Worrying about our children
By suegt31
@suegt31 (165)
Australia
February 21, 2009 10:54am CST
You would think that once your children grow up and leave home you would worry less about them. I have found that i am worrying more about them. Do you find that you are worrying about your children more now than before they have left home? When they were at home you knew where they were most of the time and what they were doing and if they were ok. Now that 3 of mine no longer live at home, i am always worrying if they are ok. I keep in contact with them, but thats not the same as having them with you. I know that it is normal for them to grow up and leave home, but when they are having problems and they ring me and discuss them with me, all i do is worry. I know i can't control their lives and don't try too. I just listen to their problems and tell them that they will always have my support and i am here for them if they need me. I don't know if they feel better after they talk to me or not, but i know i don't, especially when they are troubled in some way. How do you manage, not having your grown up children around anymore? Do you continue to worry about them?
3 responses
@sunshine4 (8703)
• United States
23 Feb 09
I think I will worry about my kids for the rest of my life.
I actually don't worry as much about my son who is now on his own. He does call and talk to me every day so we keep in touch. If something is wrong, he will let me know. We are very close.
I have seen him mature into a wonderful, responsible man which give me a sense of releif.
@ddhawkins63 (682)
• United States
1 Mar 09
My kids are 20 and 23. I have gone through many stages of worry. If I don't know that something is wrong, I don't worry about them. But if I know there is something major wrong it kills me. It's a different sort of worry because as you said, they aren't right there and you can't see that they are really okay. That can drive you nuts. Don't find reasons to worry though. Things have a tendency to work out well in the end. You just have to have faith that you raised them well and they will follow the correct paths along life's way. After all, that is truly what the job of parenting is. To teach our children how to function in the world all by themselves one day. Even the worst of situations seem to get ironed out. I think sometimes our kids tell us too much of what is going on in their lives. They don't realize just yet how much we do worry about them. I have told my daughter to stop being quite so detailed with things. She tells me only what I need to know and leaves the rest out. It works out well.
@sudiptacallingu (10879)
• India
23 Feb 09
I am not yet at that stage but one middle-aged lady told me the same a few years back. Then my son was 5years old and driving me absolutely crazy with this antics and this lady’s son was around 21. casually I remarked how lucky she was that her son was all grown up and finished his education and that she has a lot of free time at hand. With a wistful smile she answered that she wished she did not have that much of free time coz she now goes mad worrying where he is and what exactly is he doing and who are his friends are and when is he returning home and so on! Oh well, I guess I still have some years left but you ladies have warned me fair and square.
