Anyone else struggle with anxiety about being a good enough dad

1w ago·1 min read

I lie awake at night replaying conversations with my kids wondering if I said something wrong or made them feel bad. My 7 year old asked why I was stressed about his soccer game and I realized I was putting way too much on myself. Started seeing a therapist last month and honestly it's helping me see that I'm doing better than I think I am. Just wanted to throw this out there in case anyone else deals with this.

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Comments(5)

RRob P.Regular1w ago

Five months in and I'm still terrified I'm messing this up, so you're not alone. The fact that you're worried about it probably means you're being a great dad. Kids are more resilient than we think.

EEricNew Dad1w ago

Those middle-of-the-night spirals are brutal. But replaying conversations means you care deeply, and your kid asking about your stress shows you're raising someone who notices and cares about people. That's the opposite of messing up.

KKevin M.Regular6d ago

The lying awake part is so real. I used to torture myself going through every interaction. Pro tip: write down the specific thing you're worried about, then ask yourself what you'd tell a friend in that situation. Usually you're way harsher on yourself than you'd ever be on someone else.

DDerekNew Dad6d ago

Man, this hits home. I've been doing the same thing since my daughter was born. Started talking to a therapist about it and she helped me see that the fact that I even care this much means I'm already doing okay. The anxiety itself is evidence I'm trying.

MMiguelRegular6d ago

I do this exact thing. Replay conversations at 2am wondering if I was too harsh or too lenient or said the wrong thing. It's brutal. What helped me was realizing my kids don't remember 90% of those moments the way I do. They just remember feeling loved.