This is kinda new to me, and I heard it’s not uncommon. I’m a new dad and was watching the new Garfield movie on Netflix with my daughter. At the very beginning, when he was a kitten and the guy he met at the restaurant said he couldn’t take him back home, I was ugly crying for a few minutes. Is anyone else a new parent experiencing moments like this when watching movies with their baby?
This post has been tagged “Mental Health.” Moderation is stricter here; argumentative, unsupportive, and unpleasant comments will be removed.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
Yes! I suddenly find myself getting more emotional and crying during kids movies too. Movies that I’ve seen many times now make me really sensitive, especially during sad scenes.
Rai said:
Yes! I suddenly find myself getting more emotional and crying during kids movies too. Movies that I’ve seen many times now make me really sensitive, especially during sad scenes.
I watched Paulie the other day, which was one of my favorites as a kid, and I don’t remember crying while watching it growing up. But now, I was in tears for like half the movie lol.
@Wylie
Totally relatable. It’s amazing how parenthood shifts our perspectives. We start noticing emotions and nuances in movies that didn’t resonate the same way before. It’s a reminder of our journey as parents.
Yes!! I cry so much during Disney movies now.
Nori said:
Yes!! I cry so much during Disney movies now.
My daughter is only 4 weeks old, and I’m worried about upsetting her with my crying in front of her when she’s older.
Nori said:
Yes!! I cry so much during Disney movies now.
My daughter is only 4 weeks old, and I’m worried about upsetting her with my crying in front of her when she’s older.
If you cry in front of her, you’ll normalize emotional experiences and expressions. Women are often pathologized, and men mocked for showing emotion, which is harmful. Just assure your daughter that it’s normal and explain why you’re crying instead of hiding your feelings.
@Ben
This is great. Thank you for that!
Nori said:
Yes!! I cry so much during Disney movies now.
My daughter is only 4 weeks old, and I’m worried about upsetting her with my crying in front of her when she’s older.
You’ll toughen back up some. Enjoy the emotional peaks during these first four weeks!
Nori said:
Yes!! I cry so much during Disney movies now.
My daughter is only 4 weeks old, and I’m worried about upsetting her with my crying in front of her when she’s older.
You’re at the teariest stage now. There will always be scenes that affect you now in ways they didn’t before, especially those involving kids similar in age to your own.
Yes! Kids’ books too. Earlier this evening, I cried when Hank chose to share Trash Truck instead of his Lightbeam toy in class. Also, when my baby was a newborn, I needed a laugh, so I’d have Dada read Why A Girl Needs A Father and see how far he could get without crying. He eventually finished them, but initially, he could barely make it through five or six pages before bursting into tears. 
That sounds very familiar! Kids’ movies, documentaries about baby animals, anything cute really—it feels like a sensitive side opens up after becoming a parent.
Marley said:
That sounds very familiar! Kids’ movies, documentaries about baby animals, anything cute really—it feels like a sensitive side opens up after becoming a parent.
We also have two cats, so any movie involving cats hits me extra hard in the feels!
I relate to this so much! My husband and I cry reading bedtime books too! The Giving Tree and Charlotte’s Web had us both in tears.
Years ago, I suggested watching A Quiet Place with a friend who was a mom (her child was around 2). We started the opening scene, something sad happened, and she had me shut it off because she couldn’t handle it. Back then, I thought it was a bit dramatic. Now, with my 10-month-old, any movie involving children, happy or sad, makes me cry, and I can’t handle intense movies like I used to be able to.
@Kelby
With a newborn, we started watching Shogun and episode 1 messed me up.
SOBBED watching The Wild Robot.
Tan said:
SOBBED watching The Wild Robot.
I was NOT prepared to watch that three weeks postpartum. When the lights came on in the theater, I awkwardly shuffled past groups of kids with swollen eyelids from crying so much. 
Tan said:
SOBBED watching The Wild Robot.
I cried from the start to the end. My husband was very worried about me lol.