My little one is a tough nut. She typically keeps her emotions to herself. Even if she gets physically hurt, she likes to keep her pain in-bound.

As parents, since the time we knew this behavior, we have been constantly trying to have a conversation with her to ensure she lets her feeling out.

Lately, my little one found a friend in the community. This “friend” knocks on the door and asks her to come and play. Turns out, this “friend” calls her and lots of other friends to play but then once they go out to play, she does not play with them. It is more like, “be around me,” but doesn’t play.

One day, my little one came home and said, “Dad, I cried today.” For her to say that she cried, made me jump up and ask her, “Why did you cry? Are you hurt? ”

She said “No. Today, I and other friends in the community sat down in a “circle of crying” with the “come out and play” friend. We told her that she is hurting our feelings by calling us and not playing with us!”

I asked, “So what was her reaction?” My little one said the friend wasn’t aware that her behavior was causing so much grief. Once she heard our concern, she also started crying. It is all sorted out now!

I thought for a second, you guys sorted this big issue amongst yourself by sitting in a “circle of cry?”

As a parent, I learned something new. If it takes a “circle of cry” to let emotions out of your child, why not? Maybe we will let out other feelings that might be suppressed in some other corner of our brain or heart!

What an amazing and simple solution to a really complex issue. We all feel emotions and get hurt by the behavior of others. If these mutual grudges can be solved by “sitting in a circle and letting it out,” life would become so simple!

Thank you little one!

Pankaj Purohit

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Not a perfect parent of 2 girls; Elementary and Teen.

While environmental and scientific discovery and curosity is getting the better of the elementary kid, the teen is moving towards a different phase of discovery and curosity !