To be scared of my little one growing up?

[StopGrowingPlease]

My ds is 16 months and I am feeling quite scared about him growing up. There are so many bad things happening all the time, so much crime and I am seeing more and more unpleasant behaviour from teenagers around us and I'm just scared for his future. I don't want him to have a bad life and I don't want him to grow up and be horrible either 😥

I'm sure he'll turn out just fine. Try and relax and enjoy him now and when he goes through his various stages in life. Worries like this are natural but try and not let it take over. I bet he's a cracking wee boy.

I think you have quite a while yet until you need to start worrying.
Instead of panicking about the 'what ifs' for the future, just enjoy him now.

Most decent parents want the best for their child

I think this is normal. We all worry about our children. Ultimately it’s about not letting the anxiety take over.

I understand, I had a health scare with my LO when she was only a couple of months old. It's really affected me and I find myself worrying all time about her future, its the hardest thing about being a parent. I think most parents feel like this at least a little.

There have always been "scary teenagers" about.

A good thing you can do is to put money aside so they have some for a house deposit/buy a small BTL now, pay the mortgage off over 20 years then give it to them when they're an adult.

It's normal to feel like this OP but I would say it's an overreaction insomuch as we live in a safer society than we ever have.

There are serious issues with crime etc yes, but I will put money on most awful things being less common than when you grew up. Unfortunately the media make money from telling us otherwise and social media is a cesspit of falsehoods and outright propaganda feeding us negative stories.

I have a 6 year old and every stage he's been at I've thought "this is brilliant. I wish he could stay this way forever".
Had a lush day with him today and it makes me sad that I've probably only got about 4 more years of this.

Sorry, posted too soon.

ATM he is still my little boy. Still full of optimism, life is great, everyone is lovely. His biggest issue is what show he gets to watch on TV or how many desserts he gets.
I'd love to hold onto this bubble forever, but then I've never had a 12 yr old or 15 yr old.
I think I'll struggle to let him go as he gets older.

Hiya please don't worry, you will love all stages as they grow. Mine boys are now 16, 19 and 21 and I think I'm loving this stage most! Just go with the flow.

Why? My teens and I went to festivals and great nights out, right through their 20s, and now they're in their 30s we have family days out again.

The alternative is unfortunately- not growing up which is the worst possible outcome!

Enjoy your child, soak it all up - every moment.

You love the person they are, they gradually grow and develop but you love them for what they are now, not just what they were yesterday. Each day you have the chance to prepare them and educate them about making their way through life, you're not a helpless spectator. Well, not all the time, but mostly you're helping steer them with guidance, they are not helplessly adrift.

Take each day as it comes, enjoy it as much as you can and try not to fret over things you cannot control.

Obviously, the alternative of their not growing up is more horrifying...

I think every parent and carer of a small child has thought this at some point, so it is a common worry!
There's only so much you can do to keep your DC safe, as long as you're caring for them and loving them and creating a safe environment for them at home then you're doing the best you can. Promoting resilience and awareness of unsafe situations is great for children, but for now all he needs is you.

It's quite terrifying, kids growing up so you are NBU but remember you can still have lovely times with older kids, it's just different. I still have moments when I long for the good old days when mine were little. But then I also enjoy sharing eg favourite books/films/theatre etc with them as mine grow up. It's a scary world out there, all you can do is try your best to keep a good relationship with your kids as they grow up.

Mine are 4 and 2 and while the thought them going out into the big wide world is scary, I will do all I can to teach them to be safe and aware. I love watching them develop and learn and one day I bet it will be hard to imagine them being toddlers again, when I couldn't have proper conversations with them. Every stage so far has been fabulous - sleep regressions aside.

Well your concerns are absolutely valid but from experience I’d say there are real things you can do now that help a little with the teenage years.
Encourage your child to take up extra curricular activities, and focus on a couple that are long lasting. Dance, football, a musical instrument, gymanastics. Reading! Cultivate a love of books.
None of these things will stop your teenager teenagering. But they really do help a little in the teen years.

I get it. I panic constantly about my children - dd 2 was a sole surviving twin (we knew her twin had a heart condition that meant she would die shortly after birth) then at 3 weeks (before she should have been born) she nearly died of bronchiolitis - the last emergency bed at GOSH was held open for her. She was very low on oxygen during this time and we didn't know if it would affect her. Nurse was convinced when she came on the next day that it was a miracle dd was still alive.

It's tough letting your little ones grow up.

This dd is now 27.

Youngest dd (18) now at uni is in Paris this weekend with her boyfriend. Sometimes I want it all to stop but I'm thrilled all my 4 are living the lives they want to. That's our job as parents. Scary but lovely.

Don't worry about it ending soon! My older two are 20 and 14 and we go on days out all the time. Most evenings we spend watching films/shows together or playing video games.