Anyone else dealing with constant anxiety about being a good enough parent? | DadHQ

Forums Dad Mental HealthAnyone else dealing with constant anxiety about being a good enough parent?

Anyone else dealing with constant anxiety about being a good enough parent?

1w ago·1 min read

I'm seriously struggling here. Every decision feels like it could mess them up. Like did I yell too much today? Am I spending enough time with them? Are they eating healthy enough? My brain just won't shut off about it. My wife says I'm overthinking but I can't help it. Started going to therapy last month and it's helping a little but some days the anxiety is just crushing. Anyone else dealing with this?

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Comments(4)

CChristopher M.New Dad1w ago

This right here is what I'm struggling with too. The anxiety about making the wrong call on everything. But I'm slowly realizing that perfect parenting doesn't exist and our kids just need us to show up and try. That's enough.

MMiguelRegular1w ago

You're not messing them up. The fact that you're worried about it means you care, and kids know when their dad cares. I had this exact same spiral for months. Talking to someone helped me get out of my own head about it.

BBrandonNew Dad1w ago

The yelling thing gets to me too. Like I lost my patience one day and now I'm convinced I've damaged them somehow. But then my 6 year old comes up and hugs me the next day like nothing happened and I realize they move on faster than we do.

KKevin M.New Dad1w ago

Every single day man. I replay conversations in my head and wonder if I handled it right. But here's what I've learned: kids are way more resilient than we think. One bad moment or yelling at the wrong time isn't going to ruin them. We're all just doing our best.