There are plenty of parenting worries to keep you up at night. Expecting the unexpected and trying to be prepared for every possible scenario is a noble pursuit, but not realistic. Or healthy. It’s completely natural to fret too much about everything from benchmarks to baby proofing. But too much worry can eat up a lot of time and energy, both of which would be better spent being present as a parent. While they understood their motivations — trying to become the best providers and protectors possible — the dozen dads we recently spoke with admit that they worried too much about the wrong things. Making everyone happy. Lingering over their parents’ mistakes. Being perfect. It happens. Lessons were learned. Hearing about theirs can, we hope, prevent you from putting effort into the wrong area.