Which statement best indicates that the upset child has not yet entered the despair stage?

• A. A visit from parents brings up intense grief and anger; a positive sign that the child has not yet entered the stage of despair
• B. The child becomes angry when parents visit and this signals despair
• C. The child withdraws and avoids eye contact when parents visit
• D. A visit from parents reduces the child's distress

Answer: (A)

Understanding how children express grief in stages helps you read their reactions to loss or separation. In the early phase, kids often show protest: they grip, cry, lash out, and even direct intense emotions like grief and anger toward caregivers who try to help. This outward, active response signals they’re still processing the loss and haven’t settled into a deeper, passive despair.

So when a visit from parents brings up strong grief and anger, it shows the child is expressing emotions and trying to cope through active reaction, which is characteristic of the protest phase. That’s the best indicator that despair hasn’t set in yet.

Withdrawal and avoiding eye contact describe the despair stage—where engagement drops and the child becomes more passive or disengaged. A caregiver visit that reduces distress points to relief or coping but does not specifically illustrate the transition from protest to despair, whereas the presence of active grief and anger points more clearly to ongoing protest rather than despair.