by Vicki Phipps

Created on: July 02, 2010

The most common reasons new parents are afraid today are the same as the beginning of mankind. As parents, we intuitively know the world can be a scary place and infants will completely depend on us to protect them. It’s up to us to make sure they survive the first years of life, and since a teenager’s brain isn’t completely developed when they learn to drive, you’ll sometimes be terrified. In fact, when it comes to being a parent, there will be reasons why you’ll stay awake all night worrying about your child even when he’s thirty-five, because you see, from the moment your child is conceived, you’ll be a parent until the day you die.

The unknown:

What makes human beings afraid is more often than not based on lack of experience, so no matter how many parenting books a new parent reads, parenting is a role new parents have never played. Obviously, they’ll be afraid, but it’s wise to be aware of the fact that no new parent feels prepared. Right off the bat, you’ll ask any one of a million questions that go through your mind as you lay awake all night worrying about your new born child. Is he still breathing? Does she get enough to eat? Is my child growing in a normal way or is he delayed? Did my baby inherit a disease from me? Afraid of the unknown, you may wonder if your child will be smart or slow. It’s just what new parents do, and no matter how often your pediatrician, family and friends reassure you, that’s what you’ll probably do with your second child too.

To be afraid is a parental instinct that makes you notice things about your child that no one else can see, because your baby is a part of you. If you feel that something is wrong, you’ll be persistent until someone listens, but it’s also comforting to know that once you’ve experienced each phase of your child’s development, you’ll find peace of mind on the other side of what made you afraid. In the mean time, just talk to those who’ve been where you are and know what you’re going through. Experienced friends and family can help you get through your fear so that you can relax and enjoy the new experience.

The loss of control:

New parents feel safe when they are in charge and they feel the instinct to be where their children are. Their home is a comfort zone, so giving up control to someone else now and then will leave any new parent a mess of stress. They may call grandma a thousand

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