Why are my parents separating?
Helping children make sense of separation.
Lucy and Dan's parents are splitting up. Lucy blames herself and Dan bottles up his feelings, until a chance encounter with Geraldine, a wise old cow, helps them to understand what is really happening at home.
A chatty crow, a feisty field mouse and a hungry hawk all combine to make this exciting story helpful and reassuring to children whose parents are separating.
As a parent, I know how difficult it can be to find the best way to help your child with difficult and potentially traumatic experiences. This awareness of the issues children can face and the struggle parents have in finding ways to help their child motivated me to develop the 'Coping with Growing' series.
My experience with children has repeatedly shown me how useful stories are in helping children come to terms with 'life events' they've encountered. To create this series of modern fairy tales, I have combined characters children can relate to, exciting plots, humour and magic, blended with professional therapeutic input.
The beauty of stories is that they are versatile, lending themselves to modern-day life. And of course, the more a child listens to the story, the greater the benefit may be.
From the Coping with Growing series: modern fairy tales for life's big moments.
Recommended by
This story is recommended by Family Mediators Association.
Written with a child psychotherapist
The Coping with Growing series is written with Christine Porter, an experienced child psychotherapist, and shaped by other professionals and education advisors.
How to use this story
Share the story once you have told your child about the separation, at a calm time such as bedtime. Listen again whenever they ask, and let them talk about the characters before they talk about themselves. The more a child listens, the greater the benefit may be.
A guide for parents
Read our guide: How to Talk to Your Child About Separation. You can also find helpful organisations on our Support page.
Questions parents ask
What age is Why Are My Parents Separating? for?
The Coping with Growing series is written for children aged 4 to 9.
What happens in the story?
Lucy and Dan’s parents are splitting up. Lucy blames herself and Dan bottles up his feelings, until a chance meeting with Geraldine, a wise old cow, helps them understand what is happening at home.
When should I share it with my child?
Share it once you have told your child about the separation, at a calm moment, and listen again whenever they want to.
Is it a book or an audio story?
Both. It is available as a Kindle book and as an Audible audio story.
