Toddler gets upset when I cry - is it normal?

[theAntsareMyFriends]

My DS is just 2. As with all toddlers he will occasionally hurt me - pull my hair, pinch, scratch. If I shout 'ow' he finds it funny and if I tell him off he will still try to do it again but if I cry he get really upset.

I first did this about 6 months ago to show him I was upset and was surprised by how much he reacted. When I pretended to cry he cried, got clingy and upset so I haven't done it again.

A few months ago he broke a sentimental plate and after a hellish week I burst into tears. Again he cried a lot himself and kept cuddling and stroking my forehead which is his way of apologising.

Last weekend he did an epic head bang on my nose. He wasn't being naughty, just over excited but it was a shock to both of us and I thought my nose was broken. I cried and raced upstairs. He stood at the bottom of the stairs bawling his eyes out and after I came back he kept saying 'mummy be OK' and trying to smile at me in the hope I would smile back. When I didn't smile back at him he started crying again. He only stopped crying when I told him I was OK but he woke up a few times in the night and wanted to know I was OK.

Is it normal to be so over-sensitive. My friends children aren't bothered when their mums cry but my DS's reaction just seems so extreme. I'm glad he is showing empathy but its just a bit too much.

Is it normal and if not, does anyone have any ideas for how I can help him?

Thanks for reading this long post!

[SashaEryn]

Okay, so - what the eff is up with some of the people in this thread? I know this thread is super old, but I just stumbled across it. I see several mommies shaming you for crying in front of your toddler. Ummm.....excuse me??? Oh, so we're not supposed to be humans with thoughts and feelings in front of our children? That is utterly ridiculous. Being upset and crying now and again is a natural part of life. The woman got head-butted in the NOSE hard enough for it to bleed, people. Even if you were fighting the tears, they'd still well up in your eyes. And crying out of stress? It's totally normal. There isn't anything wrong with children seeing you be a real person - in fact, in can help them develop empathy and see that it's okay to cry, because mommy cries sometimes too. Don't listen to any of these people that are telling you not to cry in front of your child. You aren't a robot - you're a person, and part of being a family is creating a safe place where EVERYONE can be themselves and feel anything that they're feeling. I agree that it probably shouldn't happen all the time, but to hold it back entirely is unrealistic and stupid. It sounds like you have a very sweet little boy who is going to become a loving person later in life - so you're doing a great job!

[user12450]

The fact that most people on here are reacting so negatively and suggesting you should stop crying in front of your child as if you’re purposely doing it lacks its own empathy to understand this behavior.

My 1 year old is similar to yours where he shows lots of empathy at an early age if he sees me cry or hurting. They’re def still learning to regulate their emotions and unable to fully grasp the discomfort they feel when their love ones are expressing sadness themselves. In a way, it also shows how much they care about you.