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April 04 2020

Kindful Kids Weekly

Quote of the Week

"Co-parenting. It's a collaboration of parents doing what is best for the kids" - Heather Hetchler

Helping Your Child Through Divorce

"For children, separation and divorce can be an especially sad, stressful, and confusing time. But there are ways to help your kids cope with the upheaval of a breakup.

A separation or divorce is a highly stressful and emotional experience for everyone involved, but children often feel that their whole world has turned upside down. At any age, it can be traumatic to witness the dissolution of your parents’ marriage and the breakup of the family. Kids may feel shocked, uncertain, or angry. Some may even feel guilty, blaming themselves for the problems at home. Divorce is never a seamless process and, inevitably, such a transitional time doesn’t happen without some measure of grief and hardship. But you can dramatically reduce your children’s pain by making their well-being your top priority.

Your patience, reassurance, and listening ear can minimize tension as your children learn to cope with unfamiliar circumstances. By providing routines your kids can rely on, you remind them that they can count on you for stability, structure, and care. And by maintaining a working relationship with your ex, you can help your kids avoid the stress and anguish that comes with watching parents in conflict. With your support, your kids can not only successfully navigate this unsettling time, but even emerge from it feeling loved, confident, and strong—and even with a closer bond to both parents." [read more]

Reading Corner

Title: The Invisible String
By: Patrice Karst
Ages: 4-8 years

In this relatable and reassuring contemporary classic, a mother tells her two children that they're all connected by an invisible string. "That's impossible!" the children insist, but still they want to know more: "What kind of string?" The answer is the simple truth that binds us all: An Invisible String made of love. Even though you can't see it with your eyes, you can feel it deep in your heart, and know that you are always connected to the ones you love. Does everybody have an Invisible String? How far does it reach? Does it ever go away? This heartwarming picture book for all ages explores questions about the intangible yet unbreakable connections between us, and opens up deeper conversations about love.

The Invisible String offers a very simple approach to overcoming loneliness, separation, or loss with an imaginative twist that children easily understand and embrace, and delivers a particularly compelling message in today's uncertain times.

This book is a beautiful way to begin to try, as parents, to instill in children the impenetrable power of the heart, the energy of love, and the flow that can be felt from the grace in every moment." - Publishers

Recommended by Kindful Kids Editors

Be The Change

Grief can be of any form in a child. Grieving from the loss of a loved one, a separation of some kind and coping after being bullied are examples of the many ways kids struggle with the loss of words to share what's going on in their hearts and mind space. Gentle family support at home can make a difference in the way we build up the heart muscles of these little ones. A healthy family practice of sharing from the heart at the end of the day could be a new beginning to a different kind of conversation. As the article suggests, try out circles on deep listening, open conversations, honest conversations as a family. Do share if there's a practice that you've adopted, that has supported your child and your family through a grieving period.


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About

Kindful Kids was formed in the spring of 2011, to serve as a resource for parents who are keen to teach children about compassion and service. It is a project of ServiceSpace.

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Meghna, Deven, Trishna, Neha and Brinda are currently volunteer editors for this newsletter. If you have any content recommendations for this newsletter, we would love to hear from you!

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