“Dad… I Want to Tell You Something, But Promise You Won’t Get Mad.”
“Dad… I want to tell you something, but promise you won’t get mad,” my son, Ivan, said with hesitation, his voice trembling. A chill ran down my spine. What could he possibly be about to say?Trying to keep my composure, I responded, “Go ahead, son.”
He sat there for a moment, his hands fidgeting nervously, as if he were trying to summon the courage to say something difficult. Finally, he spoke, his voice small and hesitant, as if he was about to confess to something terrible.
“Today, I cried in front of everyone in class,” he said, avoiding my gaze.My heart sank, and I instantly felt an urge to comfort him, but I restrained myself. Instead, I gently asked, “Why, son? What happened?”
Ivan looked up at me, his face flushed with embarrassment. “The math teacher called me to the board to solve a problem. I got so nervous that I messed it up. Everyone started laughing at me… They called me ‘idiot,’ ‘stupid,’ and said crying is for the weak.”
Hearing his words shattered me. It broke my heart to know that my son was hurt like this.“Tell me, son… was the problem difficult?” I asked, trying to understand.
“No…” Ivan replied, his voice low. “But I got so nervous, Dad. I started sweating, shaking, and forgot everything we studied at home.”I could see the weight of his shame, and I knew I needed to say something important.
“Son, I want to tell you something very important. Promise me you’ll never forget these words.” I looked at him seriously.He nodded, his face full of sincerity. “I promise.”
“Alright… first of all, I want you to know that I’m proud of you. You know how to cry — and that’s something powerful. A lot of people say ‘don’t cry,’ but they’re wrong. Crying isn’t a weakness, son. It’s the opposite. If you can let your tears fall, it means you feel deeply — it means you’re alive.
Crying is normal, and believe me, we all do it. Superheroes, great leaders, even your teachers — we all cry.So don’t ever be ashamed of your tears. Cry whenever you need to, because if you don’t, that pain stays inside you and turns into bitterness.”
Ivan stared at me, taking in my words, and I could see that something inside him was changing. Slowly, his posture shifted, and he met my gaze with a small, grateful smile. The shame he had carried from that day at school seemed to melt away, replaced by a quiet understanding.
And in that moment, I felt a deep sense of joy. I had helped my son stop feeling worthless and reminded him of his true value.
Words Have Power
Words have power. They shape our children’s futures. A single piece of advice can make a world of difference in their lives.So, never tell your child to stop crying. Never say that crying is for the weak — because that’s not true. Crying is human. Crying is strength.
Teach your child to honor their emotions. Don’t teach them to hide their tears, because every time they cry, they’re learning how to be strong. Bottling it all up only brings pain and frustration.
Letting emotions out is how we heal. So next time you see your child crying, now you know what to do: give them security, hold them close, and let them release their pain. That’s love.
