Is it possible to teach parents that their children cry not to bother them, but because they are distressed?

Answer 1

Yes it is possible, but whether they want to listen to someone about parenting is another story.

I'm a Child Development major, and I've thought to walk up to some people who's children are hoarse from crying and their eyes are swollen and red and tell them..."Your child is upset about something, whether he's hungry, or tired, or needs your affectionate attention and you're just shopping around, do one of those things and help him!"

Letting a child cry like that, on and on and on...it's abusive.

I can understand the crying after waking up, the crying before going to sleep. But the crying that goes unanswered and the parent acts like it's nothing, it just breaks my heart.

It should never get to the point that a child needs to cry to annoy. That means that the parent has been neglectful in stopping or being empathetic to their child to find out immediately what the child wants. When the child learns that he need only to signal to mom and not cry to get something, he will do just that. When he needs to cry on and on and on to get something, he's learned that behavior to manipulate. Being annoyed, is the perception of the other person feeling that way. Never does a person mean to annoy especially not a child who's only concern is to be happy and feeling good.

I don't understand how some people can think that children have the mental capacity to manipulate people and scenarios, be conniving, and annoying. Kids are just simple, they can only think one way and that way is, "this is what I want." Mind you when I think of children, I'm thinking up to the age of 5 at most.

Answer 2

Is it possible that some children DO cry to get parents attention? Many kids have been conditioned to do just that. It's rare to find a family that doesn't have one child who knows how to be a 'squeaky wheel'. I am teaching my school age children that crying is a totally acceptable way to express their feelings, fear, anger, joy, sadness. I respnd to those tears, but not to tantrum tears. Before long, no more tantrun tears. Funny how it all works out.

And what's more, I would never want to assume that what I have learned about parenting can possibly apply to other parents. I have a unique personality and so do my 3 kids, what works for each of them and myself would most likely NOT be helpful to someone else.

Answer 3

Crying is not always a signal of distress. When it is not due to hunger, pain, or having an uncomfortable physical sensation, it can most certainly be to annoy, manipulate, infuriate or somehow cause great discomfort to parents, siblings or people in general.

There are way to telling what the crying is trying to achieve. Once you know why the child is crying you can remedy the situation by wither eliminating the real cause or discipline the child for using it as a mechanism to somehow control others behavior.

Answer 4

I've always believed in the last semester of high school graduates must have some sort of "basic information class"....just to touch on what to expect in the grown up world.

It would include...

how to dress and act on a job interview
how to save & invest your money
basics on marriage
basics on waiting to start a family & how to do it
basics on baby & child behavior.

We expect young people to know these things and 90% of them don't have a clue.

Answer 5

Children are not sophisticated enough to cry just for the sake of irritating someone.....but.....they can cry because they are angry, they can cry because they are not getting what they want, and they can cry because they are tired or bored. Distress is not the only reason children cry.......please tell me you haven't raised any, at least not by yourself.

Answer 6

Do you have kids?
I'm sorry I just had to ask because you sound like one of those touchie feelie liberal types who tends to talk out of his anus.
The fact is that for the most part you are right.
However, I have a 5 year old daughter who cries for the sheer enjoyment of it. Kids come in a billion different styles. Some, (like my darling daughter who I love more than life itself, but that love doesn't change the facts here), are drama queens, or DO in fact cry to annoy their parents as a way to get back at them for a punishment , some will cry just to try and get something they want.

Don't you remember your mom or dad giving you that old famouse line..."I'll give you something to cry about"...?

They thought the same about you!!! :)

Answer 7

Probably not---because children are NOT always distressed when they cry.
Sometimes they cry for no reason known to humankind.
(at least when they're babies).

Answer 8

Children often cry to get attention or to get their way! Children are smart!

Answer 9

yes they can take parenting classes or there are social workers that will come into their homes and help them. good parents can tell what the baby wants by how the baby cries.

Answer 10

What? When my children cry, there is clearly something wrong. They don't bother me at all.