I just need some symthathy..

So my 3 year old has developed quite a flair for the dramatic these days, and I am hoping it ends soon. It seems since he turned 3 the tears have not stopped flowing. To the point where the other day I asked him if he was really hurt or was just looking for some sympathy and he tells me I just need some symthathy..well I nearly died laughing but since that point I have tried to be more sympathetic to my sons plight and sit down with him for a minute and ask what is going on or give him a snuggle for a few minutes. And when he is making a scene in the store or at a friends or family function I calmly sit down with him and ask him to take a breath and we both take a deep breath and snuggle for a minute so he can gather himself and then we try and decipher his 3 yr old perceptions of what the issue of the moment is and how to resolve it in a quieter way.