Prepared by:
Maridith Jackson
University of Missouri-Columbia
HDFS Graduate Assistant

These are some of the questions your children may have about divorce. Some questions you may have include, "What do I tell my child?" and "Will my kids really understand what is happening?" Through the use of appropriate books, you and your child can find ways to discuss these questions and many more that may arise. By reading books that are aimed to inform and help children going through a divorce, whether they are reading on their own or read to by parents, children will:

• better understand why these changes are occurring
• identify with other children going through the same kind of situation
• be encouraged to openly discuss their feelings and thoughts

The following are ways to make reading with your child more enjoyable:

• Explore practical ways to cope with feelings (such as fear, confusion, sadness, anger, relief) and changes (new residence, friends, teachers) going on around them.
• Have many books available throughout the house so that your child can reach for one when he/she is interested.
• Take advantage of the library at school or in your community.
• Be sure that books you have chosen are age appropriate.
• Try to have books that have characters that are similar to your child (in age and in gender).

Some creative ideas for getting your child interested in the books:

• Have a "book backpack club", where your child has his own backpack specifically for the books. You can choose three to five books to place in the backpack or let him choose from several you have pre-selected. His library card can be kept in one of the pockets, and he can find a special place in the house where the backpack is stored when not being used.

• Give your child a cardboard box that she can decorate any way she likes. It can be used to hold the books, selected either by you or by your child from a group that you have already chosen.