Anyone else feel like they’ve let their DC down bringing them up in this world?

Our children are among the safest in the world (even with creaking public services), what an incredible time to be alive this is! So much to learn and explore!

What's changed is our ability to know so much, so quickly, about atrocities and to see pictures unfolding in real time. I don't think our brains have yet adapted to cope with that.

The real dangers are the basic ones: the people we bring into our children's lives pose the greatest risk and then there are the lifestyle factors of not being always easily able to prioritise play, adventure and sport, healthy food and deep social ties. Loneliness, heart disease and inactivity are the biggest long term risks to any of us.

If you live somewhere like Gaza then yanbu but if you live in the UK. Horrible incidents like Stockport are very unusual and thanks to the Internet we hear about these unusual incidents more and your longer.

Yes I do OP.

Of course I wouldn't now change having my kids as I know them and love them, but I do now regret having them. The world is in a bad place, gearing up for war and confrontation and people are pretending nothing has changed. It has massively, socially and otherwise. I'm old enough to remember. The difference is we know better and aren't doing better. I actually find myself thinking the childless by choice have their heads screwed on right. I wish I could have ignored the biological drive. Less worry, only concerned about oneself.

It ranges from simple things - how can my children afford a basic home, to the high stabbing rate just locally, to our dangerous foreign policy to environmental concerns.

Things are going to get worse unfortunately.

No, but I am very aware that I could think that way and have done so when there is an appalling safeguarding or other tragedy in the news, particularly affecting young children. It is a kind of dreadful helplessness.

What makes a difference to me is that I work with schools and teachers and social workers in traditionally deprived communities. Every day I see good people giving something of themselves to protect and serve others, including managing child protection. It is hard often mentally destructive work, but makes me optimistic that as long as people do or experience terrible things, there is another more optimistic side to the human experience, and which outnumbers the bad by many thousands to one.

Never have done and never will.

I know exactly where you're coming from OP.
I have these thoughts for my Grandchildren..( even my adult daughters sometimes) it's a mothers instinct to protect our children.
I have just been talking about this to my psychotherapist yesterday .
But it's absolutely normal to think like this.
Not regretting having them
.. but scared for them.

It's not something I think about at all tbh. The world is a safer place today than it has ever been. In fact many people, perhaps you too, are overly anxious and restrict their children's lives due to over cautious parenting.

I have cousins who haven't had children due to environmental/population concerns. That is slightly different I think to what you are concerned about??

well if you’re going to mope around about the world they live in… possibly

look, i can’t relate to this because i see so much joy and positivity in my children’s lives

I mean this kindly, OP, but do you need some help with your mental health?

What happened in Southport yesterday was devastating, and it's very natural to feel upset by it, but I don't think the world as a whole is necessarily any worse than it has been at numerous other points throughout history.

There is no need for you to feel guilty about your ds. He probably lives in a far better and more stable environment than many, many other children on this planet.

No. How do you think people felt when their kids went to work at 6? If they lived that long.

No because every generation before and after hopefully does not waste their children's lives but overthinking

hell no i don’t!