Are the happy tears kids born that way or is there something parents do that encourages the emotion?

[Anonymous]

I couldn’t think of a way to describe it but the children who cry happy tears when excited or around this season when they open gifts, etc… it used to be featured on the Disney World commercials.

Is there anything the parents do to encourage this or are they simply born this way?

I have one in preschool, one in elementary and one middle schooler but none of mine ever had this reaction so far.

Asking this today as I’ve always been amazed at this reaction when I see it and it makes me emotional myself to see. I just came across a TikTok of a little girl crying happy tears over her haircut.

[Anonymous]

I think it's shameful parents pimp out their kids on social media

[Anonymous]

This is a very strange post.

Do you think there is something a parent could do to make their children cry happy tears?

I mean, maybe they could model that, but the idea that anyone would be attempting to control this behavior is sorta ludicrous.

[Anonymous]

I'm an easy cryer, my mom is an easy cryer, and at least one of my kids is an easy cryer as well. I think there's definitely a genetic component to it because our personalities are quite different otherwise. I've never been a happy/excited cryer, though. More sad/angry/sentimental.

[Anonymous]

I can't even articulate all of the ways this question triggers me.

[Anonymous]

This goes back to the post about what's wrong with society today. We cannot create kids that provide social media type reactions. We are fed information I'm such a way that we think we or our kids should be a certain way. I friggin hate it here.

[Anonymous]

Huh? This is the weirdest question I think I’ve ever seen on here, congrats

[Anonymous]

It’s part of their personality for it to happen at all - just like how some adults are more sentimental or sensitive than others. If you and your partner are not occasionally moved to tears, why would your kids be?

I suppose if they do feel that emotion, they might suppress it if they thought you’d scold or make fun of them. If your kids don’t grow up in a family where adults model a healthy range of emotions, why would they feel safe or comfortable sharing a vulnerable emotion in a physical, public way?

[Anonymous]

Social media aside. These are likely true empaths. I 100% pick up on the energy around me. My mom is the same. I was at a preschool concert yesterday and was overwhelmed by all of the happiness and joy and started crying. It is like beautiful warm waves. I just felt so happy and grateful. The children are joyous and unpretentious. The parents are just emitting love. Most people are in a great mood. Enough so that it balances out the frustration of the people standing up in the middle of the room as if no one is behind them who also wants to see their children.

I wish we could just put the phones down. I think more people would be this way if they LIVED in the moment versus trying to record it. You cant relive a moment you werent a part of. Recording is not being a part of something.

[Anonymous]

You know kids in commercials are chosen because the can ACT right?

And that kids whose parents pimp them out on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube have also been raised to act “over the top” for effect. What you see may not even be the first take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Social media aside. These are likely true empaths. I 100% pick up on the energy around me. My mom is the same. I was at a preschool concert yesterday and was overwhelmed by all of the happiness and joy and started crying. It is like beautiful warm waves. I just felt so happy and grateful. The children are joyous and unpretentious. The parents are just emitting love. Most people are in a great mood. Enough so that it balances out the frustration of the people standing up in the middle of the room as if no one is behind them who also wants to see their children.

I wish we could just put the phones down. I think more people would be this way if they LIVED in the moment versus trying to record it. You cant relive a moment you werent a part of. Recording is not being a part of something.

My 8yo DS is like this…nothing obvious, but his eyes get a little misty over both happy and sad things. Neither my husband nor I are like this, or maybe we once were a long time ago. It’s very sweet…I think it just shows how much he really feels things, both happy and sad.

[Anonymous]

It’s gross to measure a child’s reaction anything based on how aesthetically pleasing it is. Especially if the goal is to the. Post it to social media so that YOU can receive accolades for your child’s charming/attractive expression.

Sometimes my kid responds to a gift with no expression at all, and then smiles/laughs/cries later when they’ve had time to process it. It’s not my kids job to respond in a way that pleases me or anyone else.

[Anonymous]

Parents are narcissists. Don’t put your kids on social media. Wtf.

[Anonymous]

What a strange thing to want. You want your child to have the happy tears reaction when they receive a gift? I get wanting your child to show gratitude but happy tears?

My child cried happy tears (and so did I) when I picked her up on the first day of pre-school. I think she thought I wasn’t coming back and was happy to see me. That’s the only time. When she got a puppy, nothing, no tears. She was more in shock thinking oh no, I have to take care of it now.

[Anonymous]

Here's my 100% cynical take:

I think kids who cry on Christmas morning have instability in their lives. They don't know what to expect when and possibly feel insecure. Maybe their parents are actually awful. So they feel really BIG emotions when something they really want happens.

(Of course I may be wrong, just tossing around some crazy thoughts)