Sudden Crying in Toddlers

Who or what is crying out of the blue in the middle of the night? Get to the bottom of what’s causing the uncontrolled tears and how to stop the sudden crying in toddlers.

When your child suddenly bursts into a heart-stopping howl while playing with his toy truck, you’ll know something is wrong. Just as you’re about to fall over, rushing across the room, his tears abruptly stop. As if nothing had happened, he begins moving his truck and making vroom, vroom noises. After a few hours, the cycle starts all over again. After a few whimpers, your son goes back to drinking his milk and continues to do so.

Even if these tears come out of nowhere, there are usually a few common reasons for this type of crying. Random tears can be caused by various things, including pain or disease even if there are no obvious symptoms. If your child has a sudden surge in discomfort, he or she may yell and then stop. When it comes to communicating with their parents, crying is a common way for toddlers to get what they want or need, including attention, a toy, or a snack.

Your child may have been reminded of a terrifying experience, even if it didn’t occur at the time of the incident. It’s possible that something (a shark in a book or a loud noise on TV) could jolt your child back to a frightening memory, even days later, because the border between fantasy and reality is hazy for young children. In a matter of seconds, toddlers and preschoolers can go from being joyful to being irritated to being happy again. The stop-and-go tears of a weeping toddler can be difficult to deal with, but here are some tips to help.

Use Your Detective Capabilities!

To find out what started the crying, you’ll have to do some detective work on your own because your toddler is too young to convey his ideas and feelings vocally. To begin, make sure your youngster is physically healthy. Do your regular investigation if everything appears to be going as planned.

Neglect the Weeping.

Sudden sobbing might sometimes be a sign that your child is trying to get your attention. Short intervals of crying may be good for your child if you can rule out fear, hunger, or discomfort. Crying teaches the child that not everything she wants comes from it, and it also teaches her how to calm down on her own when she needs it. Spend time with her after she has calmed down. Self-soothing is more likely to be repeated if you make a great deal out of the activity you enjoy.

Involve Him Frequently

Keep your youngster occupied with interesting activities and plenty of quality time with you and your spouse to avoid the onset of tears due to boredom. His attention will be diverted from little matters like the lost wheel on his toy truck if he’s engaged. Make sure you don’t overdo it with the activities and focus. A crying toddler is no different than any other child who has been overstimulated.

Let Her Make the Decisions.

This age group is desperate for freedom. When they feel like they’re being pushed around, they lash out in rage. Even if your child is having a good time dancing with you, she may whimper if she understands that it wasn’t her decision to get up and start dancing. While looking at her purple shoes, she might shed a few tears since she misses her yellow ones. So give your youngster a few options that are appropriate for their age range. The more she feels like she has a say in her own future, the less likely she will complain.

Begin to Teach Yourself to Speak Your Mind

Make it easy for your child to express his emotions by teaching him to use words like joyful, sad, mad, and exhausted to describe them. Use the terms frequently and in appropriate contexts to help him learn how and when to use them. Get down to his level the next time he starts crying. Instead of instantly turning on the tears, he could be more likely to utilize words to express himself once he has them.

Helpful related articles: Guidelines for Babies and Toddlers’ Screen Time, Meltdowns in Children and Toddler Tantrums, Toddlers Taking Off Their Clothing