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When anger comes out as throwing

A short cartoon about a puzzle piece, a soft cushion and the word "cross", starring your child. Watch it together on a calm day.

Try a story beginning

An example story beginning for this moment. It is not a cartoon of your own story.

Cartoons are made with AI. You preview each one before your child sees it. Automatic checks can miss things.

Illustration, made with AI: a boy sits beside a half-finished puzzle with one piece rolling away while his dad lifts a box of wooden blocks onto a high shelf, a small dog watches from the doorway, and a glowing firefly squeezes a soft cushion.
Illustration, made with AI

Let's imagine

Example, made with AI

Leo (3) can't fit the puzzle piece in. He throws it across the room. Dad moves the hard blocks onto a high shelf. "I won't let you throw hard things." Leo's lip wobbles. Dad holds out a soft cushion. "You can squeeze this when you're cross." Leo squeezes it hard. Biscuit watches from the doorway. "Cross," says Leo. Dad sits close.

The characters in this example are made up. Your child can be the hero, with or without a photo.

What happens in the story

In the example above:

  • Leo can't fit the piece in, and he throws it.
  • Dad moves the hard things out of reach and says plainly what he won't let happen.
  • He offers a soft cushion to squeeze, and Leo finds a word for his feeling: "Cross."
  • Nobody shouts or shames. In this example, Dad stays close.
Try a story beginning

Talk-after card

Here are three gentle questions to talk about after this example. Best watched together, then followed by a chat or a game.

  1. What happened with the puzzle piece?
  2. What did Dad do with the hard blocks? What did Leo squeeze?
  3. When you feel cross, what would you like to squeeze, stomp or say? You choose.

Use the ones that feel right. Skip any you like.

What a cartoon can and can't do

  • Safety comes first. A cartoon can't keep anyone from getting hurt, and it can't move hard things out of reach. The grown-ups nearby do that.
  • Zubby isn't for the middle of a hard moment. Watch together on a calm day.
  • Each Zubby cartoon is made to be talked about together. It can't do the work of routine, patience or your child's doctor.
  • If you are worried about your child's sleep, eating, fears or behaviour, talk to your child's doctor, nurse or teacher.