Is there too much fear-mongering when it comes to parenting?

Finally, someone said what we’ve all been thinking at 2am.

I think I’ve lost count of the articles I have read about celebrity parents telling me how parenting is.

I read them and glance around to lounge room; it’s covered in a week’s worth of folding and Christmas presents that still haven’t made it to the toy room. I slowly pull yet another sticker off my work laptop, scrub the texta mark off it and sigh.

I’m stressed and tired and worried about how I will make it through the day tomorrow and they’re they are telling me it’s all roses and rainbows.

But finally, it seems one Hollywood celeb does actually get it.

In an interview with Porter magazine Emily Blunt, mum to 10-month-old Hazel and actress best known for her roles in The Devil Wears Prada and The Young Victoria, discusses how parenting is “is such a fear-based industry”.

As I continued to read, I could have sworn we were in my messy lounge room laughing about our parenting woes like BFFs.

“There used to be one book that everyone read, now there’s How to Raise a Gluten-free Baby, How to Raise a Scientific Baby... It’s insanity! So I haven’t read anything, I’m just letting her do her own thing.”

As I hit the age now where many of my friends are pregnant and embarking on the parenting journey for the first time I saw so much truth to her comments.

Fear. As parents the moment we pee on that stick fear sets in. Constantly. It shows itself in different forms but it is always there.

Worry, stress, judgement. At each stage of parenting there is something new to fear, something new to stress about. And society doesn't help. In fact, it pushes us to the edge.

But let me tell you, we’ve all been there. We have all drowned in the fears that exist throughout parenthood.

We’ve all felt thing like these:

Fear while pregnant.

Am I too big/too little? Is that bad?

Is the baby moving too much/not enough? Is that bad?

Am I eating the wrong diet? Is that bad for the baby?

Am I doing too much/too little? I'm ruining my baby's future, right?

Fear about birth.

What if something goes wrong? Everyone says something goes wrong.

What if it doesn’t go to plan? People say no one cares about the plan.

What if the baby come early/late? Which is better?

Is it really THAT painful? Oh, God.

Fear about actually parenting.

How will I cope? People say it is hard.

What if the baby doesn’t sleep? Is there a magical trick to get them to sleep through?

What if my baby gets sick? What if Google doesn't have the answer?

I’m too young/too old… I’m not ready.

What if I get judged? I know I will get judged.

Will I be a good mum?

And my favourite of all, and the most common thing you will hear in any parenting circle:

What if I screw up?

But the way I see it, if you care enough to worry about any of these things then you already are being a great parent.

And, dammit, you’re doing the best you can, and when it comes down to it, that’s all that really matters.

Do you agree with Emily Blunt? Is there too much fear-mongering when it comes to parenting?

Liked this? Try these:

“7 things I stopped worrying about as a parent.”

“If in doubt, kiss ‘em,” and the other best pieces of parenting advice we’ve ever heard.