Children's Books for Special Needs: Family Life
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Author
Barnardos
Fingal County Libraries
Date
2000
Citation
Barnardos. (2000). Children's Books for Special Needs. https://knowledge.barnardos.ie/handle/20.500.13085/206
Abstract
When breakdown within a family occurs it is not always easy for the children of these families to accept or understand the implications of such a break-up. Feelings of anger, guilt, confusion and loss may be present as the child tries to come to terms
with their perceived stable environment tumbling around them. A sense of isolation can sometimes occur and information is needed to try and make sense of the situation. Adults need time to take stock of their lives after a separation, divorce, etc. before they can decide what to do to next. Children’s perception of time is considerably different from an adult’s and they want to know sooner rather than later what changes to expect. The following list of books on topics such as divorce, separation, new relationships within families, etc. allow children to explore their feelings at their own leisure and in a safe way. These books help children to understand that they are not alone with their feelings and that other families have gone through similar situations. The books offer children different solutions to what can happen when a family breaks up and shows them the different paths that their life may take. Children are helped name the feelings that they experience. This takes away the fear of the unknown. Most importantly, this list of books allows children to see that although their life may change as a result of the family relationship changing, their parents' love for them never changes.