A couple weeks ago I made this little girl cry, because I told her to "stop it" (she kept pinching and slapping her brother because he wouldn't move.. but she was the one in his way *shrugs*)

Anyway, another assitant told me not to worry because everyone messes up once... I still felt really terrible...

So, have you ever made a little kid cry?

I have one kindergarten aged girl who used to cry all of the time when I told her "no" or if she didn't get her own way. She also would push the other students around. She was basically just spoiled and would cry to get her mom's attention. I didn't give in though, she had to learn that no meant no and that she can't get away with acting like a "brat" in dance class....(lack of a better word).

Just because she cried doesn't mean you messed up. You did the right thing, LittleTink. She was misbehaving and you told her to stop - there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!

I made a 9 year old cry, and I'm a teacher! Last year (before I had her) she apparently had some issues in which she wouldn't leave her mom at the age of 8!! (so she is already very babied at home all the time...still!). She was misbehaving and not listening to me and I told her that she needs to sit out because she is being very disrespectful towards me and she cried!! And I mean, she cried HARD. I just ignored it because I knew I was right.

If you are doing the right thing, there is no need to feel bad. Chances are they are using their tears just to make you feel horrible and get YOU to apologize, when it should be the child apologizing for misbehaving.

Crying is so manipulative...LOL!
I made a little (age 5) cry the other night because I got down on her level and told her that she could not just come out "on stage" (we are rehearsing a dance we a learning) and stand there.
That she needed to look at me and follow what I was doing.
She proceeded to cry but I walked her to her spot in line and the next time she came out, she danced - amazing LOL!
She sometimes just zones out and needs to be prompted to do something, her mom said she is emotional.
I have also had them cry when I asked them to sit down and take a break for a minute until they could follow directions.
Don't let it bother you, unless you said something unkind (sounds like you did not) crying can be very manipulative.
No worries

oh who knows how many kids I had crying last year?!? LOL. I had a class of BARELY 3 year olds (like, they all turned 3 mid-way thru the school year) and one really spoiled, bratty 5 year old. They were all too young for a dance class and it was just horrendous. One would cry because the piece of colored tape I made her stand on was bigger than the girl next to her's. Yes, seriously. I has some cry because they got a blue scarf, not the pink one. I had some cry because I told them they needed to do what the rest of class was doing, and not their own thing (btw, I let them *do their own thing* at the end of every class each week).

The only time I ever felt bad though, was when I made a 10 year old cry I had told her 3 times to put her arms up in the air in 5th (it was part of the choreography) well each time she spaced off and forgot it, so of course by the 4th time I was HIGHLY annoyed and yelled. And she cried

I have made a few kids cry and none of them have ever bothered me. Ha at my studio it's me and my little sister who teach and I'm known as the 'mean' one or the strict one. I find it amusing because all the kids love me they are just that scared enough of me to behave because they know I will not put up with anything.

Last year I had a girl in hip hop who was always the 'class clown' being silly, not listening she liked to tell me NO alot. I would ask her to do something and she would say no. Etc. She was literally a devil child. I made her cry a good 20 times that year and she never ever ever smartened up once. And still loves me to this day.

yes, a few months ago i had a pair of 3-year olds in my pre ballet class. they were related somehow, and the parents were young. anyways, i always started the class in the same manner, we form a circle, sitting down criss cross applesauce. i have never had a problem until these two showed up. immediately, they both started whining and looking for their moms. i started to think i had violated (don't know what else to say here) them in some way. but the kids didn't have any problems. so.....after doing this for several weeks, and these two crying on and off throughout the class, i finally decided that they weren't ready emotionally. the parents agreed and took them out of the class. but i also learned through the moms that they were related and there was alot of family, social welfare problems going on at the time, custody issues, what have you, so that could have been the problem. i felt like i was doing something wrong. it was just too much for the little ones at that time. don't ever feel bad, unless you have actually caused physical or emotional harm.

