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Dealing with Vikings despair

Today, together, we're all dealing with a painful loss.

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- Ugh, that hurt.

Honestly, it was hard to come to work today.

This whole state was all-in for the Vikings; hundreds of you sent us your "SKOL" chant videos. We received so many that we stopped counting.

So, today, together, we're all dealing with a painful loss. For older Vikings fans, it's a pain we've felt over and over with four Super Bowl losses and now a sixth straight gut-punch in an NFC Championship Game.

So, what do you say to your kids?

"In any disappointment there's a lot of opportunities then (on) how to talk to your kids about it," said Dr. Andrea Potthoff, a licensed Psychologist and the Owner of Dendrinos Psychology in Edina.

She says, first let your child know it's normal to feel disappointed, angry, or surprised by the loss.

"It's also a nice chance to really introduce emotion language to your child. So, depending on their age and maturity, they might be able to say, 'I don't feel good today, I don't want to go to school, or I was upset when so-and-so was talking about the Eagles.' But, really giving them those emotion focus language like, 'I felt sad when that happened, or I felt angry, or I felt really disappointed.' So, using that language yourself, and then also helping your child label that, too," said Dr. Potthoff.

It's also important to show good sportsmanship, helping your child understand that - in life - we don't always win.

"You also have the opportunity to really model for your child how we react to disappointments in life. So, if they see you getting really upset about it that sort of gives them a template for how we deal with these things," said Dr. Potthoff.

It helps to put this game into perspective and focus on the positives in your life.

But, Dr. Potthoff says, don't dismiss your child's feelings.

"I would say meet your child where they're at. So, they may have been really into the game and wake up tomorrow thinking about something else. So, if they're talking about that, great, have that conversation. If they could care less about it, it's not something you need to be repeatedly bringing up for them," said Dr. Potthoff.

And, as for you, the adult, it's good to talk about the game with people you trust, just not too much.

"You really want to watch how much you're doing that, though. It can be good to commiserate to an extent, but then really, you know, starting to distract yourself or look forward to the next thing happening for yourself. We don't want to dwell on it too much, but certainly talking about it with those that are close to you can help," said Dr. Potthoff.

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