Fear Factors in Parenting: What to do with parenting fears (721 hits)
Scripture:
1 Samuel 17:37; Proverbs 22:6; Isaiah 41:10; Matthew 7:11; James 1:5; 1 Peter 5:7
You go through nine months of preparation, but nothing really prepares you for the moment an infant is wrapped in pink or blue and placed in your arms. And then it hits you—you’re a parent. It’s not like babysitting or being in charge of your younger siblings. This is different. No one is coming to relieve you. This child is yours for keeps. Is it any wonder we inwardly scream, What am I going to do now?
Sheila Wray Gregoire says, “Some degree of fear is natural in parents. We love our kids so much that the thought of anything bad happening to them sends us into a panic. Yet, if we’re not careful, this caution can become oppressive. When we let fear dominate our parenting, we can actually shield our kids from the very things they need to be dealing with.” This study is about dealing with our fears.
How many of us who go by the name Dad or Mom remember that first time we laid eyes on our bundles of joy? Ever so gently someone placed our treasure in waiting arms so we could hold this precious one close to our beating heart. Checking out every little feature, we made sure that nothing was missing. We sat mesmerized by this little being, tenderly touching the softest skin ever felt.
As new parents we found it necessary to share anything and everything our little darling did, as if it were the first time a baby ever laughed, crawled, took a step, or even went potty. Each accomplishment was major, perhaps because each little feat reassured us that we must be doing okay at this parenting thing.
At the beginning the feeding, cuddling, and changing were easy, and then we left the hospital! Fear set in immediately. How in the world could we continue doing all those parenting things without the nurse looking over our shoulders? Discussion starters:
[Q] Share about a babysitting experience that didn’t turn out well. Share how babysitting did or didn’t prepare you for parenting.
