Unmet expectations hurt: Turtle feels disappointed
Complex unpleasant emotions: DISAPPOINTMENT
| Author | Tatjana Gjurković, Tea Knežević |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Jelena Brezovec |
| Original Title | Neispunjeno očekivanje boli: Kornjača se osjeća razočarano |
| ISBN | 978-953-8008-81-8 |
| Format | softcover |
| Pages | 24 |
| Size | 22x22 cm |
| Age range | Early learning (2 – 6), Beginning readers (5 – 7) |
| Category | Disappointment |
|---|---|
| Tag | Complex unpleasant emotions |
WRITTEN BY EXPERTS IN CHILD PSYCHOLOGY
Mother and father turtles had to do some choirs, so they left their little turtle daughter to spend some time with her grandmother. They promised to bring her favourite sweet dessert – strawberries, when they come back to pick her up. Strawberries were her favourite thing to eat in the whole world, so she spent the entire day thinking about the treat. When parents arrived to pick up, they didn’t bring the strawberries. Mum and dad forgot about their promise. Little turtle felt sadness, then anger, but she was actually disappointed.
Young children have big wishes, dreams and expectations, they like to be surprised, and they also like to receive promises. If any of the above are not fulfilled, the feeling of disappointment appears as a combination of other unpleasant emotions.
Disappointment is one of the so-called complex emotions because it’s most often a combination of emotions of sadness, anger, resentment or discouragement.
Very often, children receive or ask for promises from their parents and other adults. Promises are sometimes a method of upbringing (if you behave like this or do this, you will get that), sometimes they are a reward for desirable behaviour or success, and sometimes they are said just to calm or please the child. If for any reason the adults cannot fulfil the promise they made, the child will feel disappointed. From the parent’s perspective, nothing terrible has happened if the child’s wish is not fulfilled when they expected it, because there are other opportunities for the child to fulfil what was promised to him. But from a child’s perspective, disappointment is very unpleasant, anger and sadness are real and strong, and the child needs help from adults to cope with this emotion.
At the end of the picture book, there are advice for parents and adults on how to approach a child who feels disappointed and help them work through this emotion.
