Arrghhhh!!! Tears

[Dmmetler]

Does anyone else have a child who will suddenly start crying about anything, and after that point, even a COMPLIMENT will set her off? This is my DD 6-she'll get in moods where everything leads to tears. Today it started with not knowing what name to put in a sentence in her grammar assignment, and working on 2 notes on recorder, has led to a good 15 minutes of tears, including her stopping, going into the bathroom right behind me, slamming the door, and starting again, much louder (which has GOT to be attention seeking).

 

She also did the same thing for her gymnastics coach on Weds.

 

I'm seriously ready to start punishing the kid for crying!!

[Jean in Newcastle]

Does she get enough protein - ie. some kind of protein at each meal so that she doesn't get low bloodsugar? Does she get enough sleep?

 

My dd has always had a tendency to poutyness. We've been working on it for years. But I will continue to call her on it and work on showing her how she should respond to things, because it is so important to her happiness now and later in life.

[chiguirre]

I sympathize. My dd will cry in frustration too. Unfortunately for me, this is definitely one of those time where your mom said, "Just wait until you get a child just like you."

 

I grew out of it eventually.

 

I try to ignore dd's histrionics as much as possible and have warned her about crying or letting others see her get upset in public. I don't punish her, we just discuss what other people will think of her if she cries or acts out in frustration and that seems to be helping the public outbursts. The private outbursts don't bug me as much because I ignore them and dd doesn't follow me around. I remember not being able to control my tears and I doubt dd can either. She can, however, control annoying others. She doesn't need to follow me around, say mean things to her brother or start raging because she's frustrated over the perfection of her handwriting, not being able to spell a word (she's always allowed to come and ask me), or squeaking her recorder.

[Jen in PA]

One of my sisters was like this at that age. It drove my mom bonkers. She eventually outgrew it, but I have no idea what might have caused it. :grouphug:

[MaryCatherine]

Hoe does she sleep? Does she wake up a lot during the night?

[Beach Mom]

Hoe does she sleep? Does she wake up a lot during the night?

 

I have found with my youngest that a decrease in sleep is directly proportional to an increase in tears. Now that I know, he is always the first in bed. He has recognized now that he needs more sleep than the other two. His sleep was greatly improved when we had his adenoids removed, but he is just a kid that needs more sleep than his siblings.

[Punks in Ontario]

A bit of a shot in the dark. One of my ds and my dd easily have meltdowns over nothing if they've had any food colouring. Sugar and chocolate can also do it. Like another poster said, protien can help. The reactions can take up to 3 days to happen and wear off around here.

 

A good diet, vitamins (without colouring, aspartame or sugar), enough sleep and a steady routine without too much high excitement for several days may help sort out if this is food/stress related or more of a phase or if you need to consult an expert.

 

For my dd, this helped for the most part, however anxiety issues were still present. She would react quickly, but the effects would wear off before too long.

 

For my ds, a good diet makes a world of difference. I've also eliminated dairy for him because of a lactose intolerance. I can tell if he's gotten some contraband in the last couple of days. His reactions are often delayed and can take a day or two to calm down. He's a perfectly normal guy when he sticks to a good diet.

 

Best of luck.

[Forget-Me-Not]

I would start with making sure she's getting enough to eat and sleep. My son can get hysterical and weepy if either of those two variables isn't met. In fact, earlier this school year, he was wanting to get up first thing in the a.m. and blast through his school work without even having breakfast. He'd start with math, and within 2-3 minutes he'd be screaming and carrying on like someone had killed his dog and burned down is house. I finally instituted a hard and fast rule that he MUST eat breakfast before he does ANY schoolwork and it made a world of difference.

 

My 5 yo throws tantrums (though they've gotten quite a bit better lately) and does the attention-seeking thing. This includes following me around the house crying, slamming doors, throwing herself to the floor, etc. Even after she stopped crying, she'd do that little "gasp-gasp" thing kids do after they've had a hard crying session. . . but it would go on and on and on on for far longer than it should have. I've found with her that I really just have to disengage entirely. ANYTHING--whether it's trying to empathize and talk her down, or taking privileges away--escalates the whole thing. What works best is this: I take her to her room, set her on her bed, close the door. If she comes out, I take her back in, lather, rinse repeat. I've found even standing outside the door waiting for her to come out is engagement as far as this kid is concerned. I have to pretend that she's not really interrupting me--I just go back to doing dishes or whatever, and when she comes out, I wordlessly take her back in, set her on her bed, and close the door. It usually takes 3-5 times of doing this before she'll stay put. Then she'll finish her screaming and come out looking for a cuddle, which is her method of regrouping and re-centering herself. So we snuggle up, talk for a few minutes, and then she's all smiles and sunshine again, LOL.

Edited January 28, 2011 by LemonPie