While you don't want your children to stay sad or continue to hurt, it's necessary to validate pain and sadness just as much as we validate happiness and success. "Rescuing them by immediately trying to cheer them up is rarely the best thing to do," Dr. Westers explains.
The best way to cheer up a sad child is to help them work through their sadness. And when you tell your child that it's OK to be sad or angry, it gives them a platform to open up to you and work through whatever is bothering them.