Parental FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)
🌟Weekly Inspiration🌟
There is often discussion about our children experiencing FOMO, now that social media reflects in real time all of the happenings that our kids may/may not be included in. I think it’s an easy trap that parents can fall into also. Parents chat about what birthday parties/high school parties, club teams, college counselors, and school dances that their kids may or may not be invited to participate in. Sometimes our children aren’t in the friend group that we’d prefer or sought after in the way we’d like from an academic/artistic/or athletic standpoint. Sometimes our children choose to opt out of social or extracurricular opportunities even if they are invited.
These situations can cause stress and conflict with your child. Your own FOMO and pressure in one way or another can indeed get in the way of a closer relationship with your child, particularly with a teenager that has their own mind and feels you are controlling or meddling.
Ask Yourself:
When do I notice FOMO inside of myself? What triggers this for me?
What is my underlying fear? Is it an accurate fear or imagined?
Do I think that my child picks up on my FOMO? How might it be affecting them?
Are there particular people or settings that bring out the worst in me this way?
Am I wasting my time? Can I remember that this is their journey, not mine? What if they are OK and I am making something worse?
How can I breathe--and give my child and myself more grace and space?
Did my parents ever appear to have FOMO on my behalf growing up? Why or why not?
Any small shifts that I would like to make?
The first step is getting real with yourself 💡. We have all felt it at times. How can you have a lighter touch in this way?
In more news: I was recently featured in an Orange County Register article. Feel free to check that out here.