Reply to 8 yr old cries easily when upset

Forum Index » Elementary School-Aged Kids

Reply to "8 yr old cries easily when upset"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous]She doesn't tantrum or anything, she's just a cryer. It's how she expresses disappointment, frustration, and anger. Sometimes she pouts a little bit too, but at this point the main thing is she just gets teary. It happens at school sometimes, and what is reported is that tears well up and she will separate herself a bit and cry quietly to herself.

I get it because I am also a cryer.

The problem is that people have very negative reactions to this, and as she gets older the reactions get harsher. She has had an aftercare teacher and several class mates tell her recently that she is "too old" to cry and that she should stop.  It's very frustrating for her because it's not something she can control -- emotion rises and her tear ducts fill. It's automatic. The frustration she feels when told not to cry probably makes her cry more.

Any ideas on how to handle this? I don't want to tell her "don't cry" because I view it as a healthy and non-disruptive way for her to express feelings, and I worry that taking that away could actually result in a more dysfunctional response to feelings. Her classroom teachers largely understand that if she cries, the key is to just let her but move on with class and generally she'll stop within a minute or two -- it's the people who draw attention to it and demand she stop where it becomes an issue.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics