Children Grieve Brazil's Defeat; Psychologists Say that Feeling Sad Can Be Positive

07/09/2014 - 13h17

"Daddy, please ask the Germans to stop scoring goals", Valentina, 7, said in tears, opposite a screen installed next to Rio's Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.

She is the daughter of a German father and Brazilian mother and was torn between the two teams before the match. But, as the tragedy ensued she burst into tears and called her grandmother: "They can't play without Neymar, Grannie", she said.

As the Geographer Jürgen Langenwalter, 48, witnessed his daughter's reaction, he quickly attempted to conceal his enthusiasm with the result. Her mother, Taísa Rodrigues, 37, spent the match trying to comfort her daughter. "I wasn't expecting her to react this way at all."

Many children who had the expectation to experience the World Cup of their lives this year had the same reaction.

"The players didn't look professional. They were amateurs on the pitch", João, 8, said, who had been watching Brazil's defeat by 7-1 to Germany in the city of São Paulo's Fan Fest.

"When are we having another World Cup in Brazil? Never! This was our chance to see Brazil become World champion", Lucas Braga, 11, complained after the match.

Not even the pizza that Marco Mascaro's (9) ordered lifted the boy's spirits. "This match will mark my life. I have been following this World Cup before it even began, by collecting stickers for the sticker album", the boy said.

Following Brazil's humiliation, Marco's mother, Monique de Benedetto Mascaro, 40, organized a treasure hunt. "I tried to think of a distraction."

Pedro Henrique Santoro, 10, stopped watching the match half way through it to read the book "Diary of a Wimpy Kid", so he didn't have to witness the hammering any further. But the boy's mother believes Brazil's defeat can be an enriching lesson. "It can be positive to deal with sadness", she concludes.

LEARNING

Psychologists and education professionals also share this view. "It is necessary to deal with [defeats] plainly. It is impossible to substitute or suppress the child's frustration. It is in the childhood that we build the way with which we deal with feelings. We can't spare them from feeling sadness", educationalist Andrea Jota, 35, has said.

Psychologist Ana Cássia Maturano says that Brazil's defeat can be important. "Frustration can be enriching. It shows that losing is part of life and that we can't have everything we want. Feeling sad and crying is normal", she concludes.

She says that buying a new toy or going out for ice cream to compensate isn't always the best options.

"It isn't helpful to skip the sadness. What isn't expelled through tears will be expressed in some other way. Sometimes, even through illnesses. It is important to learn how to deal with disappointment", the psychologist concludes.

Pedro know this well. He is a Barcelona supporter and this year the boy has had a difficult year watching his team's performance in championships.

"I was very upset when they were disqualified in the Champions League. But I soon got over it. I am now looking forward to the next season", the boy tells. And Brazil's push for the sixth world title in the 2018 World Cup.

Translated by CRISTIANE COSTA LIMA

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