Good Parenting Doesn't Always Feel Good

Dawn Friedman hosts a solo episode of the Tell Me It Will Be OK podcast for parents raising anxious kids, challenging the belief that good parenting should feel good and arguing that struggle, conflict, and insecurity can be normal signs that an approach needs to change as children grow. She emphasizes that parents can’t control kids’ feelings or behavior—whether a child falls asleep or feels anxious belongs to the child—so the work is to focus on what parents can control, avoid codependent attempts to force change, and use frustration as information to clarify values, boundaries, expectations, and strategies. Using bedtime and sleeping alone as an example, she describes planning for worst-case scenarios and viewing growth as an ongoing process for both child and parent. She also announces “Tell Me It Will Be OK: The Practice,” a weekly guided journaling private podcast with a community, launching July 6, $25/year at OpenBookParenting.com.

00:00 Introduction

05:53 Understanding Child Anxiety

06:46 The Bedtime Deep-Dive

12:34 Parenting Is For Parents Too

19:23 Tell Me It Will Be OK: The Practice

Mentioned in this episode:

🌟 READY TO FIND YOUR ROOM TO BREATHE?

Parenting has never been more challenging especially for empathetic parents of sensitive kids. TELL ME IT WILL BE OK: The Practice is a weekly, guided practice that gives quiet, calm, reflective space for you to connect with your wisdom and intuition. For July, we're writing about and exploring the topic of ANGER -- ours, our own, and what we are trying to understand about it. 🧡 This is not a list of things you’re doing wrong. 🧡 This is not advice. 🧡 This is a place to remember what you already know. Learn more and get a free session by going to OpenBookParenting.com