Sesame Workshop Launches Divorce Kit for Kids

 Posted on January 17, 2013 in Child Custody

The divorce rate in the U.S. hovers just about 40 percent (or 50 percent, depending on the source), and about half of children in the nation are being raised in two different households or by single parents. Divorce is a challenge for the adults in the relationship, to be sure, but oftentimes the children who belong to the divorce get lost in the shuffle. While there are plenty of sources to help parents cope with children during a divorce, Sesame Workshop, the entity behind the hit kids' show Sesame Street, has launched a new online tool kit to help kids understand and come to terms with their parents' split. According to the Chicago Tribune, the kit, "under the educational organization's "Little Children, Big Challenges" initative, offers tips and age-appropriate resources for parents guiding their 2- to 8-year-old children through complicated terrain."

The kit includes an online storybook, songs that help children understand and identify their feelings, webinars, a guide for the other important adults in the kid's life, and a divorce app. Jeanette Beancourt, senior vice president for outreach and educational practices at Sesame Workshop, told the Tribune that "few resources existed to help children cope with divorce, as common and long-standing as the topic is."

In addition to sharing platforms like this with your kids if you're going through a divorce, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry recommends the following tips to help both the child and parents cope with the challenge and stress of the conversation:

• do not keep it a secret
• tell your child together with your spouse
• tell them the divorce is not their fault
• admit that this is sad and upsetting for everyone
• do not trash talk your spouse to your child

If you or someone you know is considering divorce, the most important first step is to contact a dedicated Illinois divorce attorney today.

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