One Question That Will Help You Stop Parenting From Fear

Dear Parents,

If you’ve spent any time following me, you know I often talk about how fear affects parenting. I know this because I’ve experienced it first-hand. As a parent, when I was scared, I went into fix-it mode. When I was worried, I showed anger. When I was parenting from my insecurities, I over-questioned my kids. Can you relate? I’m guessing you can.

Fear in parenting isn’t unusual or new. It’s been around forever, but we’re living in a time that has pushed our fears into turbo speed. I blame this on 24/7 news, constant technology, and unrealistic expectations. We’re inundated with scary headlines, overly connected to our kids, and constantly focused on the “end game”—where they’ll go to school or what they’ll do with their one beautiful life.

Here’s the truth: if we let these fears overtake us, our child’s end game won’t be as beautiful as we hope.

In my class, How Fear Affects Parenting, I walk you through how your worries, fears, and insecurities can shape the way you parent—and ultimately change the outcome you want. If you want a confident child, fear makes that harder. If you want a secure child, fear makes that harder. If you want a child with grit, resilience, motivation—you name it—fear makes that harder.

The way out is to focus on one question: What do I want my child to learn? When we shift our attention to the lesson, we can step away from fear and give our children what they truly need to grow into well-rounded, emotionally healthy adults.

To learn more strategies and tools, read my book The Parenting Backpack or join me for my class, How Fear Affects Parenting.

Happy Parenting,
Susie