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Strollerderby
What Makes Moms Cry
Spend enough time on Facebook, and eventually you’ll get one of those memes — you know, the ones that ask you what you had for breakfast, if you still talk to your first love, and when the last time is you cried. I haven’t met to many men who actually fill those things out, but women tend to answer that last question: “an hour ago,” “yesterday,” or some other time in the very recent past.
According to TheBabyWebsite.com and 3,000 women, that’s because women spend a lot of time crying. Up to 16 months of our lives, in fact, are spent weeping, and after the age of 19, we spend a whopping 2.5 hours a week in tears.
Now, I’m not made of stone, believe me (I teared up watching the end of Kit Kitteredge yesterday), but I think that’s a gross exaggeration. Still, as women — and as mothers — we’re especially sensitive to the pain of others, and that’s cited in the Daily Mail as one of the top reasons women cry:
- sad movies
- fighting with a partner
- losing someone they love
- fatigue
- hearing someone’s bad news
Just out of curiosity, I polled some mom friends to find out — barring personal tragedy or anything on the above list — what’s making them tear up the most. Here’s the unofficial top 8:
- the hour before bedtime
- the hour after bedtime (when bedtime has failed)
- kids things say, as in, “You’re the best mom in the world.”
- kids things say, as in “Everyone’s looking at you because your hair looks weird.”
- those tender moments, like when a baby smiles for the first time
- those mind-blowingly frustrating moments, like when baby feeds your breakfast to the dog
- sleep deprivation (hers)
- sleep deprivation (her chid’s)
If you’re a mom, what makes you cry?
Photo: honikum, Flickr
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12 Comments
Alex commented on Aug 13 09 at 9:54 pmI cry when I watch 16 and pregnant. Every time. Seriously. Completely embarrasing, but seriously, its the crying babies and the immature Dads that do it.
Laura commented on Aug 13 09 at 10:37 pmComments: Sounds like we ALL need more sleep! I caught myself crying when Miley Cyrus sings to her dad in the Miley Movie – seriously.
Jenn commented on Aug 13 09 at 11:31 pmPuff the Magic Dragon–why would they make that a childhood special?
“I wuv you”.
“You’re da best”.
“I just love daddy da mostest”.
Marking the growth charts.
Laundry & Children commented on Aug 14 09 at 7:09 amWho are these moms with 2.5 extra hours to do all this crying?
BostonMama commented on Aug 14 09 at 10:52 amYes, Puff the Magic Dragon — the song.
That stupid “Five little ducks went out one day” song when the little duckies don’t come back to the “sad mama duck”. WTF Raffi?
“I love my mama”
Our toddler giving the our baby a kiss (or a taste of his ice cream).
Manjari commented on Aug 14 09 at 1:24 pmSorting through their clothes to see what we need to donate. When I see the little things they’ve outgrown it makes my cry b/c they are growing up too fast.
Kate commented on Aug 14 09 at 3:21 pmPicking up my two oldest from the airport last night, after they had spent 2 1/2 weeks across the country at Grandma’s house. Which would have been tear-inducing in itself, but our baby also chose this reunion to spontaneously hug his brothers AND he said the 4 y/o’s name for the first time!
nellie commented on Apr 24 10 at 10:54 amI cry because my seventeen year old is being defiant. He is not doing his school work and is failing. I am afraid of what i do not know he might be doing. Do i have anyone there who feels like me?
joker commented on Jun 10 10 at 7:38 ami had a defiant tomagotchi once, NeLlie. i know how you feel.
Mimi commented on Oct 11 11 at 12:00 amI cry everytime my son or daughter tells me “Your the best mom in the world….I love you mommy!!! No matter how tired I am it all dissappears when they tell me that….
LaKisha commented on Oct 18 11 at 4:50 amWell, I’m only 16 but when my little Yosif smiles, it touches my heart and I cry and cry because of it. But then they’re tears of joy!!! I also cry (sad) when I see how much he looks like my daddy, because he basically disowned me. I still love him though.
So cute and young and makes dropping out of school, gettin kicked out of home and what not all worth it. Dont know how anyone could give up the chance to have a beautiful baby!
LaKisha commented on Oct 18 11 at 4:50 amWell, I’m only 16 but when my little Yosif smiles, it touches my heart and I cry and cry because of it. But then they’re tears of joy!!! I also cry (sad) when I see how much he looks like my daddy, because he basically disowned me. I still love him though.
So cute and young and makes dropping out of school, gettin kicked out of home and what not all worth it. Dont know how anyone could give up the chance to have a beautiful baby!
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