What helps me to manage my anxiety when my child takes new risks? 

Parenting Perspective 

Letting your child take new risks, whether that is joining a sports team, travelling alone, or making big decisions, can feel like handing over a piece of your heart. Beneath the pride often lies a tight knot of fear. What if they get hurt? What if they fail? What if I cannot protect them? This anxiety is often the price of loving so deeply. However, with awareness and faith, you can transform that anxiety into trust; trust in your child’s preparation, and trust in the protection of Allah Almighty. 

Acknowledge That Anxiety Is Love in Disguise 

Parental worry often hides under the shadow of love. It is a natural response to the responsibility you carry. Instead of denying your anxiety, try to name it gently: ‘This is not weakness; it is my care speaking too loudly.’ When you identify the emotion, you can gain a sense of control over it. Anxiety left unmanaged can become a need for control, whereas anxiety that is understood can become compassion. 

Shift from Protection to Preparation 

When you feel the urge to stop your child from trying something new, pause and ask yourself, ‘Have I prepared them well enough for this?’ If the answer is yes, then the next step is to trust. Preparation is your role; protection belongs to Allah Almighty. Each time you let your child act on the preparation you have given them, you are showing faith in both them and in the values you have taught. Tell yourself, ‘My job is to teach them the skills. Their job is to use them. The job of Allah is to watch over both of us.’ 

Practise Grounded Letting Go 

Anxiety can thrive in uncertainty, so try to replace ‘what if’ thoughts with grounding practices. When your child steps into a new experience, take some slow breaths and repeat calming reminders to yourself, such as, ‘They are growing, not disappearing,’ or ‘I cannot control the outcomes, but I can model a calm faith.’ This mindful redirection can help to shift your focus from fear to surrender. 

Use Faith to Anchor Your Uncertainty 

When you feel the rising tide of worry, remind yourself that no one loves or protects your child more perfectly than Allah Almighty. Your anxiety does not prevent harm; His care does. Turning that worry into a du’a is both an emotional release and a spiritual act. You might pray softly as they leave the house, “Ya Hafeez (O Protector), guard them with Your care, guide them with Your wisdom, and return them safely.” Prayer can transform a feeling of helplessness into one of peace. 

Spiritual Insight 

Islam teaches that while we are commanded to take precautions, ultimate control belongs only to Allah Almighty. Managing our anxiety, then, becomes an act of tawakkul, of entrusting outcomes to the One who never fails in His protection. Faith does not cancel out our fear; it redirects it into trust. 

The Quranic View on Trust and Reliance 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Aalai Imran (3), Verse 159: 

‘…Then when you have decided (on any matter), then put your reliance upon Allah (Almighty); indeed, Allah (Almighty) loves those who are totally reliant on Him.’ 

This verse reminds us that trust should follow our effort. Once you have taught, guided, and equipped your child, the next step is to have faith, not fear. Handing over control to Allah Almighty does not mean you stop caring; it means you are choosing a calm reliance over a restless worry. 

The Prophetic Balance Between Caution and Trust 

The concept of tawakkul is about balancing our own actions with a trust in Allah for the result. It reminds parents that anxiety does not guard our children; the mercy of Allah does. Just as a bird takes flight without knowing what it will find, your child must also step into the world with faith, effort, and courage. 

It is recorded in Jami Tirmidhi, Hadith 2344, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘If you were to rely upon Allah with the reliance He is due, He would provide for you as He provides for the birds; they go out hungry in the morning and return full in the evening.’ 

When you are able to release your fear and place your trust in Allah, you model the same peace that you want your child to carry within themselves. This shows them that doing your best and leaving the rest to Him is the truest form of calm, reliance, and spiritual strength. 

Letting your child take new risks will always bring a flutter of fear, but it is also a sacred invitation, a call to strengthen your own tawakkal. Each time you choose calm over control, you are showing your child what real faith looks like: care without suffocation, love without fear, and a trust that stretches as wide as the mercy of Allah Almighty.