Being a parent is hard. It doesn’t matter the age or stage, there is always something new to learn, a phase to navigate through, or your own worries and fears to overcome. As parents, it is common to feel anxiety over your abilities and your children’s well-being, but sometimes it can become all-consuming. Medical News Today explains, “Parental anxiety is the term for anxiety related to being a parent or caregiver. It can involve worrying about the child’s health and well-being, milestones, performance at school, and social life.”

In today’s society, it is almost impossible to escape parental anxiety as a parent at some point or another. You question if your children are developing at the same speed and level as their peers, if they are involved in enough play groups and extracurricular activities, if their grades are up to par, if they are part of the “right” friend group, and eventually if feels like you have anxiety over everything they do because you are concerned about their safety, wellbeing, and success.

Some symptoms of parental anxiety are:

• Voicing your feelings of stress or worry about your child, especially directly to them

• Having constant thoughts that something bad is going to happen to your child

• Spending too much time worrying about tiny details in regard to your child

• Avoiding putting your child in situations that are generally safe because you think it will be harmful

Unfortunately, parental anxiety can cause children to develop anxiety of their own. Before you start to negatively impact your children and your fears and worries become theirs, we want to help you learn ways to cope with your own anxiety and navigate to a more relaxed state of being.

Here are 5 tips to manage your parental anxiety.

1. Take a deep breath. It might sound too easy, but stopping and taking a deep breath when you feel your anxiety spiraling gives your brain and body the opportunity to catch up to themselves and process more clearly. When you allow yourself to breathe deeply, you can give your mind the time to question if this is a true moment you should fear for your child, or if this is a situation where you are nervous for them, but can recognize they need to work this process in their own way.

2. Use coping skills. People have different ways of coping when they feel stressed and anxious. It doesn’t matter what works for you, but find a healthy coping method when you need time to process your anxiety. Exercise, meditation, listening to music, journaling, and even playing games on your phone, are all ways to help cope and give yourself time to work through your feelings and emotions.

3. Plan ahead. Research and know what you are walking into. Depending on the age and stage of your child, this could mean reading the latest baby-proofing your home information, setting limits on screen time, determining the budget for your children’s activities, or discussing curfew with your partner and teens. The more prepared you are for the things you can control, the easier it will be to handle stressful situations when things occur that you can’t control.

4. Lean on your support people. Whether it is your partner, family, or friends, lean on those who help you feel at your best, especially if they are parents too. Even though all children are unique, they can also share similarities in their behaviors with their peers or even those that have come before them. Your support people will most likely understand more than you think they will.

5. Seek professional help. If you feel like it is too difficult to process your anxiety on your own, find a counselor who specializes in anxiety and let them help guide you through the process. Sometimes your support people may not be able to help and that is okay. Allow yourself to express how you feel and be open to suggestions they may have to help you navigate your parental anxiety.

If you are worried it is “too late” and your children are too old to benefit from you working through your parental anxiety, it is not! Your children, no matter their age, will benefit from you working on yourself and will see the changes you make and the examples you set. You can show them everyone can grow and continue to work on and improve their lives, no matter their age.

If you are ready for relief from your parental anxiety, our trained anxiety therapists can help! 

Follow these steps:

1- Reach out to Sparrow Counseling by filling out our contact form

2- Once you complete the form our Client Care Coordinator will reach out to you for a free 15-minute call. She will ask you a few questions about who you are and the kind of support you need. She will take the time to match you with the therapist who will be the best fit for you.

3- Start your road to healing from parental anxiety!

Also, read our blogs to learn more about anxiety therapists in Birmingham, AL

Finding an Anxiety Therapist in Birmingham, AL

Questions to Ask a Prospective Anxiety Therapist

Other Services Offered at Sparrow Counseling

At Sparrow Counseling we offer in-person and online therapy in the state of Alabama. In addition to anxiety therapy at our Birmingham, AL practice, our team offers services for grief and loss counseling and individual counseling. We also specialize in teen counseling, co-parenting counseling, reunification therapy, blended family counseling, divorce & family mediation, discernment counseling, and more. Learn more by checking out our FAQs and Blog!