We are please to officially announce the beginning of I Am A Child of Divorce support groups.  These groups are intended children of divorce find hope and healing in the aftermath of their parents’ separation or divorce.

Groups are free to participate in and will be conducted entirely online and consist of a weekly introduction to the week’s theme, a video (or videos) to watch, prep work to be done online in preparation for the online chat, a one hour weekly online chat (text not voice) conducted in a private chat room available only to group members, and a recap activity to drive home each week’s theme.

Our first group, a pilot program for teens, will launch the last week of April with the first weekly live chat to be held Thursday, May 2 from 9:00 – 10:00 PM EST, and registration will remain open through April 30th.  Registration will be limited and done on a first come first serve basis.  Additional programs will be offered in the future.

If you are a teen whose parents who have divorce, no matter what stage of healing you are at, please register for our group today.  If you know of teens who could benefit from this program, please forward this information to them.

To find out more information about our groups, click on one of the following links:

…statistics show that one third of all children are likely to spend some time in a stepfamily while growing up.

Many times adjusting to a parent dating and/or getting remarried can be harder than the initial divorce.  This article from the TeensHealth portion of KidHealth.org helps teens deal with adjusting to having a new stepparent.  The article does not sugar coat the situation:

Sometimes a stepparent can feel like a stranger who is suddenly inserted into the most personal aspects of your life. The pressure to get along can be intense.

Despite these issue, the article presents some practical things teens can do to adjust to these new step family situations including advice on how to deal with emotions like:

• Keeping a journal
• Seeking support from a friend
• Talking to your parent or another trusted adult

The article also offers advice when it comes to “Facing the Realities.”

Here at I Am A Child of Divorce, we are pleased to announce the release the newest version of the My Feelings Workbook. Now published in conjunction with Hope 4 Hurting Kids, this book is designed to help kids, teens and adults to name the emotions they are feeling, and recognize what they are feeling.

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Donald Harting is a child of divorce.  His parents separated when he was eight years old and divorced when he was 15.  He knows what it is like to lose an intact family and deal with the repercussions of divorce.  As a way to honor his parents, he has built a living memorial to them in the form of free books to help other children of divorced parents. You can find the program here.

And, the program does not offer just any books.  They have researched the best books available for preschool aged, elementary aged, middle school aged and teenaged children of divorce and picked the best book for each category.  As a result of their research they offer the following books for each category of children:

Preschool/Kindergarten

Using watercolor illustrations and gentle explanations, Mama and Daddy Bears Divorce discusses changes (like Daddy moving out), but reassures little ones that important things will stay the same. As Dinah learns, “her daddy would always be her daddy, and her mama would always be her mama.” (Description from FSCC).

This article from the TeensHealth portion of KidHealth.org helps teens with various issues related to the divorce of parents.  It is packed with useful tips and information for teens going through the divorce of their parents.  It covers topics including:

• Why are my parents divorcing?
• Dealing with guilt and other emotions.
• Life changes that come with divorce.
• Ideas for making the divorce process easier.
• Possible positive things that can come from divorce.

LINK: http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/Parents/divorce.html