Healing After Divorce: 100 Practical Ideas for Kids (Healing Your Grieving Heart series)

Healing After Divorce: 100 Practical Ideas for Kids (Healing Your Grieving Heart series)

Focusing on the natural grief children endure when their parents divorce, this guide helps kids process the common feelings of shock, sadness, anger, guilt, and relief while highlighting their most vital need—love and support. The handbook helps children name and understand these strange new emotions and affirms that their thoughts and feelings are natural while teaching them the value of constructively expressing them. An assortment of suggested physical and verbal activities for mourning grief are also included. Alan D. Wolfelt, PhD is the director of the Center for Loss and Life Transition. He is the author of Healing Your Grieving Heart , The Journey Through Grief , and Understanding Your Grief . He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado. Raelynn Maloney is an author, an educator, and a practicing psychologist. She provides consultation and education on various topics related to grief and caregiving to hospitals and procurement agencies throughout North America. She lives in Littleton, Colorado. Healing After Divorce 100 Practical Ideas For Kids By Alan D. Wolfelt, Raelynn Maloney Center for Loss and Life Transition Copyright © 2011 Alan D. Wolfelt, Ph.D. and Raelynn Maloney, Ph.D. All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-1-61722-138-5 Contents Also by, Title Page, Copyright Page, A NOTE TO PARENTS AND OTHER LOVING GROWNUPS, LET'S GET STARTED, 1. - LEARN ABOUT DIVORCE GRIEF., 2. - LEARN ABOUT MOURNING., 3. - LEARN HOW GRIEF AND MOURNING ARE DIFFERENT FROM EACH OTHER., 4. - BE NICE TO YOURSELF., 5. - KNOW THAT THE DIVORCE IS REAL., 6. - LET YOURSELF BE UPSET., 7. - REMEMBER WHAT YOUR FAMILY WAS LIKE BEFORE THE DIVORCE., 8. - UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR LIFE IS DIFFERENT NOW., 9. - ASK WHY., 10. - LET OTHERS HELP YOU WITH YOUR GRIEF., 11. - FEEL NOTHING SOMETIMES., 12. - PLAY TO GET GRIEF OUT., 13. - TALK TO GROWNUPS WHO ARE GOOD LISTENERS., 14. - TALK TO A FRIEND., 15. - CRY WHEN YOU NEED TO., 16. - GET GOOD SLEEP., 17. - FEED YOURSELF GOOD FOOD., 18. - DRINK A LOT OF WATER., 19. - RUN AROUND OUTSIDE., 20. - FIND A GRIEF HIDE-OUT., 21. - DON'T BE ALONE TOO MUCH., 22. - LET YOURSELF FEEL HAPPY., 23. - PLAY WITH A PET., 24. - GO TO CHURCH OR A PLACE OF WORSHIP., 25. - WRITE IN A JOURNAL., 26. - DO ART., 27. - WRITE A POEM ABOUT DIVORCE., 28. - CRANK THE TUNES AND DANCE., 29. - PLAY YOUR FAVORITE SPORT., 30. - PLAY A BOARD GAME., 31. - WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR PARENTS., 32. - MAKE A FAMILY MEMORY BOOK., 33. - DRESS UP LIKE SOMEONE ELSE., 34. - KEEP A FAMILY TREASURE., 35. - PLANT A GARDEN., 36. - TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY YOU LOVE THEM., 37. - HUG SOMEONE TODAY., 38. - BE A FRIEND TO SOMEONE ELSE WHO IS GOING THROUGH DIVORCE., 39. - MAKE A GIFT FOR SOMEONE SPECIAL., 40. - MAKE A ROCK TREASURE BOX., 41. - BE WHO YOU ARE., 42. - SING LOUDLY., 43. - TELL A GROWNUP WHEN YOU ARE UPSET., 44. - LISTEN TO YOUR BODY., 45. - GIVE YOUR GRIEF A FACE AND A NAME., 46. - PACK A FAMILY KEEPSAKE BOX., 47. - LIST THE PEOPLE YOU LOVE., 48. - TALK TO YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER ABOUT THE DIVORCE., 49. - TALK TO A GROWNUP., 50. - DON'T ESCAPE WITH VIDEO GAMES OR TV., 51. - READ A BOOK., 52. - BE A BIG BABY., 53. - THINK ABOUT TIMES YOU DID THE WRONG THING., 54. - PUT A PICTURE OF YOU AND YOUR PARENTS IN YOUR ROOM., 55. - ASK FOR HELP AT SCHOOL., 56. - JOIN A DIVORCE SUPPORT GROUP FOR KIDS., 57. - TALK TO A COUNSELOR., 58. - DON'T BE SURPRISED BY GRIEFBURSTS., 59. - EXPECT GRIEFBURSTS ON SPECIAL DAYS., 60. - DO SOMETHING THAT YOU LOVED TO DO WITH YOUR FAMILY., 61. - FIGHT THE URGE TO BE STRONG., 62. - NEVER HURT YOURSELF OR OTHERS., 63. - LIST WHAT'S GOOD ABOUT YOUR LIFE., 64. - APPRECIATE YOURSELF., 65. - FEEL WHAT YOU FEEL., 66. - JOIN A CLUB., 67. - DON'T LET ANYONE TAKE AWAY YOUR GRIEF., 68. - IF YOU ARE A BOY, KNOW THIS:, 69. - IF YOU ARE A GIRL, KNOW THIS:, 70. - MAKE A WISH., 71. - HELP YOUR FAMILY MOURN., 72. - HAVE A SLEEPOVER., 73. - WRITE A STORY., 74. - DON'T LET OTHER KIDS GET TO YOU., 75. - ASK A GROWNUP TO TEACH YOU SOMETHING NEW., 76. - IF YOU ARE FEELING MAD, TRY THIS:, 77. - IF YOU ARE FEELING SCARED, TRY THIS:, 78. - IF YOU ARE FEELING GUILTY, TRY THIS:, 79. - IF YOU ARE FEELING RELIEVED, TRY THIS:, 80. - LOOK AT THE SKY., 81. - GET A DREAM CATCHER., 82. - KEEP A CALENDAR., 83. - COOK WITH YOUR MOM OR DAD., 84. - PLAN A CEREMONY., 85. - ASK QUESTIONS., 86. - TALK ABOUT YOUR PARENTS' NEW FRIENDS., 87. - EXPECT CHANGE., 88. - GATHER FAMILY PHOTOS., 89. - WRITE A LETTER TO "DIVORCE.", 90. - KEEP FAMILY RITUALS., 91. - USE THE WORD GRIEF., 92. - DRAW A BEFORE-AND-AFTER PICTURE OF YOUR FAMILY., 93. - COLOR., 94. - PRAY., 95. - DO SOMETHING SILLY., 96. - PLAN A TRIP., 97. - MAKE YOUR MOM AND DAD A CARD., 98. - GO FOR A WALK WITH EACH OF YOUR PARENTS., 99. - PLAY TRUTH OR DARE., 100. - KNOW THAT SOMEDAY YOU WILL FEEL BETTER., A FINAL WORD, MY GRIEF RIGHTS DURING AND AFTER DIVORCE, GLOSSARY OF TERMS, WANTED: HEALING AFTE