10 Common Ways Kids Make Other Kids Cry

Even though it’s difficult for any parent, hurt feelings and minor injuries are part of growing up for every child. When tears are the result of another child’s influence, it can be even more painful to witness; here are ten of the ways that children often make each other cry.

1. Teasing – Once considered a normal, if unpleasant, part of childhood, emotional bullying has become an issue of national focus. While most parents agree that this behavior is wrong and hurtful, there are still those holdouts who refuse to stop the taunting and teasing their children inflict on their peers.
2. Physical Bullying – Much like teasing, the recent emphasis on bully prevention has led many schools to crack down on such behavior. Zero tolerance policies have become the norm in most public schools, but that doesn’t always stop the more determined bullies. Being injured by a tormentor, especially in the presence of his or her peers, is a humiliating experience that almost always reduces a child to tears.
3. Stealing – Despite a parent’s best efforts to instill a sense of generosity and teach the importance of sharing, some kids struggle with the concept. When a favorite object is forcibly removed from a child by one of his or her playmates, they tend to express their anger through tears.
4. Scary Stories – More often than not, the scary tales that children pass along are intended to be spooky, but fun. The teller of the story generally doesn’t expect to inspire real fear in their friends, but it can happen. Nightmares that result from a ghost story marathon almost always end in sobs.
5. Intimidation – Threats can be just as painful as actual physical injury, and most bullies know this. Resorting to intimidation tactics keeps kids from violating zero-tolerance violence policies, while still allowing them to assert dominance over other children. When a child is afraid of being assaulted, fighting back tears can be difficult.
6. Accidental Injuries – Youth-league sports, gym class or even schoolyard play can lead to inadvertent injuries. Colliding with another kid or being hit by a baseball might be accidental, but it still smarts; tears might be unavoidable.
7. Ostracism – There generally are no rules stating that kids have to be inclusive, which means that there’s always at least one child in the group that doesn’t fit in or isn’t well liked. Being picked last for sports teams, passed over for birthday party invitations or sitting alone at lunchtime can all hurt a socially-inept child, who may wear a brave face in front of their peers but have a breakdown at home.
8. Tattling – Some kids tattle because they’re genuinely invested in abiding by the rules and being sure that others do the same. Others do it specifically to get another child in trouble, whether or not the child actually committed the offense they’ve been accused of. Being reprimanded or facing disciplinary action for something that they didn’t do is an upsetting situation for any child; crying out of sheer frustration is a common response.
9. Pranks – Well-intended pranks are part of the way that some groups of children operate, and typically aren’t a problem. However, sometimes these pranks go too far or target a child that’s not part of the group, and end in hurt feelings.
10. Being Too Honest – Anyone with kids knows that there’s just no predicting what they’ll say. Without realizing that it’s unacceptable, they might call a heavier person “fat,” point out physical flaws or say something that, while perfectly honest, is hurtful. Adults can usually shrug these things off, at least on the surface, but a delicate child is likely to react by becoming upset.

Children make each other cry in so many ways; sometimes they’re truly unintentional, but that’s not always the case. If you suspect that your child is a bully, or is a victim of bullying, it’s important to take action immediately.

Taken From Babysitting Jobs