When we have children, we know they are going to cry. There are going to be moments that are sad, frustrating and disappointing, and all of these can be worthy of some tears. Even adults cry, and the world is going a long way to normalizing showing emotions and not being ashamed of it.

Children are also prone to falling down and getting hurt, a lot. They are still working on their coordination skills, and this means they may have poor balance. They are also learning about assumed risk, and this means that they may do things that are dangerous, and they may not always think it through. If mom looks away for two seconds, an accident can occur.

This is all very normal for young children, but it does mean that they are bound to get some bumps and bruises along the way. They may even get more serious injuries, like cuts that need stitches or broken bones. In almost all of these instances, children are going to cry. While mom may try to “play it tough” for them, we have 10 reasons why children should cry when they get hurt.

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10 It Hurts

The most valid reason for crying when an injury happens is because it hurts. Crying is an instant reaction to pain, and mom can often think back and remember when she went through a painful experience (like childbirth), and tears were more than likely shed.

9 Not Something They Can Control

We don’t tend to “punish” our children for things that are out of their control, and crying is the same. Not that parents would punish their children for crying, but trying to stifle their tears is going against something that comes naturally. Crying due to physical pain is a reflux, and it should be allowed to happen.

8 Lets Mom Know Something Is Wrong

When children are young, they are still working on how to communicate their needs to their parents and crying is their go-to method, and that is because it works. According to Raising Children, most moms can tell the difference between their child’s cries, and they know the difference between a whine, and a pain cry. When a child is allowed to cry when they are in pain, it communicates to mom that something serious is wrong.

7 The Body Copes

The body has its own way of coping with different things that happen to it, and this includes pain. Crying can be a healthy way for the body to deal with the pain it is feeling. That it expresses some of the adrenaline they are feeling, and it can actually help to calm them down. If you get hurt, it is even healthy to let your child see you cry, because they learn how to manage their feelings.

6 Develops Empathy

Empathy is an important skill for a person to have, and children start to learn about it from a very young age. When a child is allowed to cry when they get hurt, it can help them build empathy, according to Your Cooper. When they see another child crying due to pain, it is easier for them to help because they know what they are working with.

5 You’re Not Angry

Parents are often told that they shouldn’t overreact when their child gets hurt, and that this can make their response worse. However, this may not always be the best case. According to One Time Through, when we tell our child not to cry when they are hurt, we could be sending them the wrong message. Since they know that they are really hurt, they may think that you don’t care about their pain.

4 Scientifically Proven

According to Healthline, crying does something to our bodies biologically, and it can have some benefits. Previous research has shown that when a person cries, their body releases endorphins and oxytocin. These natural chemicals can help to relieve some emotional distress a person is feeling. It is a form of self-soothing.

3 Strengthens Bonds

Crying can also work to strengthen the bonds between child and parent. When a child gets hurt, cries and has a responsive parent who comes to their aid, it can strengthen that bond. If a child did not cry to alert a parent that something was wrong, there is a lot of bonding that would not happen.

2 They Have Needs

Children have needs, and crying is the best way to make sure their needs are being met. When their needs are met, they are going to learn how to meet the needs of others. This means that they are going to take what happened to them, and apply it when they see a friend, or even their mom, get hurt.

1 Makes All Tears Healthy

Being allowed to cry when in pain can go a long way to validating tears for any occasion. This could be happy tears, or tears due to mental and emotional pain. It can work to raise a generation that does not see tears as a sign of weakness.

Sources: Raising Children, Instagram via @your_cooper, One Time Through, Healthline