My Parents Still Love Me Even Though They're Getting Divorced: A healing story and workbook for children

"An interactive workbook designed to help kids deal with separation and divorce. This volume from Nightingale (Building Resiliency, 2018) draws on her experience as a psychologist and family therapist. She offers a series of illustrated exercises that aim to help children of separation and divorce work through various aspects of chaotic events in their lives. They're peppered with affirmations, such as "It's okay to keep on loving both your parents" and "Do you know that crying can sometimes make grownups feel better, too?" It presents a kid-friendly frame story in which a beautiful mermaid and a strong knight fall in love and have four children: Constance, Arletta, Newton, and Spartacus. After a while, tensions grow when the mermaid wants to return to the sea and the knight wants to stay on land: "everything seemed to upset both of them, and they complained about each other," Nightingale writes. The book offers a series of scenarios involving each child as they experience their parents' split, and this narrative device allows the author to effectively explore different reactions, including withdrawal, moodiness, anger, and resentment. Each section offers discussion questions (such as "Newton wondered WHY about many parts of his parents' divorce....What things have you wondered WHY about?") and pages of exercises (such as "Draw a picture of something special at your mom's house"). Nightingale's experience and empathy make the book invaluable for parents who may have read adult books about divorce-including, possibly, the author's own-but want a similar resource for their kids. The author's decision to create four fictional children, instead of one, is wise, as well, as it increases the likelihood that a child will find someone relatable in these pages. A broad-minded and engaging activity book to help children work out their feelings." Kirkus Review An interactive workbook and journal for ages 4-10.

Author: Lois Nightingale
Publisher: Nightingale Rose Publications
Published: 07/02/2016
Pages: 118
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.64lbs
Size: 11.00h x 8.50w x 0.25d
ISBN: 9781889755014


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 01/01/0001

About the Author
Lois V. Nightingale, Ph. D. is a licensed Clinical Psychologist, and a licensed Marriage, Child and Family Therapist in Yorba Linda California. She has been helping individuals and families for over thirty years. She is a nationally recognized speaker and an award-winning writer. She has made many professional appearances on local, national and international television helping educate parents and teaching better communication in families. As a divorced single mother of two children, she realizes the importance of a story that children can relate to. A story that also teaches coping skills and better ways to handle the confusion of divorce gives children the opportunity to express their own feelings. It is her goal to help families find resources to assist them through changes. She believes that if children receive support, encouragement, and a safe place to express their feelings during times of change and loss, many of the negative long-term effects of these childhood disruptions can be avoided. Children can learn they are lovable and strong. Dr. Nightingale feels that parents have a responsibility to model for their children (even in the face of adversity and change) that there are always opportunities to become more caring, compassionate and self-assured individuals.


This title is not returnable