Of Crying and Cry-Babies

 

While passing through the neighborhood, I came across a small child who was with his mother and he was crying. The mother and the kid were sitting on the staircase in the shadow of their house. It looked like the kid’s "crying session" going on for some time. It reminded me of my childhood, about kids crying in general and one of the articles I had read recently about why kids cry a lot.

I think kids just start crying when they do not feel like. They are not bothered about how they look or appear in others’ eyes if they cry. Crying is an expression for them. After a while, they also use it as a tool or a weapon, to force adults into agreeing with their demands. But perhaps small kids and babies just cry when they do not feel well about anything, without applying any thought. When we are grownup, we have several other ways to express ourselves and we look at crying essentially as a sign of weakness and lack of control, and hence it is the last option if we have to exercise it. Most of adult crying is also babylike; except that it does not last long. And expect those con-artists or actors who can cry at will.

I think I was not a 'cry-baby' in my childhood; and I don’t remember myself crying  a lot when I was small. But I do have memories when I used to be very angry in childhood. When I was angry, I would stop eating. Then mother would have to try too hard, telling me stories and tricking into making me eat. But I won’t open my mouth to eat. And if forcefully fed, I would just not swallow the food but would keep it stuffed inside my mouth. My cheeks would get stretched and pained, keeping the food stuffed in my mouth for too long. I think all kids do such stuff.

World is certainly a better place since adults do not usually cry. Otherwise imagine the chaos we shall have each day. At the same time, we can envy the kids ability to cry as an act in itself, since it would take a bit of self confidence to be able to cry, not bothered about what others would think about us. In that sense, crying can be a healthy thing in kids who are growing up.

- Rahul