Do you worry about your children constantly? How do you ever relax?

I suffered badly from anxiety before I had children although I didn't call it that then - just thought I was not doing life right. I did worry about the same things you are thinking of but squashed it down as I wanted to have children so badly. When I had kids and they were all small I actually coped better than I imagined I would a lot of the time - I recognise that idea of perspective and not sweating the small stuff. But to be honest when they're small it's easy - they are pretty much totally under your control. You can get all the advice, do all the right things, feed them well, safety check your home. Then one day they are bigger and doing their own thing and not listening to you and hating you and suddenly you're not in control any more. That's when my anxiety rocketed tbh. The teenage years have not been easy and have pushed me very close to the edge.

I don't know... I have teens/ young adults now. And the stress and anxiety is far, far greater than when they were children.

They are amazing and bright and funny. I love them wholeheartedly.

Would I have children again knowing what this stage is like? I don't know.

I struggle with anxiety (triggered by my first baby being stillborn) and to be honest I find it unbearably stressful at times. Possibly because I have the frame of reference of losing my first baby in pregnancy, my brain imagines how unthinkably awful it would be to lose one of my living children. I find the constant catastrophising my brain does exhausting.

I cope by having pretty constant therapy (as I desperately don’t want to transfer my anxieties onto my children) and using the old ‘one day at a time’ method.

I am very very envious of those with a naturally rational brain who don’t see potential catastrophe everywhere!

I’m a worrier and I do worry about my kids a lot, but certainly not all the time, and I’m much more relaxed about a lot of things (climbing frames, overnight camps, playing out etc) than other Mums I know which has surprised me a bit.

I do think it’s true that I’m only ever as happy as my least happy child - I don’t mean moment to moment but if one of them is going through a hard time then I feel really low until we’ve got through it. But my life is so, so much better for having kids so it’s all completely worth it.

I’m insanely good at catastrophising 😂 so good I’m having therapy for it!

I’ve got 2 boys, 4 years and 6 weeks.

As a previous poster has said, I delegate tasks to my husband. So parks, anything near water etc I just mostly step back from the situation.

When they’re ill I REALLY struggle and will no doubt end up with a reputation amongst the local GP’s 😬🤷🏻‍♀️

But, it is SO worth the added anxiety 💖
My life is worth living because of my 2 boys x

I breathe deeply, and delegate certain tasks to DP (basically anything in the playground where all I can see is imminent catastrophic injury and all normal parents see a fun climbing challenging).

I do find it occasionally overwhelming. But honestly I think my brain can only take so much and then it shunts thoughts to the side out of self preservation!

Funnily enough. I'm less anxious after becoming a mum. I think it gave me perspective on what really matters and also made me just have to get on with stuff instead of always winding myself up in advance. So I'm definitely heaps stronger and confident, and less prone to general anxiety. I have one DD and am about to give birth to number two. Yes I worry about them, but I don't recognise the level of worry you seem to expect - it's not a crippling, consuming concern for their welfare

I don't worry about my kids unless there is something specific to worry about e.g. they are seriously ill but I don't catastrophise that they may get ill.

I worry much more about things than before I had them, yes. But I absolutely trust DH (tonight they’re at the cricket and I’m lazing at home) and that makes it easier.