sentimental

This kid is very sentimental. If the parents mention one day they may die before him, it will make him cry right away.

Is my usage of "sentimental" correct here? Thank you.

No. sentimental - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

PaulQ said:

No. sentimental - WordReference.com Dictionary of English

Thank you, PaulQ.
But I saw one definition of "sentimental" is
"Of or relating to the tender emotions". If this word doesn't work, which word is your preference, "sensitive"?

"sensitive" might work, yes, but I would add emphatics: "overly sensitive, too sensitive" or even "gets hurt too easily."

Dale Texas said:

"sensitive" I saw one definition of "sentimental" is might work, yes, but I would add emphatics: "overly sensitive, too sensitive" or even "gets hurt too easily."

Thank you, Dale Texas.
But why one defintion of "sentimental"(
"Of or relating to the tender emotions) is incorrect?

Sentimental does not mean "cries or gets upset easily." It means "too easily emotionally aroused; - demonstrates emotions too readily/easily (often about small things/matters.)"

OED:Addicted to indulgence in superficial emotion; apt to be swayed by sentiment.

Your example is not very good - a child may well be genuinely upset at the idea that his parents will die and leave him alone in the world - crying would be a normal reaction.

Notice in many of the examples of "sentimental" they are kind of "nice" (tender ones) tears often brought on by memories of the past. (nostalgic)

Let's say I had a very troubled childhood, my parents were very mean to me, and I hated them for good reaons well into my adulthood. Now they are dead.

Now more time has passed for me and I sometimes take out pictures of them and see them as imperfect people, young at that time, making mistakes like we all do. Every time I do this, tears well up in my eyes. It feels tender and good to let the tears flow, a release, a kind of personal therapy. I wasn't able to forgive them while we were all still alive.

I'm being sentimental. (And actually reconstructing the past into something it wasn't really at the time.)

You go to a movie. There's a lightly touching scene on the screen but no one else in the movie actually cries tears, during it, but you do. You always do. I say you are too sentimental.

If a kid is down on the floor kicking, screaming and crying, he is not being "sentimental" like you and me. His emotions can't be described as "tender", they are exactly the reverse.

The meanings of the two words are different in the extreme.

I hope that helps.

PaulQ said:

Sentimental does not mean "cries or gets upset easily." It means "too easily emotionally aroused; - demonstrates emotions too readily/easily (often about small things/matters.)"

OED:Addicted to indulgence in superficial emotion; apt to be swayed by sentiment.

Your example is not very good - a child may well be genuinely upset at the idea that his parents will die and leave him alone in the world - crying would be a normal reaction.

Thank you all.
But it could be possible that when the parents talk about their death, the kid doesn't only think about he will be alone, but also he has a tender emotion which makes him feel sad when thinking he can't see his parents anymore.

No, it could not.

Whatever the derivation and dictionary definitions of "sentimental", the common use of the word currently implies superficial or excessive-for-the-situation feelings or their display. A child feeling sad at the thought of the death of his parents does not fit this definition. The word you are seeking is either sensitive or emotional.