My sweet tenderhearted child

So the other day I am getting onto Abby for trying to turn over during a diaper change. She is reaching, reaching behind her to scrape the wall with her fingers. I tell her no, firmly, and bring her hands back around to her tummy. I do this several times before she gets really upset at not being able to do want she wants So here comes the tears and the brokenhearted crying. She cries and cries mostly about me holding her little hands down. (yeah, can we say a little bit of a temper already??)

I look over at Zach who is standing right there with us and see tears streaming down his face and him barely holding onto his own sobs. I reached to hug him and he just falls apart.

Poor little thing.

I hug and comfort and send him off to wash his face and ask him what is he going to do when I have to spank their hands, huh? All I hear from the bathroom is sniffles as he tries to calm down. And I hate to admit it but I was fighting back the tears myself at him getting upset, Oy!!


I am grateful that I passed down this trait to him. We are both sensitive to others feelings. He would never even dream of being mean to anyone on purpose. He is super sweet and loving because of this sensitive nature.

But how much is too much? I don't want him to be bullied or called a sissy because of his emotions. I have the HARDEST time not crying during certain...well, all situations I find difficult. When I had to tell my boss I was sick and need to go home, how do I do it?? Crying.
When a parent got upset with me over how I handled a situation, what did I do? Cried.
When my dad told me not to interrupt his story...yep, you guessed it...cried!! As an adult, people!! Very rarely can I have a needed confrontation without crying. Do you know how embarrassing that is? How awful for people to not take me seriously because I am crying? I have so much that needs to be said, but all I can do is cry or worse, try to talk through my tears.

I do not wish this on him.

How do I toughen him up without losing that tender part of himself? Should I even try?

::sigh::

Parenting is hard.