Obviously Magda and Joseph were horrible people. But I disagree the Goebbels killing their children is an example of bad parenting - given the circumstances, killing the children was an act of mercy. Remember, the Goebbels were 100% committed to Hitler and the Third Reich, they were the highest ranking Nazis possible. The Germans had lost and they were trapped in a bunker - there was no escape. They would have faced the most severe punishments if caught alive, and it's possible that the children too would have faced punishment (even though that's unfair, but wartime is inherently unfair - these were the children of the highest ranking Nazis). The Russian army was fast approaching - as a parent, if I knew that my children might face torture and punishment at the hands of the 'enemy' (Russians), I think I might kill them in a relatively painless way to spare them that fate. Of course the whole thing is repulsive.

The excellent film 'Downfall' shows the scene of Magda and Joseph killing their children, it's pretty distressing to watch. The scene is quite understated and matter-of-fact, it's the children's reactions that are upsetting - the younger children are oblivious in their innocence, the older daughter realises what is going to happen. It's chilling stuff.