Tonight while having dinner, DS 4yo asked when DS 6mth was going to die. He said he didn't want a baby brother anymore and he wanted him to die. I am really concerned about this and not really sure what to do. I'm not sure if he was just saying it to get a reaction from his older brother or it there is more to it. Or....if it's just something ridiculous and random from a 4yo that I shouldn't worry too much about. My husband and I spoke to him about it afterwards and he couldn't elaborate on his comments and was back to his normal happy self, playing with his baby brother. To put it into context, he is always brilliant with his brother and very loving and helpful. He isn't a violent child and there are no underlying behaviour issues. He has never said anything like this before and it really shocked me!
What would you do?
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3 Replies
My 4 yr old talks about death it's a new and interesting topic/concept. If he's good otherwise, I wouldn't be concerned.
I wouldn't be concerned. I told my mum I wanted to kill her when I was about 5. I also told my mum I did t want siblings and to send them back! Babies were boring and I wanted the attention back on me (not that I was being ignored).
Does he attend daycare or preschool? Maybe one of the other kids talked about someone dying and he is trying to process it. 4yo often learn something and talk about it in a honest way. It is almost always shocking to parents. Unless you notice some changes, besides this, that worry you I wouldn't be overly concerned. And if you do, head to the GP or paediatrician and talk about it. Good luck.