Hello. Not sure if this is the best place really.
Just looking for some guidance and thoughts.
I have 2 primary school age children. Naturally as a parent i worry about them (all the time). I worry about their health, accidents and so on. SO far pretty normal i guess.
However, for me since having them every time i hear or read on the news of some terrible event that has impacted a child (eg car accident, cancer, murder or anything) it really affects me. Prior to having children i could almost 'brush it off' - oh how terrible but then move on. NOw it plays over and over and over in my mind. How do their parents cope, poor child, etc to the point where i feel haunted by things and i literally dont want to turn the news on.
Most recent example of this is reading of a young boy who had his eyes gouged out. I literally have not slept for 2 nights as this has been playing on my mind so much. I wake up in the night with these things on mind and i can't shake them off.
To all intents and purposes i am fine. I work full time, hold down a senior position, my family are healthy and happy but inside i feel sometimes almost panicked by these things and i dont really know how to shake that off.
DO other mums suffer from these types of things? Is this 'normal' or have i crossed a boundary? i dont really mention it to anyone in RL as i'm sure they will think i'm silly but i just cannot shake off the thoughts and images i get in my head of all these tragic events.