To feel anxiety-ridden by Joe Wick's new speech on parental anxiety?

[AllesAusLiebe]

Anyone else seen it on Instagram?

I only heard about this guy on here a few months ago and started listening to him, which I now regret!

Basically, he's created a 'helpful' video to respond to messages he's received from anxious parents in response to his numerous posts documenting his jetset lifestyle.

He claims that anxiety holds many people back from travelling with kids and eating out with kids and through that, you're missing out on 'making precious memories' (cringe). He claims that eating out with his young kids is great fun and they're not phased by sleeping in noisy bars(what?!) and restaurants because he and his wife have never enforced a routine and have been gleefully relaxed on their magical parenting journey.

He references being anxious about choking, jetlag and overseas diseases (all of which I'm guilty of) and dismisses these fears, too. They're actually very real fears, in my opinion. (Particularly having seen numerous people on my flight last week wearing face protection . . . !)

I only watched the damn video because I am an anxious parent with a son who has been tough going from day one and I thought it might help me chill a little. Instead, I'm feeling really conflicted. Part of me is pissed that this tool has made me feel lousy for not embracing some of the opportunities with my son that were available but part of me thinks it was a genuine attempt to help and I'm being too sensitive.

I'll try and link it if I can, if anyone is interested.

I see he had been sending his daughter to bed without dinner again and posting more photos of them in the bath. I think you can safely ignore his advice he gets as much wrong as the test of us xx

Don't know anything about this guy but there really is little worse to risk ending up with kids with MH than being an overly anxious parent.

Kids learn from what they see, not what they are told. If they see their parent, especially their main carer anxious about everything, they will take this as being normality and end up the same and then multiply by 2.

The balance between protecting our kids and giving them a chance to make the best of their lives by taking some risks is a very tough one, but I feel so sorry for kids with overprotecting parents who are convinced they are doing best by their kids when they are much more likely to cause damage by doing so, it's just that the damage comes at a later stage in their lives.

You're right @dontdisturbmenow but you make it sound far easier than it is to escape when you're trapped in this cycle. My mother was over anxious with MH problems of her own and of course, as you describe, I have developed into an anxious adult.
I'm now a parent and desperate to break the cycle - seeing my mum around my child has made me realise exactly what causes my own MH issues - but I too have been diagnosed with PPA and needed support in the first year of my daughter's life.
So yes you're right. But it's easy to criticise, much harder to be living with these issues and trying so hard to address them

He’s defensive because he’s posted about his kids online and probably got a load of criticism from strangers. Don’t take it to heart, we all get touchy when other people have opinions about our kids.

I find being broke and having no holiday days left holds me back from my jet set life style not the fear my child might choke.