to protect him.
I think some of the incessant worry churning in the back of our brains is normal. However, the constant “what ifs” need to stop!
What if he bounces into the top of the table? What if he face plants into the basket? What if he bites a sharp spot on the (very baby-approved) toy and his mouth starts bleeding? What if he crawls at super-sonic speed, out of my reach, twenty feet away and around the corner and tumbles down the stairs? What if … What if … WHAT IF?!?!?!
There’s not a chill pill big enough to help this.
I understand that things will happen, and most of the little things I won’t be able to prevent. Boys will be boys, and babies will be babies, after all.
While my overloaded brain is racing a million thoughts a second, my awesome outward self doesn’t project the anxiety I feel. Noah is still blissfully unaware that his mommy is (a little) crazy, and I like it that way.
What’s your biggest *little* fear as a parent? (as if any of them are little)
Comments (17)
Where should I begin…hmmm….
Everything is a fear when raising children. That is what makes good parents!
I feel like I will definitely be a paranoid freak when I have a kid lol
Wow. I remember this all to well. Seems like just yesterday even though mine are now 7, 9 and 14!
I recommend finding a way to block off your stairs -DEFINITELY and pads the corners of your coffee tables when they are first standing and learning to walk. But he is going to fall and get scuff, scrapes, bruises, black eyes, etc, etc.
You name it – I’ve seen it. And your worries are natural but honestly…try not to hover…you have to let him fall ( I know it sucks) and get cry and get back up. It’s a part of learning.
It will be ok. Promise.
I worry about leaving her with our dog Chloe…even though the worst thing Chloe has ever done to anyone was give them too many kisses!
I don’t have kids, but when I’m in babysitting mode… the drawers get me.
My nephew is only 3 months old and is only at the point where he can lift his head on his own. I’ll get back to you in a couple more months with my anxieties…
@superduper_chic - I agree. You have to let them fall a couple times and encourage them to get right back up.
Kids fall and get bumps and bruises. And I swear it’s harder on the parents then it is the kids.
I think it must be harder, because you love him… and you don’t want him to be hurt so YOU hurt more if HE hurts. (Funny how love works that way.) You sound like a good mom… I think I’m resigned to believing that my kids WILL get hurt, eventually. Seems inevitable. Sounds like you’re doing an … over-zealous job trying to prevent this, though.
It never ends!! This is, hands down, the worst part of being a parent (if there are bad parts). I used to be the coolest, calmest, most laid back cucumber you could hope to meet…and then I had three kids. Sometimes I realize (my son is 10!) I’m actually clenching my jaw and I don’t even realize it. Just yesterday two of my kids tried to get hit by a car while we were walking the dog.
what if they grow up and never leave?!
there isn’t a child out there that hasn’t fallen off a bed, run into a sharp corner or ingested dirt. amazingly they are pretty rubbery and through no fault of ours they manage to make it through childhood. and when people tell you it gets easier don’t believe them, it’s just a hoax to suck you into our upside down lives of parenthood.
Biggest fear as a parent – that my kids turn away from Jesus.
When my kids were younger my biggest fear was them falling over a railing and falling to their death. Horrible I know but I had seen a story with a little boy at the zoo that fell into a cage while looking over the railing and I was just terrified from that point on. Whenever we were anywhere that had a railing that looked over to a lower level my fear shot sky high. The worst part is you can’t let them know your fear or they’d be fearful too.
Now that my kids are grown, my biggest fear is they get addicted to Meth. It’s EVERYWHERE nowdays. Such a scary drug.
@edlives - What if her heart stops beating? Hows that for starters?
@MomGoneMadd - yeah, that would be a bit of a panicky moment.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours !!!
I gues one of my fears as a man would be the fear of being a useless father. I often have this ned to protect or teach, and I’m sure you aren’t the only one neurotic about raising children. I just want to be ready and good about being around kids. I guess it isn’t something to worry about, since I am not mentally or anything ready to be a dad.