Ronja is nine years old and received a Gefühlsmonster mini set as a present. Here she tells Jutta Höch-Corona (JHC) about her experiences with the cards:
“JHC: What did you actually do with the cards? Did you play with them?
Ronja: In the evenings I took them out of my little box thinking about how I felt during the day. Then, I put them down. There were no more than seven or eight cards. Once I took them with me to school and then did that in the long break.
JHC: Can you remember what you had picked out?
Ronja: I once had No. 18. Once I also had No. 22 because I felt queasy for a short time. Then I mainly had No. 11.
JHC: And what does No. 18 actually mean to you?
Ronja: To me it means fun. Because he’s running and looking very cheerful.
JHC: And No. 11?
Ronja: That means to me that they have had a quarrel and now he wants to reconcile.
JHC: How nice. And when you did that in the evening, did you sometimes show it then to your mama or did you do that for yourself?
Ronja: I showed her once. Otherwise I’ve always done it for myself.
JHC: And what was important to you?
Ronja: Well, when I laid my cards, sometimes No. 19 or sometimes No. 23 and No. 24, or a furious one like No. 16. Then I looked at them thinking which cards I wanted to mainly have tomorrow.
JHC: Oh! So you have thought about that before?
Ronja: It has helped me.
JHC: It means that you were considering what card would be good for you for the next day?
Ronja: Yes, exactly. How I want to plan the day.
JHC: And it worked?
Ronja: Yes. I laid out [a card] for two weeks and I think it worked most of the time.
JHC: Really great! Can you give an example of what you have planned for the next day and what worked out?
Ronja: Thursday evening I took out the 16 because I had a fight with my best friend. Then I also took out the 7.
JHC: Oh, that sounds like a difficult situation.
Ronja: Then I took the 17 out. Because sometimes I was scared, too. Because there are also big boys in the schoolyard. And they are not always so nice. And then I said to myself that I definitely want number 5 the next day, with the one in the hammock. Then I wanted number 11 for the next day even if there is a fight.
JHC: Because it meant you wanted to reconcile with someone again?
Ronja: Yes. Then I wanted to have number 15. I like it because it looks like you are happy. For example that you have written a good grade or that you are in love with someone and he likes you. And that it says “Let’s play together” and you don’t dare to tell him.
It also means more to me. My girlfriend just happens to be a guy who always likes to bitch around. And once I had the 15 with me in school, showed it to her and told her “Let’s be friends today”. That worked out well until the end!”
JHC: Do you always do that?
Ronja: Sometimes.
Once, when we wrote a math test, I took No. 18. And whenever I wasn’t able to quickly solve a task, I quickly looked at the card and then I felt better and I continued.”