Sometimes you end up trying to help a kid that is going through a very troubled time in their life because of a divorce or a death. It could be your own child or the neighbour's child but you still want to help. However sometimes you feel completely helpless because it is hard to communicate with the upset child or see the world through his or her eyes. Thankfully there are some books out there on the market that can assist you with this type of situation.
A common situation is the one where you end up being the stepmother to a new kid through marriage either because of a death or divorce. There is a really good book on this topic on the market. It is called 'The Good Stepmother: A Practical Guide' and it by two women who have been there. The authors are Patricia Adams and Karen Savage. Every issue is discussed in this book including the ex spouse, children who act out their resentment and money issues. You are basically taught how to handle these situations so nobody is hurt, resentful or traumatized as a result of the big change. The chapters on how to handle the ex are also very important as you can save the children involved a lot of stress during the divorce and remarriage process if the two of you can learn how to get along.
Some kids really have a hard time adjusting to a divorce. A child can isolate and refuse to communicate to you. In this case you might want to purchase 'What's Going to Happen to Me? When Parents Separate or Divorce. This is a paperback by Eda LeShan that is directed to kids who are eight years of age or older and who are hurt and mystified by the divorce process. It is just a great all purpose book about the subject to give to any child as it explains what goes on and helps the child feel more emotionally secure.
If you have a depressed kid or one that just seems woefully ignorant of how to handle the issues that he or she might be facing. Heartbeats and Other Stories by Peter D. Sieruta is a classic book about a set of twins that go through all of the issues such as temptation to suicide, teen pregnancy and feeling picked on or lonely. Most kids identify with the two main characters which is reassuring and educational for them.
If you have a new baby you will love the funny and helpful book by Edward R. Christophersen Baby Owner's Manual. The illustrations and photographs in this book are wonderful and will help ward off that case of post-partum depression after you have been up all night for months. It is always good to know that others have been through same stressful experiences that you have just after having a baby.
