Older sister seeks advice on revealing mother's suicide details
Updated
Updated · Slate · May 2
Older sister seeks advice on revealing mother's suicide details
4 articles · Updated · Slate · May 2
She says her 11-year-old sister knows their mother died in infancy, but not that she threatened to jump from a roof holding the baby before killing herself.
The advice says their father should ideally lead any conversation, beginning only with the fact of suicide and letting the child decide whether to ask for more.
It suggests 11 may be too young for the full story, but warns an internet discovery could deepen the shock and sense of betrayal.
Could telling a child about a parent's suicide too early cause more harm than letting them discover it online later?
What systemic changes could prevent children from being retraumatized by both family secrets and online content?