Tears and Tantrums: What to Do When Babies and Children Cry
Children use tears and tantrums to release tension brought on by frustrating or frightening experiences as well as to express urgent feelings such as hunger, chills, or pain. Solter teaches parents and other caregivers about the psychological and physical benefits to children of crying and raging; the causes of crying in infants and older children; the implications of repressing tears and strong emotions, which include behavioral problems and stress-related illnesses; and providing emotional safety to encourage healing. Drawing on scholarship, professional and personal experience, and parents' reactions to the crying workshops she conducts, Solter offers practical, compassionate solutions to problems posed by children's emotional pain and strong feelings and the childhood memories and hurts that children's pain and feelings can evoke in their parents. Her empathic tone, clear writing, and knowledgeable advice help make her handbook a welcome addition to parenting literature.Kathryn Carpenter