Is It Good Or Bad To Let A Baby Cry?

Babies cry when they are hungry, cold, need contact, or feel some kind of discomfort. When babies cry, it is obvious that they are trying to communicate their needs to us. So is it good or bad to let a baby cry?

This can be a controversial issue as there are two opposing views.

• Some specialists confirm that there are adverse effects to crying a baby.
• While others say it can actually teach children patience and control their behavior.

We want to address both sides of the debate. As well as the pros and cons of letting babies cry.

Is it good or bad to let a baby cry?

As mentioned earlier, there are two points of view on this subject. On the one hand, specialists state that if you let a baby cry for a long time, it can cause so much stress that it leads to neurological problems.

On the other hand , other pediatricians state that there are no convincing studies confirming that prolonged crying affects children in any way. In fact, they believe letting them cry causes them to:

• Opening up to the world.
• be more independent.
• Learn to be patient.

Of course , this last argument takes into account the fact that the child does not cry out of need. Rather out of a whim.

To better illustrate the two positions, we will now analyze the apparent benefits and contraindications of what to do when a baby cries.

The negative effects

When it comes to letting a baby cry, there are many negative points of view. There are no detailed studies that can show that children can suffer. Still, the truth is that there are several influential factors that need to be measured to state that this action is harmful.

We must keep in mind that it is not the same for a newborn baby or a child under six months of age to cry for a long time as compared to a two-year-old who starts crying on a whim.

The age of children and their reason for crying will, in part, be the deciding factor in making proper judgments on this subject.

Specifically, the arguments against letting babies cry are based on the following consequences. They can:

• Become less intelligent.
• Getting nervous or suffering from anxiety.
• Difficulty connecting with other people.
• Be insecure later on.
• According to psychosomatic medicine , children can develop psychological problems.
• Children may feel abandoned and let that feeling settle in their minds.
• Not caring for crying children can lead to them developing an avoidant attachment.

A final argument argues that, contrary to popular belief, if children gain attention quickly, their crying will stop, if they are allowed to continue crying, children will intensify their screams and frustration.

Neutral aspects

We have to start in this section by explaining something. Specialists who adopt a neutral stance see no significant problem with parents allowing a baby to cry in a short absence. For example, if they have to go to the toilet or if they prepare the bottle.

This does not mean that they are in favor of letting children cry for long periods of time or intentionally neglecting them.

Instead, they look to the scientific evidence. They believe there is no convincing evidence that can serve as a valid argument to come to definitive conclusions.

On the other hand , they agree that not giving in to erratic behavior will make children more patient and tolerant of their parents. The following aspects are also supported:

• If parents respond immediately to fickle crying, children will manipulate their parents.
• You can let children over six months who are not in pain, hunger, or lack of sleep cry for a few moments.
• You can make children cry, but it should never last more than five minutes.

To conclude, it is important to clarify that every situation is different. It is not the same as babies crying because they don’t want to be in their car seats, for example, compared to babies who cry because they are hungry or because they need a clean diaper.

In any case, use common sense, be patient and show affection towards your little one.