Is Anyone Else Haunted by the Stories?

It really hits home for me... My 18 month old baby sister was killed by her own father (we had different dads). He shot her in the head then shot himself. It wasn't until I had a daughter of my own that I realized just how horrible that had to have been for my mom...

I agree with one of the posters below- ever since I became a mom to my little one I have been feeling the need to mother all little beings both animals and human. All cruelty towards children and animals have started affecting me in a much deeper level than ever before - so you are not alone or insane to think that.
It breaks my heart to see the level of evil and cruelty out there and because of that I have limited myself watching the news on TV. I get most of my news online and through NPR.

That's another big reason why I don't watch the news.
It seems these days that great, loving parents are few and far between.
I know that I see A LOT of mean, abusive mothers and it just makes me sick.

Like you said. I visualize my babies in that situation and I could NEVER imagine hurting my babies. Jeese I even feel bad when I have to talk sternly to my kids.

In my opinion some people do not deserve to be parents.

There's an interesting book called Culture of Fear that looks at how the media hypes everything up to make us afraid. It's an interesting read.

I would stop watching the news.

I NEVER watch the news or read the paper - for THIS REASON. It makes me sick and there is really Nothing I can do about it :-( those poor little babies, its Disgusting how someone could harm them! My DH makes fun of me for not watching/reading the news - he says the world could be coming to an end tomorrow and i wouldnt know. NOPE I'd much rather 'live' in my own little happy world. the news bothers me too much, I stopped watching it about 5 years ago.

I don't watch the news or read it anymore. I listen to NPR or the news on the radio. It's less ratings-centered. I don't know if more stuff happens, but I do know because of technology we hear about problems like this from ALL OVER the world instead of just our local news.

I think almost all moms feel the way you do. I guess all we can do is be aware and ready to help if something like this comesinto our lives.

I get like this too. I can't stop imagining how scared/in pain/etc. those innocent little kids were...even days after I've heard or read about it. I've had to stop watching the news. It affects me way too much ever since I had my son. Such a crazy world.. :(

I don't watch or read the news if it is about this for the reason you said.
It is sick.

I've lived with an anxiety disorder my entire life, so for me those stories and images just "loop" over and over again until I can't bring myself to take my children out of the house for fear that something will happen to them. Since it's not fair to keep them cooped up because of my disorder, I've come up with several coping strategies. Hopefully they will help you as much as they've helped me!

1.) Remind yourself that these crimes are largely committed by people who know the child. A desperate mom who sees the child as a barrier or has to work and feels like she has to leave the child with an unsafe person. Or "falls in love" with a "great guy" who neglects to tell her about past charges, etc. If you're financially stable and provide a loving home and are careful about who cares for your children, their faces won't be on the news.

2.) Look at whether you're reading national or local news. If you've read five bad stories in a row, was that five for the country? Five for your state? Five for your city? And of those, how many were random crimes and how many were perpetrated by someone who knew the child? If five random acts of violence against children were committed in your city, worry. If not, say a prayer for the children affected but that's all you can do. You can't change the outcome.

3.) Get your news online. If you see a headline about one of "those types" of stories, don't click on it. Having ALL of the details only enhances your imagination and helps you put the faces of your own children into the story. All you know from a headline is that a child was hurt. Say a prayer for the child or children affected but that's all you can do. You can't change the outcome and knowing the details of what happened to them won't help anything.

4.) Take action. The only way these stories will disappear is if we donate money and time to the organizations that help them. Even if we can't prolong their life, ultimately we will have made the time they had here more bearable and given them at least some of the joy they deserve to have. And if even one life is saved, wasn't it worth $20 and a few hours of sorting toys, pushing swings at a community center, or donating books?

Praying this helps!

I stopped watching the news - especially those kinds of news, when I was pregnant and it was one of the best things I did. It doesn't mean that I don't care, but I just can't handle those things. I try to help in my own way by donating money, food and other items to shelters, the Salvation Army and other places that help families in need.

I hate hearing such stories. I'm thankful that we don't have TV so that I don't have to see so much horrible news. Those poor precious children. I don't know if there have been recent stories, but I haven't heard any (thankfully), but I know they are out there. I can't bear to hear them.

I'm with you. I'm either a wreck of tears or ferociously angry when I hear this stuff and sometimes I just have to turn the channel. It's terrible. I do agree that the crazies get all the news time too. Part of the problem, in my opinion anyway, is that the people who go crazy and hold people up at gunpoint or do school shootings or work shootings or harm their own kids or whatever get the big stories. People are beginning to do crazy stuff that they might not do just for their moments of glory. This is what Colombine was and the same for the recent hostage situation in Wisconsin. It's terrible and as a society we're doing nothing to help it!! Sorry, I got up on my soapbox there, but I think we need to stop sensationalizing the offender and be more concerned with the victims!

I too am haunted by them, as I tend to be very empathetic, and at the same time, I'm a news-aholic and ALWAYS read the stories. My hubby has demanded that I stop reading them, since I am PG and prone to pregnancy-induced-hypertension. It is really hard for me to resist reading the stories after a headline catches my attention, but I just have to do it.

While it's a tragedy whenever it happens -it has ALWAYS happened. The media hypes it all up and we know about it when it happens in California or New York or Georgia -or Germany for that matter. People used to only hear BIG news from far off places. Now we hear everything. Unfortunately, the media knows that dead children bring in the viewers. Sad -VERY sad -but true.

I just heard about that 16 month old who was put in boiling water by his mom's boyfriend. It made me and my hubby tear up. It truly breaks my heart! I wish that you had to take tests and be certified to be able to reproduce! My hubby says that you should have a stupid card or a smart card. It's silly, but that's how much we are bothered by the crazies that harm innocent children.

I read your post and could have been reading my own thoughts. Just last night I was watching one of those crime shows and one of the victims was a 4 year old little girl. My heart dropped and I turned to a different channel. I feel very sad when I hear those stories. I look at my children and wonder how anyone could ever hurt them. Sure we get upset with them at times and a time out follows but for the life of me I cannot understand anyone that would take it to the level of ending their little lives. It's evil to me. I don't understand it.

I think the media is reporting what is being given to them. I don't understand it, and my heart breaks thinking about the last moments of these children. How terrified they must have been.

Turn away from the news and continue to be a great mother to your children.

I tell myself they are with God now.