Book Review of When Mom and Dad Separate by Marge Heegaard

Helping the children work through their own feelings of grief, anger, and disappointment over an impending divorce is heartbreaking for any parent. Often, there is so much upheaval when the actual separation is taking place that parents don't get to have the conversations they intended to have with the kids, or those discussions simply don't go as planned.

Recently, I came across a really great resource that I believe can help many families work through and talk about these issues. It's called When Mom and Dad Separate: Children Can Learn to Cope With Grief From Divorce, by Marge Heegaard.

What I love about this workbook is that it provides step-by-step activities for parents to do with their kids as they work through their conflicting and often confusing emotions. In addition, something that makes this workbook really unique is that it's not yet illustrated. The child doing the activities gets to illustrate it with pictures and words from his or her own experiences.

When paired with a parent's love, time, and patience, this workbook can provide valuable and practical help for families in the midst of transition.

Related: Talking to Your Kids About Divorce | Questions Your Kids Will Ask

^{Photo © 2006 Jennifer Wolf, licensed to About.com, Inc.}