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Episode 13: Why Can't I Be Somebody Else?
In Why Can't I Be Somebody Else? Oliver is jealous of all the other Transporters. Nigel goes so fast, while all Oliver does himself is go slowly up and down the hill. Sally has Dan to keep her company and Jennie gets to stop at traffic lights. The other Transporters try to show Oliver the positive side, though Oliver soon finds another thing to be jealous about. But when there is a power failure at the sub-station on the hill, only Oliver can reach it. He has to fix it to get the traffic lights working again, before there is an accident. Oliver realises that what he does is very important and he doesn't feel jealous any more. But now Nigel is jealous of Oliver, who can fix the sub-station!
Key emotion: Jealous
Additional emotions: Happy, Kind, Proud, Worried, Grumpy
Themes in Why Can't I Be Someone Else?
Causes of feeling jealous
We feel jealous when someone else has, or can do, something we really want:
Ask the child:
What can Nigel do that Oliver can't?
What did Sally and Dan have that Oliver didn't? What can Jennie do that Oliver can't?
What did Oliver want?
How could you tell from his face that Oliver was jealous of his friends?
Your child and feeling jealous
Ask the child:
Do you sometimes want to have things that other people have, or to be able to do something as well as they do (do you sometimes feel jealous of others)?
Is that a good or a bad feeling?
What do you do to feel better?
Different strengths and weaknesses
Everyone has his or her strengths and weaknesses:
Ask the child:
What was Oliver good at?
How did he save the others from an accident?
Could the other Transporters fix the sub-station?
Discuss how each of the Transporters has his or her own strengths. Get examples from the child.
Your child's strengths and weaknesses
Ask the child:
What are you good at?
Are there things you can do, or you have, that others can't do or don't have?
Are there things that others (eg a brother, sister, friend etc) can do or have that you can't or don't? What are they?
Focusing on what we do have can help us deal with jealousy:
Ask the child:
What did Sally and Jennie do to help Oliver when he felt jealous?
How did Oliver feel when Sally told him that his passengers like him to go slowly?
How did Oliver feel when Jennie told him that he can talk to her on the radio?
Did this help Oliver feel less jealous?
Ask the child:
How can you help yourself feel better when you get jealous?
How can you help others feel better when you see that they're jealous?
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