Raising Children in a Terrifying World: Why Turning Off the News Might Be the Most Radical Parenting Move You Make

I remember the exact day my fear as a parent began.

It was Monday, January 19, 1998. I was pregnant with my first child. I made the mistake so many of us make — I turned on the news. Stories flooded the screen about active shooters taking the lives of people celebrating Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

I sat there, hand on my growing belly, wondering what on earth I had done bringing a child into a world so full of hate.

A few years later, it was Tuesday, September 11, 2001. I had a three-year-old and a three-month-old. A friend called and told me to turn on the television. My heart felt ripped open that day — and my postpartum depression journey began.

Fast-forward to now… and the world feels unbearably heavy again.

Many of the parents I support are scared. They are reaching out asking how to protect their children, their families, their very existence. They want concrete answers — safety plans, emergency checklists, guarantees.

And the honest truth? There is only so much we can control.

Yes — be vigilant. Know where you’re going. Stay aware of your surroundings. Keep your documents organized — passports, insurance, birth certificates, second-parent adoption paperwork, whatever your family needs to feel secure.

But there is something else I need to say — and I can’t stress this enough:

Turn off the news.

Not because the world isn’t real. Not because injustice doesn’t exist. Not because we shouldn’t care.

But because your nervous system matters. Your mental health matters. And your children need you — present, grounded, and emotionally available.

The modern news cycle is designed to hook you. “Stay right here — when we come back…” It feeds fear in small, addictive doses until you feel helpless, trapped, and terrified.

And when we are overwhelmed, we stop being able to parent from a place of connection. We parent from survival.

So slow down.

Turn off the television. Mute the breaking-news alerts. Unfollow feeds that keep you spiralling.

Instead, fill your space with laughter, babies, art, joy, animals doing ridiculous things — anything that reminds you that beauty and tenderness still exist.

Follow people who make your heart soften.

And please — if you’re struggling, reach out for support. Whether you’re freshly postpartum or years into parenthood, resources like postpartum.org and postpartum.net exist for a reason. You do not need to carry this fear alone.

We are parenting through extraordinarily difficult times.We are raising children in a world that can feel overwhelming and unpredictable.

And still — we love. We nurture. We build safe spaces in the chaos.

I’m wrapping you and yours in light and love, always.