How to Read “泣く子は育つ”
Naku ko wa sodatsu
Meaning of “泣く子は育つ”
“Crying child grows” is a proverb meaning that babies who cry frequently are healthy with strong vitality and will grow up robustly.
This proverb is mainly used in the context of raising infants and toddlers. It is often used as encouragement for parents and those around them who are troubled by a frequently crying baby, with the meaning “crying is proof of good health, so there’s no need to worry.” It is also used as comforting words for parents who worry about quiet babies who don’t cry much, saying “babies who cry tend to grow up stronger.”
Even today, this expression is cherished as words that reassure parents raising children. When exhausted by a baby’s night crying or intense wailing, many parents find emotional support when grandparents or experienced senior mothers tell them “crying child grows, so it’s okay.” This proverb reflects the Japanese child-rearing perspective of viewing crying—a seemingly troublesome phenomenon—positively as evidence of growth.
Origin and Etymology
“Crying child grows” is thought to be a proverb born from the combination of Japan’s ancient child-rearing beliefs and medical knowledge.
In Japan before the Edo period, infant mortality rates were extremely high, and whether newborn babies would grow up safely was a major concern. Against this historical background, babies who cried frequently were considered to have strong lungs and vital force.
In fact, crying was also important exercise for babies. Crying loudly strengthened the lungs and developed the respiratory system. Additionally, crying improved blood circulation and exercised muscles throughout the body, so it was experientially understood to have positive effects on overall physical development.
Furthermore, babies who cried frequently were children who could properly express hunger and discomfort, which was also proof of health. Conversely, babies who didn’t cry much were sometimes worried about as potentially having weak constitutions.
From such experience-based observations, the proverb “crying child grows” was born and passed down as wisdom for parents and surrounding adults to view babies’ crying positively. This proverb contains deep insights rooted in daily life from an era when medicine was not yet developed.
Interesting Facts
Baby cries are actually scientifically proven to be in the frequency range most audible to adult ears. This is thought to be a mechanism that developed through evolution so adults could quickly notice babies’ needs, supporting the biological rationality behind “crying child grows.”
Also, Edo period child-rearing books contain descriptions stating “babies who cry well are robust,” showing that this proverb was passed down not as mere superstition but as wisdom based on years of experience.
Usage Examples
- The neighbor’s baby is crying loudly again, but crying child grows, so it’s proof of good health
- Our child had terrible night crying and it was difficult, but crying child grows, and now they’ve grown up splendidly
Modern Interpretation
In modern society, views toward the proverb “crying child grows” have become complex. With medical advances, the reasons babies cry have been explained in more detail, and we now know there are cases where simply “crying = healthy” doesn’t apply.
For example, causes of night crying are now attributed to undeveloped sleep rhythms and environmental factors, and cases of intense continuous crying are considered as potentially being signs of some discomfort. Modern child-rearing emphasizes analyzing the reasons for crying and responding appropriately.
On the other hand, in today’s era of increasing nuclear families, this proverb maintains its value as emotional support for new parents. The hashtag “crying child grows” is used when sharing child-rearing concerns on social media, and this phrase appears as an encouraging message in parenting apps.
Also, in modern times with more working parents, this proverb is used as comforting words for “loud crying at daycare pickup time.” It helps alleviate guilt about children crying and provides the emotional space to accept it as part of the growth process.
While balancing scientific knowledge with traditional wisdom, this proverb continues to live on in modern child-rearing.
When AI Hears This
In modern childcare settings, there’s a clear trend toward idealizing “low-maintenance children” and “quiet kids.” In daycare centers, children who can sit quietly are praised as “well-behaved,” while society’s tolerance for crying children in public spaces has grown increasingly thin.
This shift stems from urbanization and changing living environments. With apartment living now the norm, children’s crying easily becomes a source of neighborhood disputes, driving parents to desperately keep their kids quiet. Additionally, the rise of nuclear families means that grandparents’ wisdom—viewing crying as a “sign of vitality”—is rarely passed down anymore.
However, developmental psychology research reveals that crying during infancy and early childhood plays a crucial role in emotional expression development and parent-child bonding. Through crying, children strengthen their respiratory systems and vocal cords while developing healthy stress-release mechanisms.
The old wisdom that “crying children thrive” teaches us the importance of accepting children’s natural expressions. While modern society’s ideal of “quiet children” may seem appealing on the surface, it potentially suppresses the expressive power and vitality that children should naturally possess. For true growth to occur, children may actually need environments where they can express their emotions freely, without constantly worrying about others’ reactions.
Lessons for Today
“Crying child grows” teaches us modern people that seemingly troublesome situations and noisy events might actually be signs of growth and development.
When newcomers at work actively ask questions without fearing failure, when children actively express opinions at school and discussions become heated, when residents actively debate community issues. This “noisiness” may seem troublesome, but it might actually be evidence of healthy growth.
Modern society tends to idealize quiet, problem-free states, but this proverb offers us a different perspective. Vitality, enthusiasm, and sometimes even confusion and conflict, if they arise from life force and eagerness to grow, are worth accepting positively.
This perspective is especially important for those involved in child-rearing and human resource development. Rather than perfectly quiet and obedient states, somewhat demanding but expressive and active states often lead to greater future growth. With the spirit of “crying child grows,” we should maintain hearts that warmly watch over the noisiness before us as energy for growth.
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