“Mom, am I the only one who sees where this is heading?”

Her voice shook late at night. The words tumbled out fast, her breath uneven. She wasn’t just afraid—she felt alone in her fear.

She had been watching the world shift in ways that unsettled her. What terrified her most wasn’t just the uncertainty itself. It was the sense that no one else seemed to be saying it out loud. Her friends brushed it off, clung to easy reassurances, or avoided the conversation altogether. Meanwhile, she lay awake at night, anxious about her future, her job, even whether life would feel stable enough to start a family someday.

In that moment, I could have rushed to logic—offering solutions, insisting it would all be fine, telling her she was overthinking. But I knew that wasn’t what she needed.

She needed to feel seen.

So I took a slow breath and said:
“Yes, I see it too. Yes, things are shifting in troubling ways. And yes, we will get through it together.”

I watched her shoulders drop, her exhale soften. Not because I had solved anything, but because—for the first time that night—she wasn’t carrying the weight alone.

The Mistake Parents Make (and What to Do Instead)

When young adults express fear about the future, parents tend to react in one of two ways:

• Dismissing: “You’re overreacting. It won’t be that bad.”

• Fixing: “Here’s what you should do to feel better.”

Both responses—though well-intended—can make them feel unheard and even more alone.

Instead, try this:

• Validate their emotions. “That makes sense. I can see why you’d feel that way.”

• Help them focus on what they can control. “Right now, your job is to keep learning and growing.”

• Reassure them they can handle uncertainty. “We’ll adapt as a family. You are not alone.”

Real Conversations That Help

It’s one thing to know we should validate and steady our kids—it’s another to find the words when they’re spiraling. Here are some simple, grounded responses you can lean on in the moment:

Overwhelmed by the World
When they say: “Every time I look at the news or social media, I feel panicked. It’s just too much.”
You say: “That makes sense. Our brains aren’t meant to take in everything at once. Let’s talk about ways you can take in what matters—without letting it flood you.”

Fear of Falling Behind
When they say: “Everyone else seems to have a plan. I don’t even know what I’m doing with my life.”
You say: “It’s normal to feel that way. Most people are figuring things out as they go. Your job right now isn’t to have it all solved—it’s to keep showing up and learning.”

Pressure to Be Perfect
When they say: “If I mess this up, I’ll ruin everything.”
You say: “I hear how much pressure you’re carrying. The truth is, mistakes are part of becoming steady. They don’t ruin you—they grow you.”

The heart of it: When your child feels their fears honored instead of dismissed, they remember they are not alone—and that steadiness is possible, even in the unknown.

Final Thought: Raising Steady Adults

Your child doesn’t need you to fix every problem. They need to know you see what’s happening and that you’ll walk through it together.

When young people feel seen, supported, and encouraged to focus on what they can control, their panic softens. Over time, they build resilience, adaptability, and trust in themselves—the very qualities they’ll need to navigate an uncertain world.

We’re not just calming their fears. We’re raising strong, steady adults.

With Steadiness,
Carolyn