Crying is a Strength
‘CRYING DOESN’T INDICATE THAT YOU’RE WEAK. SINCE BIRTH, IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SIGN THAT YOU’RE ALIVE’
Yes it is true Crying is a Strength! Too much in society we are felt as if we are looked upon that crying is a weakness. If our baby is crying for a long time we feel people might judge us harshly. If our children are having a tantrum it’s a reflected as a negative feeling… Crying is just an emotion, an expression, of someone wanting to be heard, or a need to let out some steam or a babies cry is just their way of communicating… All that is needed is for someone to listen, a cuddle, a quiet space where you feel safe and relaxed! Read on to here my experience and learnings from today…
Today I got to be part of a ‘Self Nurturing’ Workshop… held by the wonderful Meg Forrester from EVOHE, skin care. Once us mums got our chats in and photos of our babies together (Lennox holding a girls hand for the first time, pick a good sort too in Miss Taya), we started the session with Legs up the Wall. I can not recommend this posture enough. It is great for the adrenals and PNS to help relax and drop the body to an equalised state of mind. We were then pampered with head massages, sound healing music and an Evohe face mask treatment. the first 15minutes got me so relaxed I could not Thank Meg and her team enough.
I learnt so much today from both guest speakers, other mums and just being part of this community- it shows how important it is as a mother (and a human) to interact with your community, to be open to learn and grow to nurture not only others but ourselves. One Guest Speaker ‘MamaManon’ spoke about sleep issues for babies and children. Whilst I am so lucky to have both kids who sleep so well through the night from an early age (I mean there are some nights when it doesn’t happen but majority is good), I am now noticing my daughter at 2.5 years old is starting to take longer and longer to go to bed and not taking a nap through the day. What I learnt today is that her needs through the day are not being fully met. Yes we have fun, yes we show love, yes we eat well (most of the time) however my daughter rarely cry’s. Neither of my children cry much. It’s most likely because, I am a relaxed mother, My children are loved by many people who they see often, my children are well fed, and I try to create an environment for my children that is fun and educational (sorry I should say we- me and my husband- we are 100% involved in our children’s lives). However, I myself do not express enough emotion through crying. I never have. It is most likely something I developed quite young as a child…? Yes I am a happy and positive person who is surrounded by amazing people but I too need to cry and be more aware of the emotions I need to express and let out. I truly believe that our babies are learning and developing from as early as growing in our belly’s. Neither of my children see crying enough, that it is a natural and ok thing to occur. I will never again tell my child to stop crying if they need to cry. I will comfort them and listen to them then I will talk to them about their feelings. If I am having a challenging day I will not save my tears for after my children go to bed or go to another room. I will cry in front of them and tell them why and show them it is part of being who you are.
If we suppress our emotions and tears all the time and too often it will bottle up. In adults, if we hold back these emotions, we will tend to find we get tight in our shoulders, neck and spine, start to watch more television, crave more sugar, not sleep deeply or think clearly. In babies and children it is shown that when crying is not let out and accepted by others (especially the parents) they tend to learn to bottle it up and start playing up. In doing so they tend to become more over-stimulated and hyper, not sleep as well, they also crave sugar and has affects on their nervous system and growth…
So if there is one thing i want you to do this week my friend. It is CRY! we are all human. It takes a strong person to cry! and you will feel amazing afterwards. You will sleep better that night. Your mind will think more clearly! and you will respect yourself more.
And my friend, remember, you are always ENOUGH! and you are doing a great job in your life by just being YOU!
If you are interested in more about sleep issues for babies and children check out Manon’s page… https://www.facebook.com/MamaManonAwP/?fref=nf
Keep shining,
Tenille x