ABSTRACT
This chapter considers some of the life space opportunities for helping children learn to deal with sadness and some formulations about the child's natural development of loss-bearing capacities. Some events have the clear ring of loss phenomena, and the chapter overlook them as opportunities to talk to a child about being sad. Some of the small losses that present worthwhile opportunities—in and of themselves—to help children develop loss bearing, include broken or missing toys, no mail, the box top offer that doesn't come, losing a game, difficulty in mastering a skill. Staff attention to the teaching of loss-bearing capacities at such times not only helps extend the emotional competence of children, but also helps keep behavior within reasonable limits. Bedtime for some children represents the loss of exciting external diversion; for others it operates as a strong reminder of other bedtimes and other homes and the attendant losses.
