Bill Doherty has been doing some interesting work to develop an informal network to engage friends and family of struggling couples to provide them with support.
This work, Marital First Responders, is worth exploring….
prevention
New Resource for Parents and Children from Sesame Street
Sesame Workshop has just released a new set of resources, called Little Children, Big Challenges: Divorce to help parents to their young children (ages 2-8) about divorce issues. There are both interesting online and hands-on materials.
This is part of a series of programs created by Sesame Workshop to focus on fostering resilience in young children. This work was commissioned and supported by the US Defense Department to support military families.
The Divorce materials include:
- A new Sesame Street DVD, featuring the Muppets and real families, that highlights strategies around expressing emotions and how to talk to children about divorce;
- A Parent/Caregiver Guide providing helpful resources, language and advice for discussing divorce with children and helping them navigate changes;
- A Children’s Storybook, Two-Hug Day, about a young boy named Niko who is transitioning between his parents’ two homes, and
- An online toolkit at providing access to all project resources, as well as additional online-only materials:
- An Extended Family & Friends tip sheet
- Webinars and online discussion sessions giving service providers and families a thorough understanding of how to engage with their families and communities
- A Facebook page called Sesame Street in Communities connecting our online community to Sesame’s resiliency messages and materials.
- A mobile app: Sesame Street: Divorce, featuring resources and tools for parents and caregivers; available on the App Store (SM) and Google Play ™.
Thinking about Divorce– A Guide for Couples
Faculty at Utah State University have developed a thoughtful guide for exploring the idea of getting a divorce. This is a very thoughtful guide that presents a realistic and practical perspective on marriage and divorce. The guide addresses the complicated and devastating effects of abuse, addiction and infidelity. The authors review the effects of divorce on children.
Included in the guide are helpful activities that encourage couples to think through the decisions about their marriage and directions to go for help.
Jeremy Kanter Contributed Summary of Book, For Better
Jeremy Kanter identified a book by Tara Parker-Pope, titled, For better: The science of a good marriage, as a useful resource for couples that provides useful activities and insights for couples to use in strengthening their marriage. See his summary here….