’Letting go’

Ok so I have turned into one of those anxious parents now that Jack is older. I worry about everything he does when he is not in my eyesight and feel like I'm always telling him to not do that when we are out. I notice other kids that are out about the same age who are 'allowed' to do whatever they want. For example we just went camping and there is a gravel track thing for the cars to drive up and down I wouldn't let Jack anywhere near it even though the cars only go 8km/hr and there were hardly any cars. When we were leaving a family set up next to us and I noticed their kids were allowed to play on the gravel and were quite sensible.

Most of my fears are about him getting hurt, I imagine terrible things happening and get quite stressed about it. I really don't want to keep being like this but then I don't want him to run wild either.
I feel like I don't trust Jacks abilities and feel like I'm holding him back with my anxieties. So anyway how on earth do I pull back and let him do his own thing?

Thanks

I,m so like this with james was huge thing to let james go to the park with his cuzzys in bluff .
I wouldnt let a child play by the road you just never know and they have very little road sence.

I am the same with Sam, although he is over a year younger, but I can see myself being the same in a years time.   I see other kids that are the same size as him, but I can tell by their mannerisms and speech that they are much older, and so people probably wonder why I don't let him go down huge slides or other things like that.

I sometimes feel bad but I just don't trust Sam in certain situations as he's just so sneaky and I know he will either break something or escape, which he proved by sneaking out the fire escape door at lollypops when I was 9 months pregnant!

I also have terrible fears and anxieties about him getting hurt and it's even worse when I have to let him go off with his father for a week as I feel like other people wouldn't watch him as carefully as I do.

So, sorry not much advice there, but I understand how you feel!

Thanks it doesn help knowing I'm not the only crazy one Water and traffic are my two big ones as well Jennz, Jack is quite a cautious kid and I wonder if I made him that way or he is just like that anyway. So it seems I'm not as bad as I think I am maybe I just need to ease up a wee bit.

Thanks

Oh awesome! I know see I am not crazy and several other Mums are just like me.

I don't feel too bad about being so protective, as I figure nothing really bad can happen to her while she is with me. She is less cautious now and tries more things, despite me being the way I am, so I don't see it as a bad thing, as she still acts like most other child and isn't being held back from enjoying herself, despite me.

I say your fears are justified. There are so many accidents and such that could've been prevented if all parents were more like us. So just feel good for caring so much and looking out for your children.

Is good to see this thread and know im not alone lol.

My Jacks turned 3 two months ago, and i tend to keep a close eye. Not always - like at lollipops or whatever i sit back and let him go for gold (of course i often dress him in a bright colour so i can watch from afar lol)
But we visited friends the other day and they had a daughter 3 months older than he is. The two children rgabbed toy pushchairs and went zooming around the house, then headed outside. I of course headed out too, and the girl started down the driveway. Jack of course went to follow but i stopped him, then we watched as she ran to the end, turned and ran back. Her mum was telling me i needed to loosen up, that it was the only place they could zoom up and down without crashing into anything (true) so i let him follow after mentioning he needed to stop and turn at the end. Anyways, wasnt long before i was YELLING at him to stop, i was sure he wasnt going to the pace he was headed.

Like when do they get road sense? Or some sense of the world around them when theyre busy at play at least. I find it so odd that some children just stop or can walk along a footpath without holding hands, whereas i just dont trust that he wouldnt get distracted and dart somewhere, or something...