For as long as I can remember, I’ve been told I’m “overthinking it.” While I’ve learned that isn’t always a bad thing, it is a tough thing at times, especially since becoming a mom.
If you’re a mom who tends to overthink like I do, you’d probably agree it’s simply because you care so much, which is a good thing! But overthinking can be synonymous with worrying, especially when it comes to our children. Here are eight things overthinking moms worry about regularly.
8 Things Overthinking Moms Worry About
You’re not alone if you tend to overthink and worry (a lot). Overthinking moms often worry about things like:
1. Something Happening To Our Children
This is a given. What parent doesn’t worry about something bad happening to their babies? For those who tend to overthink things, this fear among mamas can be easily exacerbated. We want to protect our kiddos at all costs but know there’s only so much we can do. And that’s an unsettling pill to digest.
2. Something Happening To Us
As an overthinking mom, the thought of something happening to me can almost be as daunting as the thought of something happening to my babies. While I don’t like to think about the worst-case scenario, I can’t stomach the idea of my tiny humans ever being without me in their childhood. Nobody knows them like I do. The mother-child bond is unmatched, and it terrifies me to think about someone else being responsible for providing them with adequate comfort, safety, and security.
3. Whether We’re Doing Enough
Mothering is a 24/7 job, and there’s no annual review to reassure us of our performance. At the end of most days, I can’t help but lay awake worrying about whether I’m doing enough for my children. Are they getting enough one-on-one time with me? Am I playing with them on the floor enough or offering enough nutritious, kid-friendly meals? Am I teaching them enough? The concerns go on and on.
4. If We Are Enough
Besides wondering if I’m doing enough each day, I often question whether who I am as a mom is enough for my babies. Am I patient enough? Compassionate enough? Understanding enough? You get the gist. When you’re an overthinking mom, you can do your absolute best, day in and day out, and still wonder if you’re treating your kids in a way that always makes them feel unconditionally loved, seen, and supported. If you’re like me, these worries are enough to send you spiraling.
Spoiler alert: I am enough. You are enough. Even in our less-than-perfect moments, we are exactly the mothers our babies need!
5. How Other People Treat Our Children
I never want anyone to make my babies feel less love and respect than they deserve, but I know our world isn’t always peaches and sunshine. As an overthinking mama, I constantly worry about someone saying or doing something to hurt my children, intentionally or not. Those little humans have the purest hearts I’ve ever known, and the thought of someone else’s sarcastic comment, overstepped boundary, or unkind treatment toward them is heartbreakingly painful.
6. Our Relationships With Our Partners
Having two under two dramatically changed my relationship with my husband. Nearly three years into becoming parents, we’re still figuring out how to swim through the waves of change that inevitably come and go. No parent is perfect, nor any relationship. Knowing I’m setting the standard for what my children expect for and from their future relationships brings a lot of pressure to get it all right.
7. The Choices We Make for Our Children’s Futures
Raising babies and soaking in the young years is one thing. Setting our children up for the best future possible is a whole other. No matter how early into motherhood we might be, overthinking moms worry about everything from the get-go. For starters? How we’ll choose to educate our children from pre-K through high school, what we should (and can or cannot) set aside for our children financially, and even where we live.
8. If Our Children Know How Loved They Are
Loving my son and daughter is the easiest thing I’ve ever done, but that doesn’t mean I don’t wonder whether they know how loved they are. Despite countless hugs and kisses, “I love yous,” daily affirmations, and as much quality time as possible, I’ll always want to give my children more. I just hope they know how loved, cherished, and treasured they are.
As an overthinking mama, I’m here to tell you you’re not alone. Being 100% responsible for the upbringing of other human beings is a huge task. With that, it’s only natural to worry a bit from time to time . . . or sometimes, a lot. So, go easy on yourself, mama. You’re doing great.
