Why Do So Many Small Children Cry When Their Parents Start Singing?

I was at a Shabbos lunch and this man started singing zemirot (sacred Jewish songs) and his two-year old son began wailing and pleading for him to stop singing.

I’ve noticed several kids do this. I think that I did this when I was young.

Why? Somehow, I think, it upset me to hear my parents singing. It threatened the stability of my world. I also remember getting upset at 11 or 12 when my mother shed a few tears at a movie.

Wally Wharton: I did the same thing….I was especially embarrassed if Mom sang loudly in church. I also hated it if my folks passed thru the living room and stopped to laugh at the cartoons I was watching. I felt invaded. Cartoons were a serious matter back then– and there was something intimate about what transpired between the TV screen and me.

About Luke Ford

I've written five books (see Amazon.com). My work has been covered in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, and on 60 Minutes. I teach Alexander Technique in Beverly Hills (Alexander90210.com).
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