Fear was a parenting tactic used by grandparents, leading to discernment but also anxiety. The author often experienced nightmares due to scary stories and warnings. Despite intentions to protect, these methods created long-lasting fears. As a parent, the author vowed to avoid similar tactics, seeking to keep children sheltered from frightening news while still being direct about difficult topics. However, the author eventually discovered that their son experienced similar anxieties despite these efforts to parent differently.
My grandparents raised me, and they weren't around much. I was often without adult supervision, and in an effort to protect me, they injected a healthy dose of fear into their parenting.
Though their intentions were good, telling them about my fear just seemed to solidify their commitment to parenting me this way.
Rather than pull scary tales from the daily news or the town rumor mill, I kept them sheltered. When they asked about issues I thought could be frightening, I tried to explain in a way that was both direct and sensitive.
I knew I wanted to parent differently, but I learned that my son dealt with similar anxiety.
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