Worry, Helicopters and Becoming a Mom

Worry is the fear we manufacture; it is a choice. Conversely, true fear is involuntary; it will come and get our attention if necessary. But, if a parent or a child feels fear constantly, there is no signal left for when it’s really needed. Thus, the parent who chooses to worry all the time or who invests unwarranted fears into children is actually making themselves less safe. Worry is not a precaution; it is the opposite because it delays and discourages constructive action.

Have you seen all those articles about helicopter parents lately?
Those parents stress me out. I mean, what parent has that much energy? Hovering by each and every child must take alot of caffeine and craziness …
My parents were very anti-helicopter; long before the term “helicopter parent” was coined. They read Dr. Dobson’s parenting books and followed alot of their parenting intuition. Most important, they believed God was in control and as parents they were merely vessels of His plan for my and my sister’s lives. Therefore, worry was unnessary. I think they would be categorized as free-range parents
I got my driver’s license at 16 because I had proved I was responsible. I set my own curfew during high school since my parents trusted me to know I needed time for homework/sleep/etc. I also made my own mistakes. My parents knew mistakes help a person grow and because of that they were always their to support me as I realized my shortcomings. If they had been helicopter parents would I have learned those valuable lessons?
On the brink of motherhood I’m realizing how much I don’t know. This has worried me from time to time. Toss in a heavy dose of pregnancy hormones and you will find a fire hydrant of tears. But I’m learning that this is just the way it is. I have a choice to worry. I have a choice to trust God, to trust my motherly intuition and to trust that everything happens for a reason. With all those options why would you choose to worry?

I’m going to try my best to remove worry from my vocabulary. It is counterproductive and I don’t need ANYTHING working against my productivity!

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Comments

  1. says

    love this blog! i will be following, follow me if you like. would u like to link up? ill add you to my "blogs i dig" and vice versa? let me know, thanks! <3 sarah, rock n' stroll

  2. says

    I definitely agree.Worrying does not do ANYONE any good. Of course, thinking about the future is great, but why worry unneccessarily?I'm sure you will be a great mom.

  3. says

    Yep, worry only causes headaches… my husband is a college prof and he just shakes his head at the number of helicopter parents that STILL can't let go of their college sophomores and juniors… freshmen, he can understand, kinda, first semester… but after that, they really need to back off…

  4. says

    I agree that worry is unproductive, especially when you worry about things that you can not control. When you bring home your baby you will find that you bring home a thousand worries that you never thought you would worry about. Some are easy to slug off, and some just aren't. Giving it to God really helps, but sometimes Mommas just worry. It comes with the territory.

  5. says

    And with all of those unavoidable parental concerns, you and Dominic will discover a depth of love you have never experienced and a dependence and trust in God that you have never had….all because of this new little baby that will be here very soon! Parenting will be the most wonderful experience you will ever undertake…and it will last for the rest of your life:) Dad and I are still enjoying it!!