Chase is a 4th-grader who is passionate about baseball. For several days, he has been talking enthusiastically about his classmate Ethan's upcoming birthday party, which will be held at the local minor league ballpark. Chase's father has heard all about how Ethan will get to invite five friends to accompany him to the game, where they will sit behind the bullpen and get all sorts of special treats, including souvenirs, junk food, and a visit by the team mascot. Chase had assumed that he would be invited, even though he and Ethan are not close friends. But today Chase came home from school utterly devastated. He found out that the invitations to the party had already been sent, and that he was not included. How can his father respond to Chase's emotional distress in a way that will help Chase cope with the situation now and will also foster Chase's development of social competence?

Note:In developing your responses, consider emotional development at Chase's age. What are reasonable expectations for emotional understanding at this point in development? What can his parent do to help him self-regulate his distress and respond effectively to his dilemma? How should his parent respond to help him cope in the immediate present while fostering his development of social competence?