Crying is a sudden, audible, voluntary or automatic response to an emotionally distressing situation or experience that may include weeping and tears. It is a physical expression of an emotional response to a distressing experience or situation.

Children cry for many reasons, and the degree of their distress is dependent on their developmental levels and previous experiences. Children cry in response to pain, fear, sadness, frustration, confusion, anger, and inability to adequately express their feelings. Crying is a normal response to distressing situations that they are otherwise unable to resolve. When children experience excessive fear or pain, they may feel frustrated, angry, or confused. When their coping skills are exhausted, they automatically respond with their instinctual behavior, crying.

The difficult period for parents is when a child has learned to verbally express some feelings yet is still unable to express frustration, anger, or confusion without crying. During this time, parents may find it necessary to establish guidelines to help the child develop appropriate behaviors.

Praising the ability to delay or withhold crying until an appropriate time and place is helpful. Teaching alternative behaviors to respond to distressing situations is also useful. Parents should encourage the crying child to "use their words" to verbalize what is upsetting them.

As children develop additional coping and problem-solving skills, the crying response decreases. With increasing age there is a differentiation in crying between the sexes. Boys tend to cry less while girls continue to cry into adulthood. Many believe this is a learned behavior.