How To React When Kids Say They Wish You Or A Sibling Was Dead

When you’re raising kids, there will be times when they come out with expressions or sentiments that leave you feeling really uncomfortable. They might even tell you they wish you – or another family member – was dead.

Such was the case for clinical psychologist and author Dr Martha Deiros Collado, whose eldest daughter calmly told her after bathtime one evening: “Mummy, I sometimes wish my baby sister wasn’t alive.”

Dr Deiros Collado said in an Instagram reel that when parents hear this kind of comment, it can really “sting” and make emotions “spike up”. But her response to the admission from her six-year-old wasn’t to be shocked, or to fix it, or dismiss it as not true.

Instead, she said: “Thank you for telling me that. I’m really pleased you can share that with me. I love you so