Crying out of nowhere: What this means in a child

So your child is crying, and you don't know why. Sometimes they just start crying. Children never cry for nothing, even if there is nothing there. There are layers of severity of this behavior, and all have no sinful intent on the part of the child. They don't merely want your attention - they need it.

It says in Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things, as is well-pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke your children to anger, lest they become discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to providing custody under Christian law, meaning rest in parents, with parents supplying every need demanded, including listening and validation. When a child is crying and is unintelligible about, there must be a reason for the crying, and punishing them for it is abuse, and may be revictimize a case of ongoing abuse of an illegal nature, perhaps sexual in nature, with the Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" being ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to the offenses in the legal context under the Bible, under the Eighth Commandment, meaning the slightest of offense perceived by the child, including perceived ignoring and stonewalling. Stonewalling is a form of child abuse always, meaning simply being calm and dismissive when a child is crying out of nowhere, "for no reason at all", because there must be some reason why they are crying.

They are crying for the same reason a baby cries to be held. They are only babies, even during the early school years, or even late school years with children who have disabilities such as autism or mood disorders. So, hold space for them, and listen to their tears, reassuring them. Think holding and cradling a baby, only the baby might have just started school or even be in school. Diagnose why they are crying, and don't react, because there is a reason, and that reason might invoke righteous anger and maybe guilt as a parent.

Children who are being abused sexually, usually by a family member or a friend of the family, cry out of nowhere as a sign of being abused, and mixed with other symptoms, such as bedwetting and covering up in many layers, may signal sexual abuse. Usually, a child in a punitive home who is sexually abused will be even less likely to explain why they are crying, because they can just see their parents pointing the finger next to the adult. When you were abused on that level in a lawful way, like I was with authoritative spanking "out of love", you can see how many children just wouldn't tell about a memory of that low of a level. The parent pointing to the adult fornicator. Replace that with simply a teacher I hated, and you come to the same connotation. Many times, at that level, a child just cries and then says "nothing" as a reason. That means something, and depending on how emotionally unstable your child is, it could mean that someone is abusing your child behind your back. Just look at them, if you have pure motives, when they get out of the bath or shower, and if there is any markings on the legs or genitals of the child, call the authorities immediately, unless the child is old enough to say "I don't want the hassle of the justice system", which would include pre-adolescent and adolescent victims, which make up the majority of children who are being sexually abused.

All of this is why you don't punish children, because it serves to cover up for sexual abuse. I was never able abused sexually, or else my mother would hear about it immediately. I was abused sexually, per se, but only in a remote way as part of a police investigation, meaning pro-social rape, but don't identify by it because it didn't cause trauma, but simply hurt my back for the rest of the day. I hide the memory, like some children might do, which is why a teenage girl being abused sexually might plead "leave the police out of it. They'll just mess everything up". Many times, they do, as police have a poor track record of handing sexual abuse cases with decency and tact.

Crying out of nowhere, when it happens only occasionally, means the same thing when a baby lets out a nonsense cry. That's what it is called in babies, meaning children, of any age under the age of majority. They just want attention, so give it to them by listening and validating, meaning reflective listening, and giving advice when asked for. But, this is behavior for preschoolers, meaning school age children might do it for you at home, but not at school, and might at the same time be a sharp student at school that is able to keep their own counsel until she gets home if she was raised in an attachment parenting environment. Children in punitive homes tend to be a bit more unhinged, as parents model lack of self-control by lashing out at children, whereas gently parenting children only let loose once they walk into the door, where they might save their nonsense cries for their parents, knowing they won't be punished for them.

A nonsense cry should only be met with reassurance and validation, including physical affection such as hugs and snuggling. However, if a 9-10 year old is not whining (a sign of maturity, in fact) and is still crying profusely, get them checked up, and then the doctor might have to call the authorities. That perpetrator and defiled fornicator might be someone in the home that you never suspected, and if you never suspected it, you might have been in some denial as well, or else under duress from the abuser yourself. Most of the time, in good gentle parenting homes, mothers in particular use pro-social eviction with adult fornicators in their home, meaning gathering their clothing, putting it in suitcases, putting the suitcases on the front lawn, and kicking the sexually entitled pervert out the door. But, in the moment, listen, even if they are afraid to tell you, because then they will tell you more as time goes on.

Children don't cry just to get under your skin, as children are exempt from sin guilt, because they presumed, due to youthful inexperience and ignorance, cannot form the intent to commit a moral crime, even if I personally think they are capable of acts that can be defined as pure evil (look at ancient history). Getting angry at children, at all, is a violation of God's Law. Matthew 5:21-22 KJV:

Ye have heard that it was said of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say to his brother Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Note the phrase "without a cause". Christ here is referring to extrajudicial anger, or anger outside of court. Court refers to where there is a plaintiff interrogating a defendant, in practice meaning interrogating someone perhaps because they said something extremely hurtful and offensive, usually by sudden egress or by confronting the defendant and proving them to be an offender by questioning their motives. Children are exempt from moral legal scrutiny, as they are young and cannot be expected to know right from wrong, and since they do not know right from wrong by assumption, they cannot be held responsible for their youthful indiscretions. Even the most minute of troubling behaviors as a child, such as talking back and nonsense crying, cannot be prosecuted, and any anger expressed towards a child is a sign of prosecution. Parents are not allowed to take offense against a child who is crying for any reason, or is acting up to any severity or lack of severity. 

Children up to age 3 were seen as infants or babies in ancient Israelite culture and adjoining churches, and this was for a reason. Toddlers are emotional, and cry out of nowhere. What do you do? Just pick the kid up. Children then of that age bracket were almost constantly being held by mothers, or else being kept in very close range to mothers. Mothers were in charge of nurturing, and fathers positive and loving encouragement. Up to age 3, and much older in fact, in terms of age, children who were crying were seen as "just having a bad day" to the one mother chatting with the other, then the 2-year-old child cradled like an infant, then wrapped to the bosom of the mother with swaddling clothes. This sort of imagery - a 2-year-old vulnerable while wrapped to the body of his/her mother shows how close children were to parents then. Children were very compliant, particularly to the outside world, meaning controlled and silent, but that was guided by redirection from the loving, gentle voice of parents, nor a booming, fearful voice.

The depraved and entitled parents shall not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them burn and suffer in the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!