Children cry because of different reasons, but some parents and elders seem to think that they only cry to try getting things. Although mostly true, children use crying for more varied purposes especially month’s old kids up until toddlers. For younger children and babies, crying is the most natural way in which they can communicate their emotions and needs since they cannot speak straight yet. So the manner in which crying should be addressed should also be duly specified to make sure communication is achieved.
But first, parents and guardians must know the reasons behind crying in order to treat them accordingly. Children generally cry as a way to express unhappiness, pain, and discomfort. Aside from these, children also cry to get what they want. In the latter’s purpose, crying inevitably becomes a learned behavior among children so it should therefore be treated accordingly. Usually, children within the ages of five to ten should already be able to communicate through speaking but experts notice that children belonging to this age bracket often use crying as a behavioral manifestation.
Older children who still use crying should be treated by parents and guardians with caution. And note that the treatment does not necessarily mean giving in to what these children wants. This is because these children have learned that crying gives them an easy way of getting the things and situations they want for themselves whether or not it is really right for them to have it. They perceive crying as an effective mechanism of getting adults to respond to whatever they want. Parents and guardians often feel compelled to give into children’s wishes when they already start to cry because they can’t stand seeing them that way.
To turn this negative behavior around, parents and guardians should instead become effective models for their children. This is the best way in which they can instill in them the appropriate emotional responses to certain situations. Children must learn to solve their own problems without having to result to crying. If the child cry when wanting something or becomes extremely frustrated over something, the adult can hush the child and explain the situation instead of giving in. The adult should also explain to the child that crying is an unacceptable behavior. It would be good to also inform the child of the appropriate times wherein crying becomes acceptable and responded to.
Aside from explaining the situation, adults can also treat crying children effectively by telling them of the negative effects that the action brings. This can be done physically or verbally. In the physical aspect, the adult may simply ignore the behavior if noted that it happened for no good reason. The adult can also remove the crying child from a comfortable position to somewhere unknown to give the impression that uncalled for crying distracts and would lead to isolation. The negative consequences given for crying children will help them realize that crying is really not a good option for them to get whatever they want.
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