You will be setting yourself up for a plethora of folies; like opening Pandora’s box; "Any source of great and unexpected troubles". This is a powerful question; alone, it instills a ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ in your children’s mind, ‘There must be something wrong.’
Instilling your perceptions on your children’s crying situation - that there must be something wrong - opens up the door to your children’s imagination; like Pandora’s box, what are all the possibilities? What could spill out? If you haven’t experienced it by now, children have a vivid imaginations and are cunning too. They may use this crying situation to get what they want; to get away with what they want.
Evaluate the gravity of the situation; no danger, some danger, blood, broken bones. Use your years of experience; use your judgement.
No danger: walk slowly toward your children, chances are by the time you get there, they will be off and running.
Some danger:
Me: “Look at me. Once you stop crying I can understand what you are saying. Take a slow deep breath with me. "
Chances are your children will be crying so dramatically that you will not be able to understand what they are saying.
Say this instead;