Creepy "memory" that is bothering my kid

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So, my little brother did this. His “best friend Darrin” always did stuff with my brother “at his house” and my Mom wrote it all out and rolled with it. In the long term it became a family joke and reference.

Similarly, my baby sister insists she has all sorts of adventures “at her grandma’s house” - her own, personal grandma.

I think you’re handling this very well, with prayer and patience rather than straight-up denial. If you let it flow it usually wears down the more they have to do (bright kids and their imaginations are crazy but fun!). Distractions are good, and it’ll be alright (:
 
So you think just letting him talk about it rather than correcting it?
 
Like I said, I don’t think he has a mental issue and I generally do not let him look at any “propoganda” (Defined as a news story from the local news station.) on my facebook page at all. We don’t really discuss politics in our house as my husband is completely uninterested and I mainly only bother to discuss life issues. He saw the photo by accident as I was scrolling through my page. I was looking at the photos my step-mother posted of my kids at the ballgame and he was trying to get me to make him some chocolate milk and saw this photo. I’ve already explained what my “issue” is. I’m wonder what the best way to handle a situation where a kid is making up a memory, even to the point of believing it actually happened. Should I got with it, or should I insist it didn’t happen? That’s what I’m asking. I’m not sure why you find this hard to grasp except that you seem really hung up on the subject matter of his “memory” or “story” of whatever you want to call it.
 
Your son is attempting to make sense of this strange and scary world where little children cry alone and no one is there to hold them. It is quite developmentally normal and why many therapists use play therapy. Little minds cannot process things in the ways adults do. Especially things we struggle with processing ourselves.

Hold your son. Hug him tight and tell him that you will do everything in your power that he is never lost “again.” If you haven’t already, introduce him to his guardian angel and teach him to pray anytime he feels alone or lost. Don’t entertain his thoughts, but acknowledge that sometimes scary things happen but God never leaves us.

I wouldn’t discount or try to convince him he was never lost. Just help him deal with the feelings in a constructive way. It could be a good time for him to work on his phone number and address (songs help even tiny kids learn these relatively fast) so that he has a plan for “next time” he’s lost. That gives him some power. Reassure him that you and your husband will do your part to prevent that from happening.

Next time something like that happens and he sees a scary situation, help him seek out the “helpers”. I know in many pictures on current news stories this Can be difficult. For instance, if there is a natural disaster and he sees all the destruction, redirect his attention to pictures of first responders, national guardsmen, priests, and explain all the ways those people are helpers in the situation. All hard experiences are followed by helpers. Tell him to look for the helpers.

It will take time but this will get better. You are blessed to have such a sweet and empathetic son. Unfortunately that comes with the tendency for broken hearts. Give him the power to love with the resources to be resilient.
 
I can’t offer advice because I have no children but one thing I did wonder is if it could be possible your child thought that they were in New Mexico? I remember when I was 3 I literally thought a graveyard was heaven. I don’t know how I came to that conclusion.
 
I actually think he must have seen the words “New Mexico” some where on the post. It was from the local Fox2News station and they usually have a photo from the story, with the bi-line underneath. He might have seen the photo and the words “New Mexico” and just assumed New Mexico was like the shopping mall or some other place he might have been lost for a few minutes. I always forget how many words he actually knows. When he first started telling me the story, I figured that he’d recognized that the girl in the photo was Latina and decided she was in Mexico. (or New Mexico) But in retrospect, he probably wouldn’t even make that connection. He probably just recognized the words.
 
Yeah, so a few seconds after I posted this, he came up and sat on my lap and immediately pointed out the words “New Mexico” in my post. Then he ran to his room and got the New Mexico piece from his United States map puzzle and started telling me this story again. He does seem to respond to the idea that the story ends with a grown up finding the little girl and helping her find her family again, so I think we’ll just keep going with that.
 
Correct; if he goes too far - like trying to pick fights (“Well back in that life I DID get to do ___” or something) then of course put your foot down in reality, but like I said, for the most part it was just my siblings’ imaginations spinning up a storm when they were bored - OR, if they heard stories from friends and desired to have stories of their own to share. I say it’s natural (:

P.S. I don’t think you sound harsh, I think it’s a valid concern especially if this is your first time around with something like this; it can be really scary! Kids are convincing about what they believe and why, so it can be hard to hold the line, but I think you’re doing well (:
 
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Your little boy may simply have the empathy to recognise something in the position and demeanour of the child in the image that made him realise she was very sad or dejected.
For him that might be the sense of loneliness or separation, which for him would be the worst, like feeling lost.
His attachment to his own loving Mom would mean loss could interpret as being lost, lacking the protection and security of his parent.

I would just interpret his response as indication of my little boy‘s ability to empathise, and would be touched and pleased that he has such an intuitive empathy.
 
After reading this thread, all I can say is…

You’ve been blessed with a bright, empathetic boy!

It’s good that he feels for abandoned and lost children, and that you validated his feelings by giving to a group that helps!

I wouldn’t think too hard about this. It seems you’ve calmed his anxieties for now. If this persists for more than another year (the story telling, not the empathy), you’ll have to speak to him about ‘telling the truth’ and '‘telling a lie’, but for now, just consider yourself blessed!
 
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