5 Ways to Handle a Cry Baby

When you have kids, you have to expect that they’ll have tantrums, meltdowns, and periods of whining and fussiness even on the best of days. These unpleasant parenting moments cannot be avoided, however, some kids tend to be more sensitive and dare I say more apt to cry and carry on than others for what appears to be no good reason at all.

If you have a child who easily fits the definition of a cry baby—a person, especially a child, who sheds tears frequently or readily—Mighty Mommy has 5 tips to help you handle the tears so that you don’t end up crying yourself!.

Tip #1: Is There a Reason for the Waterworks?

Kids who whine, fuss, and cry often can be set off by numerous things, such as not getting the color popsicle she wants or having to share his crayons with his brother at the restaurant while waiting for dinner to be served. But there are also valid reasons those tears could be happening as well. Take time to assess the situation to make sure those cries aren’t for a real purpose. Are you dragging her to lots of errands when she’s past her naptime or could be hungry? Is she tugging at her ear and seemingly off due to an illness such as an ear infection? Once you’ve done a survey of these types of circumstances and know for sure your weary child is not suffering from such a cause, you can try to help him/her in other ways.  See Also:  6 Tips for Handling a Defiant Toddler

Tip #2:  Untrain the Habit

Some kids crave attention more than others, and will do whatever it takes, good or bad, to get it.  As a result, if they are consistently rewarded with mom or dad or even a teacher stopping whatever they’re doing to affirm or reprimand the behavior, the child is going to soon realize his actions will get noticed.

Ignoring a crying child can be extremely difficult and emotional for you, the parent, in the beginning, but keep reminding yourself that it’s for the best. This doesn’t mean you have to completely ignore her, showing anger or displeasure towards her. Stay calm and make sure she’s alright but ignore her crying tantrum completely. Know that no matter how long it takes for her in the beginning to stop crying, it is for the best and, in time, her crybaby routine will become shorter and shorter because she does not get the reaction she wants anymore. In turn, catch her when she’s behaving nicely and happily and give praise when she is able to do tasks without crying or reacting negatively.

So, if your daughter is used to crying every morning because you won’t let her watch TV while she’s getting ready for school, and you eventually give in because it’s easier than listening to her carry on when you’re already stressed about getting out the door, retrain her crying behavior by stopping what you’re doing, making eye contact with her, and calmly explain that there is no TV until she’s ready for school. But as soon as she’s dressed and has eaten breakfast, you’d be happy to let her watch a show for a few minutes.

Ignore the crying fit you know she will have and let her cry it out. When she does stop crying though, tell her you’re proud that she was able to stop crying on his own.  Slowly but surely, your crybaby will understand that she will no longer be able to get away with that once effective habit.  See Also:  10 Healthy Habits that Strengthen Your Family (Part 1)     10 Healthy Habits that Strengthen Your Family (Part 2)

Tip #3:  Connect on His Level

When we’re busy rushing from one activity or errand to another, it’s easy to get frustrated with our young cherubs who are not behaving as we would like.  As adults, sometimes all we need when we’re feeling down or underappreciated is to have another human being validate our feelings.  Our kids have those same basic needs, but when we’re at our own breaking point as a result of listening to them whine and wail, most times we either snap or just give in to keep them quiet.

If you have a child who tends to overreact with whimpers and tears on a regular basis, try taking him aside and literally get right down on his level so he’ll know you are really present for him. If he’s playing cars on the floor, lay beside him and take a car and start driving it around his feet and over his legs and quietly engage him.  Even though he will most likely carry on with lots more tears, ignore the act of his crying and gently tell him you love him and you would like to play cars with him so as soon as he’s done crying, you’ll be right back over to play. This takes a consistent effort, but if you can keep connecting on his level, eventually he’ll stop the crying and look forward to playing with you instead.   See Also:  5 Ways to Connect With Your Preschooler

Tip #4:  Simply Ignore It

Sometimes less is more!  Instead of trying to figure out nifty strategies and tactics to deal with your crybaby, go “cold turkey” and ignore the episodes.  Certainly, tell your child how much you love them, but that you aren’t a big fan of their behavior and simply walk away and ignore it.

Tip #5:  Set Boundaries

One thing most kids have in common is that they crave structure and routines.  If they know what to expect throughout the day, then they’re better able to cope with rules and life in general because they know what’s expected of them.  If you have a household that is not running as tight as you’d like it to be, try getting some new routines into place so that your family will start learning a few boundaries. You can start simple with your children’s bedtime schedule.  If you currently have a “free for all” situation where your kids run around after dinner, take out new toys before bed, and give you a hard time when you ask them to brush their teeth, then establish a new routine by doing a clean-up of toys after dinner, then having a bath, brushing teeth, and settling in for a bedtime story. If your child is usually crying from before dinner until you finally wrangle him into his bed, you will soon see his unpleasant behavior taper off once he gets comfortable with a solid routine.  See Also:  6 Steps to a Successful Bedtime Routine

How have you dealt with the crybaby in your house?  Share your thoughts with us in the comments section at quickanddirtytips.com/mighty-mommy, post your ideas on the Mighty Mommy Facebook page. or email me at mommy@quickanddirtytips.com.

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Cry baby image courtesy of Shutterstock.