Does anyone else find that Save the Children adverts make them cry since becoming a parent?

[Charltonangel]

Has being a parent made anyone else go soft towards charitable cases?! Since DD was born (nearly 9 months ago now: wow!) I have started giving far more to charity - especially charities that focus on children.

I am interested because some people I work with have done a survey and found that nearly 40% of parents say that their children are the biggest influence on whether they donate money or time to 'causes' (this is part of the new 'Give More' campaign which launched today).

It started me thinking: Do other people find that their children influence the causes you care about and give to? I dread the day DD sees her first RSPCA TV ad - I'm a sucker for fluffy kittens as it is

Wait til she sees the Dogs Trust, that one went on for years in our house. The No Child Born To Die gets me every single time, and NSPCC.

The trouble is that the most effective charities are small local concerns, they often have the biggest effect on alleviating suffering but they don't get much publicity. I explained to my children that just because something is right in front of you it doesnt make their cause the most valid for your concern.

I remember my lovely Dad gave a charity a big donation one Christmas morning after seeing an ad which began 'All 6 year old x will get for Christmas is a beating from her parents', it really got to him.

All the time. I would in the gym on the treadmill on come save the children advert and tears pouring down my face in minutes. Never happened before.

Actually, I don't have children but these ads make me tearful these days. Maybe getting older makes one more compassionate?

Yes definitely. I was watching TV with my DD (15 months) today when a Save the Children advert came on. She immediately said "baby!" and started crawling over to the screen. I got an immediate lump in my throat at the difference between my healthy, well-fed child and those in the advert.

Before I had my son, I hadn't cried at a single film/advert etc in my life. Since I had him almost 4 years ago (wow again lol) I cry at every one! I even went to the doctor because it's getting ridiculous, anything where a child is mistreated or deprived and I cannot control myself I break down! I had my son at 18, so for me getting older wasn't the reason it's definitely because of my son.

YY to the Save the Children one, I thought it was me that couldn't cope with it as I once lost a baby in the second trimester of pregnancy, but turns out loads of people get really upset. Texted them the cash the first time I saw it but I still well up every time it comes on.

Oh and I think it has something to do with association- for instance I am more emotional when it's boys, and particularly ones around my son's age. I guess it's the same as if you know someone who's had breast cancer, you feel more compelled to donate/buy the pink ribbon.

Oh yes, and Mary Beard talking about child mortality in ancient Rome last night, and reading tombstone inscriptions!

Yes, i set up a direct debit to NSPCC shortly after having my DS. I just looked at him one day, happy, smiling, loved deeply and completely innocent and thought: "You have so much trust in others because nobody has ever given you reason not to trust. You are happy because nobody has ever given you cause to be unhappy."

I have been known to switch off the TV/ radio when there's bad news about children, particularly children my DS's age. I get completely emotionally overloaded and stricken by thoughts of 'what if it happened to us?' I'm not irrational or highly strung, but I really can't listen to stuff like that any more because it makes me so anxious.

I cry at everything since DS was born (nearly 9 mo). I have always been a little bit soft though!! Now it's just amplified by a million especially anything to do with babies, kids etc. I switch channels or if I can't (ie at someone else's house) I look away or physically put my hand infront of screen.

Dd 13mo saw the save the children ad this morning and said awww....that got me!

Bit late to this thread but just wanted to say I started supporting Save The Children after seeing one of their adverts that featured a very sick, starving toddler who looked the same age as my DS :(

It made me think about what it would be like if DS had been born into those conditions and was as ill as that child. And whether people would just ignore his suffering because it wasn't their problem. It was a really upsetting thought and I just couldn't not donate after that.

Yes... the other one that totally got me occurred the other month when I heard footage from that journalist that died in Syria (apologies - forgotten her name) about a toddler (and I have a toddler) that got hit with shrapnel and had a big hole in his chest. I think she held him while he gasped for breath and then died in her arms. If not her arms then someone close to her.

I was really cross, thinking that if I and presumably others like me, thought more about these awful conflicts then people like her would not have to sacrifice themselves to hammer home the injustice to us through their reports.

A lot of things have made me more emotional since becomning a parent, the news, newspaper reports, anything affecting children seems to hit a rawer nerve when you have them yourself. And by saying that I in no way mean that people without children would not be affected too, just too clarify. It's just that you imagine 'what if that were my child/me?' and so on.

Reading about James Bulger nearly finished me off, my DS was the same age as James when his killer were released, I found that quite distressing.

I cry so much more easily since having DS (15 months) and find myself feeling so much more affected by STC ads and others like it. I even now enjoy the clips of kids on You've Been Framed which I used to avoid!

Definitely and one of the save the children one has a child with dd1 name. Literally can't watch it it freaks me right out