Have you noticed that your toddler tends to cry in public? It’s easy to feel embarrassed or ashamed when we find ourselves in a situation like this. This is normal, and kids will cry anywhere. At home, at the park, in a restaurant – everywhere. So while you may be embarrassed by your child crying, you should keep in mind that lots of other people are too!
If a stranger teases or bullies you about your crying toddler, think of it as an opportunity to let them know that your child is in no real danger and is just hungry, tired, hot, or feeling out of sorts for another reason.
Treat the situation like an act of kindness; explain how you’re feeling without making eye contact (this won’t come naturally at first), and simply ask for their help distracting your child. Anyone who has seen their child throw a fit will understand what you mean. And by approaching the situation with compassion instead of shame, it’s more likely for someone to agree to help if they know you aren’t on the verge of tears yourself.
Step Back and Think About the Situation
Your toddler’s crying may have been caused by something as simple as being overwhelmed by too many people in one place or by not being able to communicate what she wants or needs. It can help you to have a better understanding of why she’s crying so that you can make her feel better.
If you are in a public place, you may want to find a quiet place for your child to take a deep breath. A bathroom stall with the door shut is excellent. Sometimes getting them out of their situation, whether it’s a loud noise or being overwhelmed with people (which is hard at a birthday party), will help them calm down.
If you can, let your child cry it out even if they are not tired! Sometimes they need to let it all out and get it over with. If they have had a long day and need to cry, that is okay. Let them cry until they stop. The longer you try to distract or talk them out of crying, the worse it gets sometimes!
As soon as your child is done crying and has calmed down, distract them with something else! We always go for the phone in our house, and they LOVE playing games on my phone, haha! Then we go from there.
Consider Your Child Might Be Hungry, Hot, Tired, or Out of Sorts for Some Other Reason
Sometimes a child cries as a signal to get attention. When you give her attention (even negative), she gets what she wants. Sometimes a child cries because he wants something and doesn’t know how to get it.
The most important thing to remember is that this will not last forever, and you should focus on the child’s needs first and foremost, whether those needs are physical or emotional.
Toddlers cry. It’s their job to let us know when they don’t feel well or need something from us, and they simply can’t express themselves in any other way yet.
A child throwing herself on the floor at the grocery store doesn’t need you to swoop in and pick her up immediately. She will get over this and move on with her life very quickly, as long as you let her. If she’s throwing herself on the floor in a parking lot where she could get hit by an errant car or shopping cart, then it’s time to intervene more quickly.
So if you can determine that nothing serious is going on with your baby, then don’t let other people’s reactions bother you. Make eye contact with your baby and smile at them — this will help calm them down — and then keep doing what you were doing before (or better yet, leave the situation altogether).
If you still feel the need to get help in responding to your toddler’s behavior, it’s a good idea to try calling your child’s pediatrician first. This way, you can get input from someone who knows your child best and who can help you figure out what kind of help you might need from medical professionals.
Distract and Ask For Assistance
Your first reaction to a crying child may be to focus on calming them down. But don’t forget about yourself!
You must calm down as well. Your response to your child’s emotions and behavior will impact your child’s behavior in the long term.
There are a few things that you can do:
Remember that your child will probably stop crying before you do! Don’t let your own embarrassment make you overreact.
Sometimes the best thing is to ignore the tantrum, particularly if they want something they can’t have, like sweets in a shop. They will usually calm down once they realize you are not giving in.
If there’s a problem, try to talk to them calmly and reassure them, so they don’t get upset again. If it’s something minor, like a toy falling on the floor, try not to make a big fuss about it as this may confuse them about what is essential and what isn’t.
It does help if you have other adults who can take over if you need a break from dealing with the tantrum.
If you are in a public place, explain your situation to a stranger and ask for their help.
If your child needs something like diapers or clothes changed, calm yourself down enough to do so. Or enlist someone else to help you.
Consider using treats and games to keep your child distracted until they can calm down, relax, and be soothed.
Above all, do not panic.
Toddlers Cry – You Will Get Through It
In short, crying is normal for humans. And like toddlers, these little people are just learning about their situations. Sometimes there is no good reason why they cry, and they just do. We can’t control this, but we can help our children not be self-conscious about crying in a public place. Providing distractions and helping change them will help stop crying and realize that it’s alright to be emotional sometimes. It’s the second-best option, but it only works if we get out of the way and let them process things as they do.