Kids Raised By Parents Who Were Anxious About Everything Usually Stress About 10 Everyday Things As Adults
PeopleImages / Shutterstock Growing up with parents who worried about everything can teach a child that the world is full of things to be afraid of, even when nobody ever says it outright. After a while, being in a constant state of alert starts to feel normal.
In adulthood, these kids may find themselves carrying some of that same tension into situations that other people barely think twice about. A simple text can leave them wondering if someone is upset with them, or a small mistake can feel like a disaster waiting to happen. They know they're probably overthinking it. Still, minor inconveniences seem to add to their already anxious dispositions.
Everyday inconveniences kids raised by anxious parents tend to stress about as adults:
1. Being late
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Being late, even by a few minutes, often feels like a much bigger deal than it truly is. If a child grew up with chronically worried parents who treated running behind as a crisis, they may have learned to associate a few extra minutes with disappointing someone or getting in trouble.
As an adult, they might leave ridiculously early just in case and feel their stress level shoot up if anything slows them down. They may find themselves apologizing and feeling guilty for keeping others waiting. They associate lateness with the sense that something has gone terribly wrong.
2. Making mistakes at work
Making a mistake at work is normal, and most people will clock what they did wrong and take measures so it doesn't happen again. People who were raised by highly anxious parents, however, watched them react strongly to mess-ups, so they started believing that it was always followed by consequences or criticism.
Later in life, they may obsess over tiny typos and replay conversations because they're convinced they said something wrong. They don't want to be seen as incompetent, so tiny mistakes turn into huge debacles.
3. Unanswered texts or calls
Texting or calling someone and not getting a response can be a big source of worry for kids raised in homes where anxiety ran high. A missed call could mean someone was hurt or deliberately avoiding them.
This habit can show up in all kinds of situations. They might check their phone repeatedly while simultaneously trying to convince themselves that the other person is totally fine. Logically, they're probably just busy, but an unanswered message can leave a lot of room for stress.
4. Spending money
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If a child was raised by parents who treated everything like a potential threat, they usually watched them question every purchase and freak out over unexpected expenses. They learned that spending money was something that needed to be carefully justified. Even when they could comfortably afford something, part of them still wondered whether they should be saving it instead.
Ordinary purchases in adulthood can leave them feeling guilty. They may have an urge to explain or defend what they bought, despite nobody asking. Saving money is the responsible and safe choice, while spending it can trigger fear and regret.
5. Getting sick
Having parents who panicked over every cough and sniffle taught kids that feeling unwell could be a sign that something seriously bad was happening. They weren't allowed to just not feel good. Rather, they were poked and prodded until the cause was discovered.
A minor symptom is enough to send them spiraling with worst-case-scenario thinking. The fear response has them always expecting the worst.
6. Driving somewhere unfamiliar
For kids who were raised in an anxious household, driving anywhere with their parents might have made them pick up the idea that they should always know what they're getting themselves into before it happens. Even with GPS ready to go, taking a new route feels like a whole event.
They triple-check directions and leave way earlier than they need to because they don't want to deal with the scary possibility of getting lost. In their head, they're running through a whole list of things that could go wrong in a place they don't know.
7. Waiting for important news
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Waiting for news will turn anyone into a full-time worrier. For kids who grew up with constantly stressed parents, this feeling is even more intense. They discovered that the uncertainty about what's going to happen is almost as bad as knowing something is wrong.
The longer it takes to hear back, the worse they assume the news will be. Silence feels suspicious, even when they have zero evidence that things are going badly.
8. Making decisions
Parents who worry about every possible outcome pass on to their kids that there's always a right choice and a whole lot of trouble waiting if you pick the wrong one. Simple choices like what to have for dinner can become major issues.
As adults, those kids spend way too much time changing their mind right before they commit. Picking a restaurant to eat at or booking a hotel is an unreasonably difficult choice, and it often gets pushed off until the last second.
9. Thinking someone is upset with them
When someone's mood changes, a child who inherited their parent's anxiety suddenly blames themself. They assume there's something they did wrong.
This can be especially prevalent in these types of people because they learned to pay close attention to others' emotions. They take things personally and feel obligated to make everything all right again.
10. Not being productive
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There's nothing better than being lazy on a weekend afternoon unless you were raised by parents who worried about everything. Doing nothing has their nervous system running wild. They just can't relax.
Even just watching TV is impossible when there are things to check off a to-do list. They are constantly in a state of feeling like they need to earn that break, and that keeps them constantly moving but not always getting anything done.
Kayla Asbach is a writer with a bachelor's degree from the University of Central Florida. She covers relationships, psychology, self-help, pop culture, and human interest topics.
