I do not believe the mother was a monster - I've been driven to the end of my tether by a misbehaving child. No, I did not kill the child, but don't think it didn't cross my mind because it did. I tend to think I might be a bit more forthcoming, honest may be the operative word, but I don't hide negative feeling from myself. Almost everyone I know has had them at one time or another, even the best of parents. I believe many parents hide their negatives from themselves and present a perfect front to the world which does no one any good because it isn't honest.
I've had my daughters (3 kids each) ask me how I managed to survive with 6, or maybe how all of the 6 managed to survive. I simply tell them with a limp and a stupid grin that "I wasn't always like this," you kids drove me crazy - which they did. I had one of my daughters knock on my door about 8 in the morning, and I worked nights. When I opened the door she pushed her 3 kids into my apartment and said, "you take care of them," which I did, having no choice. Maybe at that point in her life she made the right choice.
Children and parents today live in a different world than 30 or 40 years ago. Back then parents were allowed to discipline their children, were encouraged to do so in order for them to become socialized, able to live in a world with other people. Today? If you spank your child, there is a chance you'll go to jail. This frustration builds up. Another of my daughters (I have 4) has to deal with a stepdaughter who lives in the home - her mother is a druggie. The stepdaughter is messed up, but you cannot get physical, only the kid can, and she does. My daughter had to lock herself in the bathroom to escape from the girl. Sure, she has all kinds of therapists, counselors, whatever, but it does no good. In my day I would have beat the hell out of the kid (no, I wouldn't have killed her, hopefully), but when I got done that girl would think 15 times before she gave me any more crap. In fact, I've had the girl overnight in my home (I love her like a biological grandchild), and she didn't give me any trouble at all. She knew better, she knew I would knock her flat with no compunction. The thing is, kids today know they legally rule the roost, and their isn't anything their parents can do about it. Sad.
Now, on the other hand, if there were drugs involved in this, that is a different story. Seems the "war on drugs" that we are all paying for isn't working, and never has. It seems that drug abuse among all levels and ages of society gets worse every day. When is the gov't and the people going to wake up and do things differently? Probably never, too many people, all kinds of people, getting rich.
If the mother had mental illness, why was there no help for this? When her kids were taken the first time, why? Where was her family? Surely that sweet aunt would have helped? Surely she knew something wasn't quite right?
Until we get to the bottom, or bottoms, of why mom's kill their kids, and help to prevent it, we will keep reading these ugly stories, and going ooh and aah, but not doing anything to prevent it. We have MADD, Mothers Against Drunk Driving, how about Mothers Against Drugs?
One more thing I've noticed is sometimes people with no children, or just one, will be quick to judge. No kids, or one kids, is a whole lot different than having 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or more. The more kids, the worse the stress.
End of rant. My opinions only
