Are you a paranoid parent?

**CLOSED** WINNERS: random.org #10 (congrats  Mommy C!), #12 (congrats Alanna!) and #24 (congrats Tara!) Winners have been emailed… thanks to all who entered and read and thanks again the The Paranoid Parents Guide!

What’s funny is that I’ve been planning to write about this topic… and then I got invited to take part in a book tour for The Paranoid Parents Guide… perfect timing, eh? And I feel like I’m the opposite of what I think most parents are like. I’m not paranoid (not usually, anyway) and at least compared to my husband, I’m much more relaxed. Oh Ryan is in the other room? It’s babyproofed, I can hear him, he’s fine. Ryan’s standing up at the corner of the coffee table? No problem. Whereas my husband is like “Get Ryan! He can’t have that. He can’t go there. Put that away.”

So my question is… is there something wrong with me?! Why am I not more worried? More paranoid? Is it going to take something bad happening? Or maybe I’m just a go-with-the-flow, relaxed kind of person and won’t be hovering over Ryan all the time? OF COURSE I don’t want him to ever get hurt. OF COURSE I love him and care about him. But I’m not going to freak about every corner in the house or *every* potential hazard (think about it and everything ever made could be a hazard). That isn’t to say I’m not aware, I keep an eye out for choking or strangling hazards or any other obvious threat. Let’s not get carried away, I’m not that terrible.

So then this book arrives. The Paranoid Parents Guide. It covers the whole span of a child’s life so I learned about what I have to look forward to with Ryan. “Worry less, parent better, and raise a resilient child.” All good things, right? The start of the book has you sit down for 5 minutes and write about your worries for your child. Some parents come up with a hundred things, some parents write “everything.” Me? I worry about things like : raising a respectful young boy who is caring and kind and strong and intelligent. I’m sure other parents do too… but I didn’t have things on my list like “falling off the couch, getting lost at the store, etc.” Okay, here’s one legit worry: choking. Because Ryan eats solids (sometimes) instead of purees.

The author of the book suggests that many times parents worry about the wrong things. We worry about the rare circumstances that happen to 1 in 10 million kids and she’s here to tell us what we should worry about. Intrigued? I was. Here’s the list of the typical Top 10 worries of parents:

1. Kidnapping
2. School snipers
3. Terrorism
4. Stranger danger
5. Drugs
6. Vaccinations
7. Playing in the front yard
8. Bullying
9. School buses
10. Natural disasters

So what are the real dangers? The things that are actually causing death and injury for children? Here’s that Top 10 list:

1. Car accidents
2. Homicide
3. Abuse
4. Suicide
5. Drowning
6. Fire
7. Suffocation
8. Bicycle accidents
9. Unintentional poisoning
10. Everything else

The book explains who to trust, how to analyze what you hear, and why you don’t need to worry about certain things (specifically those listed on the first top 10 list). The book then goes on through each stage of life and discusses what safety products you really need or don’t need, what to worry about and what not to worry about. There’s a whole list of products that can unintentionally poison your child (listed under the toddler stage), which I found really helpful! Things you wouldn’t even think of! (Okay, maybe now I’m starting to get a bit MORE paranoid! haha).

The author points out some misplaced worry: shopping at the store and you’re worried about germs on the shopping cart handle… but you should be worried about falling and head injuries. Sometimes this author takes a tone that, in my opinion, sounds as if parents are stupid. But maybe that’s what it takes for people to realize the real dangers.

All the way through COLLEGE! this book covers anything you’re wondering about: sharks in the ocean, bullies at school, dangerous sports, sex-ed, too much TV, being spoiled, eating disorders…. and lots more. For me personally, this book made me more aware of the real dangers that are truly out there and what I should be watching out for. Already worried about everything? This book gives tips on how to overcome being a paranoid parent too.

Being a first-time mom brings up questions and situations you’ve never dealt with before. What’s the “right” way to handle it? The “wrong” way? Who knows! You do the best you can – and you read books like this to help on the way 😉

Find it at Amazon for around $10: The Paranoid Parents Guide: Worry Less, Parent Better, and Raise a Resilient Child

Or WIN a copy here! Provided enough people enter, there will be THREE lucky readers who will each win a copy of this book!

TO ENTER: simply leave a comment below with your biggest worry for your child(ren)! Or a tip on overcoming worries!
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40 comments to Are you a paranoid parent?

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