Why does my child cry so much?
Advisor on Child Development & Education,
Chennai
Q: My son is 3.4 years old. He weighs 15 kg and his height is 100 cm. As parents we have observed that, though his other behavioural and growth pattern seem to be normal, he cries much more than other children of his age. He still sleeps with us. Every time he gets up (during afternoon or morning), he starts crying after 2-3 minutes. This is regardless of whether or not we are present in front of him. We do comfort him by hugging, but still he continues crying for about 10-15 minutes. We have tried giving him his favourite toy while sleeping, but it's of no help. If we don't pay any attention, then also he keeps crying. We do understand that as a child he must be doing it to get our attention, but as parents we just want to know if there is any particular way that we should handle him so that his crying can be reduced. Is it normal for a child to cry like this? Will this affect his growth in any way? He is lean and of average built. We have read an article on the Internet that over-crying may cause children to be lean than others. Is this true?
A:By the age of three years, a child's language is quite developed. You must ask him to tell you why he is crying. Let him know that only babies cry, before they have learned to talk. Once he can speak, talking should be a better way of conveying what he wants. Perhaps he has associated crying with being noticed by you. Convince him that you will pay immediate attention if he tells you what he wants, than if he cries for it. Start rewarding him (with smiles, hugs and picture books) when he uses speech to convey what he wants. Just to rule out any health problem, get him checked by a paediatrician.