Anxiety spiraling about kid's school performance

Dec 28·1 min read

My 7yo got a B on his math test and I literally couldn't sleep last night. I kept thinking about how he's going to fall behind, not get into a good middle school, etc. My wife finally had to tell me to shut up at 2am. I KNOW I'm being irrational but I can't turn my brain off. Has anyone else dealt with this? How do you stop catastrophizing about stuff that probably won't happen? I'm exhausted from my own thoughts.

5 comments294 views

Comments(5)

DDan T.RegularDec 28

I get the worry but honestly a B in second grade math is completely normal. These kids are still figuring stuff out. The fact that you care this much shows you're invested in his education which is what actually matters.

OOscar D.RegularDec 29

Been there man. I spiraled after my oldest got a C on a spelling test. My wife literally had to tell me to chill. Perspective helps - would you care if your kid got a B? Probably not. Our anxiety is lying to us about stakes.

SShane K.RegularDec 30

Dude a B is a solid grade. Your kid is doing fine. I had to remind myself yesterday that my 6yo getting a B+ doesn't mean anything about his future. Kids are resilient and they pick up on our stress about grades.

JJoshuaNew DadDec 30

This is anxiety talking, not reality. One test doesn't define anything for a 7 year old. They're still learning how to learn. If you couldn't sleep over a B I might be more concerned about your anxiety levels than his math skills.

CChris F.RegularDec 30

Maybe worth examining where this is coming from? Like is it really about the B or are you putting pressure on yourself to have perfect kids? Those are different problems that need different solutions.