Here’s a thought pattern that used to make me nuts: ‘Zero to disaster in 60 seconds’. I’ll bet some of you have experienced it, too.
Here’s how it goes….
My 16-year old son has missed two history assignments this week… He’ll start falling behind and fail a test… Then he’ll stop working in other classes, fail multiple courses, he won’t graduate high school (forget about college!), start using drugs, and end up living on the street. Zero to disaster in 60 seconds.
Yes, it’s overly dramatic. But it illustrates how something small can trigger your fears and have you projecting way too far into the future. And when you are fearful for your child’s future, it makes you want to control what they do even more.
Remember to pay attention to the small stuff — and recognize that it IS small stuff. Some things are problems to be solved, not crises. Stay calm and focused in the present moment. And make sure that your child is involved in the creation and implementation of the solution! You want to help him or her to be resilient and build strong problem-solving skills.