20. The way to tell a risk to children

Children absorb parental worries, often without our even knowing it. It's worth becoming aware of how often we make statements beginning with the words "I'm afraid..." or "Maybe it won't..." or "I'm worried that". If children are routinely exposed to fearful comments, they are likely to develop an apprehensive attitude. Expectations are molded through repetition. And negative thinking can quickly become circular. We all know people who had become caught in this kind of negative situation. "I expect the worst, and the worst always seems to happen to me". Unfortunately, today's parents have more serious fears for their children then ever before. We faced the problem of figuring out how to protect and warn our children against danger without causing unnecessary anxiety in them. For example, we want our children to be cautious with strangers, but not to assume that every person they don't know is hostile or out to do them harm. We want them to stay in our eyesight, but not to feel at risk if we aren't by their side. It's a challenge to raise self-confident kids and at the same time to our best to keep them out of harm's way.