There aren’t five stages of sadness, but there should be. Watch this toddler, and you’ll understand. Outside, the toddler played with her stuffed bunny when her prized toy got dirty. The astonished look on the toddler’s face can only be described as “disbelief,” which we have determined is the first stage of sadness.
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The toddler quickly transitions to the next stage of “heartbreak.” That’s when the crying begins. Mom is quick on the reaction, trying to calm her child. The toddler wants none of that and only has more tears for her stuffed bunny.
Mom has a plan, though. The two head into the house, where the toddler holds the stuffed bunny up for mom to spray with soapy stain cleaner (poor bunny… she sprayed it right in her eyes!). After spraying, Mom encourages the toddler to toss her favorite stuffy into the front-loading washing machine. Mom activates the machine, and the still-crying child watches her bunny tumble in the wash drum.
The wait was excruciating. While the washing machine spun round and round, the toddler entered the next stage of sadness, and “depression” settled in. All of Mom’s efforts to distract her were unsuccessful. She tried other dolls and stuffed toys, but nothing worked. The toddler returned to the washing machine to watch her stuffed bunny being tossed around as it got clean.
The fourth stage of “impatience” saw the little girl pacing, bouncing, and eagerly waiting at the machine. At one point, she kissed the machine’s door. She even pounded the door to no avail.
Finally! The Toddler’s Stuffed Bunny Is Clean!
The washing machine seemed to be taking years in toddler time. Eventually, the wash cycle was complete, and it was time for a quick trip around the dryer. The toddler’s sister appeared to assist and toss the stuffed bunny into the dryer.
The last stage of “anticipation” began while the toy was tumbling around inside the dryer. The reunion was nearing with each revolution. And then, finally, after two years, seventeen hours thirty-six minutes and forty-three seconds, the toddler was able to retrieve her stuffed bunny from the dryer.
What a LOOONNNNGGGGGG day! If you are a parent, you have almost certainly experienced the five stages of sadness depicted here. Fixing sadness is a parental rite of passage; this mom earns flying colors. Please share if you can relate to this situation.
You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.
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