By Annalise Caron, Ph.D.

The extremely overscheduled and busy lives parents tend to lead has led many of us to feel lonely and isolated. One psychological tendency that makes these feelings even worse is the fear of being negatively evaluated by others—which can be really intense for parents of teens and tweens. You might worry about what other parents will think of your parenting decisions and you also may fear what others think of your child.

Fear of social judgment can feel paralyzing: “What if I say the wrong thing?” “What if my daughter does that and they reject her?” “What if they think I’m a bad parent because my teen snuck alcohol?” “What if my son doesn’t excel at soccer and they don’t invite him to tryouts?”

These worried thoughts about others’ perceptions can lead parents (and their kids and teens) to avoid situations or avoid taking perceived risks. Underneath these behavioral avoidances is a sincere desire to be liked, or to do the “right thing” either for themselves or their child or teen. Unfortunately, that desire can undermine connecting with others or........

© Psychology Today