I don't usually make my kids cry, they're so little it's usually not me but just missing mom. However, there is one child that I have to admit, horrible as it sounds, I kind of enjoyed letting her cry. I teach her at a preschool (she's 4, almost 5) where her mom is on staff. She's obviously very used to getting her way with mom and is highly emotional. Well, she is also one of those kids who just can't stop talking, crying, whining about everything. You know, the kind who don't even realize they've started talking again?

Well, I'd had enough of her one day. I had all of the girls sitting against the wall, waiting their turn to show me their skips and she was whining and fussing because someone else was sitting in the spot she wanted. I ignored her (it was my new tactic for the day). When it was her turn she was too busy whining to hear me, so I skipped her and said she could have a turn when she sat down like I asked. Well, she started crying and I went on and came back to her after everyone else had had a turn. She didn't want to go so I said, ok let's move on class, as soon as she realized she wasn't going to get a turn she started crying hysterically! I just left her there and went on with the rest of the class. She cried for the rest of class (about 15 min) and everytime I'd invite her to join us she'd just cry more so I let her be.

The director watched the whole thing and completely agreed with how I handled her. She's a problem all the time it seems!

I "made" 2 kids cry this week. Both are 4 1/2 but in different classes. We were sitting on our chairs which is how we start our tap song and they both (on different days!!!) kept kicking the person's chair next to them, moving their own chair and stamping feet on the ground. All (and I mean all) of my other students understand what they are and are not supposed to do with their chairs.

After gently reminding these kids, having other preschoolers tell them to stop and me warning no lollipop if it keeps up, they just looked right at me purposely defying me and continued. So I calmly stood up and took away their chairs and did nothing further... I didn't yell or even say anything but man did they cry.

The one told on herself to her mom who thanked me for sticking to the rules, the other one gave me a hug and kiss before leaving class.

I am sure I have an enormous list from teaching close to 35 years. Kids have to learn and crying has no affect on me. After raising two kids of my own, I know the difference between an important cry and the "I did not get my own way" cry.

Congratulations for not giving into her!

Yeah. I can't even count the amount of kids I've made cry. The little kids cry easily, older kids:
1. Cried standing there and THINKING about doing a back handspring. I wasn't mean, and told her she didn't have to, but she'd stand there and cry anyway.
2. Older girl (15) cried any time she couldn't get a step in clogging as fast as the other kids.
3. I had a girl (9? 10?) who cried if I asked her to go first across the floor or put her in front in a dance.
I haven't taught as long as JLL (20 some years) but long enough to have encountered some weird criers.

I have one, age 9, who cries when anything is hard, even bending over. Her mom is fed up with trying to get her over this. I just ignore it and make her do stuff and her mom agrees.

You did nothing wrong. Some kids cry at the drop of a hat... it's part of being a kid.

I had one who would throw a TANTRUM! She was a gymnast. She'd moved from another gym and her mother wanted her to be really good and paid for all kinds of private lessons etc. She was 11 and would lay down and kick and scream if she couldn't do something, or if we asked her one too many times to do something she thought was difficult. I usually told her to go to the bathroom until she could compose herself. Sometimes she didn't come out for 15 minutes or more.

I assist with gymnastics and have yet to "make" a kid cry. I've had a few get upset because they miss mum or have a fall but that isn't my fault.
My friend has made one girl cry at least once. She has a fear of heights (which came on all of a sudden) and my friend asked her to get up on beam. The girl in question wouldn't. My friends said to her "Come on I know you can do it, you've done it before." She then shook her head and my friend tryed to persist to get her to go on beam (nicely) then she suddenly started crying. I think something like this may have happened before too. The same girl has almost cryed when i wanted her to do something on beam or bars and once told me "I don't need your help."
The weird thing is her older sister is lovely!
Anyway LittleTink, i think you did the right think.

I've never made any kids cry, but only because I don't teach anyone under 10. (I think I "give class" more than "teach" because all I do is set combos and correct the technique in warmup and vacation classes, I don't give history lessions or develop many long-term plans. that is how a 16-year old with a good eye and a gift for thinking up combos on the spot can teach class to other people from 10-18). I'm horrible with little kids, I can't stand them at all, so I try to avoid them so I don't make them sad.