Secret #84: Parent Anxiety with Jodi Richardson
episode
Life's Dirty Little Secrets Podcast | Breaking Silence Around the Secrets We All Carry
49 min
3 speakers
8 chapters
transcribed 1 month ago
Transcript
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Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.
Why does becoming a parent trigger intense anxiety?
We're all very human and fallible, and yet we live in a society that rewards pretending we're not fallible, or the range of acceptable fallibility is narrow. We are constantly comparing our insides to other people's outsides and feeling inadequate and guilty, even ashamed. Trying to blend in means parts of ourselves must disappear and we must then live in fear that we will be found out. Here, together, we will create a space where we can laugh, cry, and carry our suffering and hurts lightly. In the service of being deeply human. This is Life's Dirty Little Secrets.
Welcome to Life's Dirty Little Secrets. I'm Emma Waddington.
And I'm Chris McCurry, and today we are most pleased to welcome Dr. Jodie Richardson to Life's Beared Little Secrets. Jodi is an anxiety and well being speaker, educator, best selling author, and host of the podcast Well Hello Anxiety. Emma and I have had the privilege of being guests on your Fabs Podcasts. Jody's central message is that anxiety is a normal, even adaptive part of being human. And the goal isn't necessarily to eliminate anxiety, but to change our relationship with it so that we can get on with a meaningful life while anxious thoughts and feelings come along for the ride. She is the author with Michael Gross of Anxious Kids, which focuses the lens on the child, followed by her book Anxious Mums, drawing on her own experience of parenting.
I have to say, Jody, that being a parent is the most anxiety provoking thing that I have ever done. And it has not let up in thirty-two years. And I've given up any hope and expectation that it will subside. So where should we begin to unpack and understanding hope with this pervasive and really unavoidable state of parental anxiety. And I th I think importantly too, what can what can coping wisely with our own anxiety do to support teacher action? So let's st let's start with the big question. What can we do to unpack and understand and cope with this pervasive anxious anxiety that's really unavoidable. And I think as well, utilize it or or at least utilize our wisely coping with anxiety to support and teach our kids about how they can cope effectively as well.
Oh gosh, well first first of all, I'm very disappointed to know that it doesn't let up because I'm eighteen years into parenting and and you're further along than me and and it it is true. And and I think the the first thing to say is that we're anxious about what we care about. And so I think that just really normalizing it to begin with is is important. And I think it's quite liberating for people to to know that it is a very normal human emotion and where we could care less about something, we're not gonna be too anxious. But when things are important to us, whether that's the way we perform or our parenting or things that are happening with our kids, it's very natural. So I I think that that's a really good place to start, but also
Honestly, the the parenting journey there's it wasn't in the brochure is the thing I say a lot of the time. The things that That challenges us as parents. And I'm I'm a person that lives with an anxiety disorder. I'm medicated for my anxiety. I thrive with. anxiety and none of us are immune to the to the challenges that come with the journey as a parent and it's there's an extra layer when one of our kids struggles with anxiety as well. So I I hope that that's a good start to a an answer to that very big question which which is I guess that the heart of what we'll be talking about today.
No, I I think I think it's a great place to start to just establish the foundation of we're anxious because we care, because it's provoking whether our it's our paternal or maternal instincts to protect our child or whatever it may be. If if we didn't care, we wouldn't be anxious and not caring as Well, parents who don't care. That's that's sad to go for fairs.
Uh
Yeah, very much so. One of the things I was thinking about when preparing for this conversation is that often some of us are anxious before we have children. But just like you described, Jody, for yourself and
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
Why does becoming a parent trigger intense anxiety?
0:02–6:45
2
How does Jodi define anxiety as a normal, adaptive response?
6:45–14:17
3
Is parent anxiety guaranteed to create anxious children?
14:17–20:11
4
What does the research say about the genetic inheritance of anxiety?
20:11–26:59
5
How can parents shift from rescuing to supporting their anxious kids?
26:59–31:23
6
What practical ACT‑based tools help parents manage their own anxiety?
31:23–36:37
7
How do small, age‑appropriate challenges build lifelong resilience?
36:37–43:19
8
What final advice does Jodi give for balancing protection and independence?
43:19–48:53
Speakers
3 identifiedMore from Life's Dirty Little Secrets Podcast | Breaking Silence Around the Secrets We All Carry
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