I Have the Jitter Bug

I am always telling my kids to calm down and take a deep breath. To count to ten and slowly release the air all the while imagining whatever is stressing them out disappearing into thin air. Too often I push their angst to the side in my head regarding it as nothing and just a stage. Then I get a much needed cold slap in the face when I have to go head -to- head with nerves and anxiety myself. I get a refresher course in the horrible jittery feeling and the inability to concentrate. I get the jumbled brain and the teary eyes. My shoulders tense up and my thoughts are scattered. Butterflies on a major caffeine high soar around in my stomach. I am an adult with 37 (Ahem almost 38) years experience dealing with these uncomfortable feelings and it still bothers me and makes me feel out of sorts. Kids are small but to them their problems are humongous and earth shattering. Even if I think the reason for their panic is not a good one I have to remember that they are experiencing the same physical response as I do when I am nervous. Just because my stress might be about an adult issue doesn't make it feel any worse then if it were about a spelling test or forgetting your lunch money. I love it when my kids teach me something important about myself. Now please excuse me, I am going to take a deep breath and count to ten and hope my anxiety disappears.