Parenting Through Crisis: Helping Kids in Times of Loss, Grief, and Change – A Compassionate Guide Using Time, Affection, and Optimism to Support Families

by Barbara Coloroso

In this companion to her bestselling Kids are Worth It!, parenting educator Barbara Coloroso shows how parents can help children find a way through grief and sorrow during the difficult times of death, illness, divorce, and other upheavals. She offers concrete, compassionate ideas for supporting children as they navigate the emotional ups and downs that accompany loss, assisting them in developing their own constructive ways of responding to what life hands them. At the heart of her approach is what she calls the T.A.0. of Family -- Time, Affection, and Optimism -- coupled with her deep understanding of how people move through grief. Barbara Coloroso's clear answers to difficult questions are enriched by uplifting humor and insightful anecdotes from her own experiences as a Franciscan nun, mother of three, and her thirty years as a parenting educator. With this Guide in hand, parents can feel assured that they are responding with wisdom and love when children need them most.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction, Psychology, Health

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 21, 2000

About the author

Barbara Coloroso is the author of the international bestseller Kids Are Worth It! and Parenting Through Crisis and is an acclaimed speaker on parenting, teaching, conflict, resolution, and grieving. Featured in Time, the New York Times, and on many radio and television shows, she lives with her husband in Littleton, Colorado.

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had several new things for me to think about. I remember feeling so lost when we came home from the hospital, and mostly lost in what and how to deal with my older children. How to help them weather this crisis and the continuing crises that have now become a part of our family dynamic. Facing mortality at such an early age has changed my children forever.

It was very helpful as each chapter and section had different ideas for each age group although if you read cover-to-cover those ideas often became redundant. Mostly what children need is compassion, time and permission to feel their emotions rather than having them avoided or belittled.

I especially was grateful for the chapters on death and chronic illness, but the overpowering (and predominant) chapter on divorce was less of a help for me.

One thing that was nice was all of the quotes that she included in the book and the gentleness with which she addressed children's emotions while dealing with our own emotions with gentleness. We teach our children best when we are also taking care of ourselves, and allowing our own time and affection to deal with and process emotions. All in all, it made me want to read Kids Are Worth It.

[Anne Taylor Modler · Rating 5 out of 5]

An important work to continue the progress towards a more compassionate world community.

An incredibly well written, practical tool for parents and caregivers to help children negotiate the crises of life. I do believe the more people who read this important work, the more compassion we will experience and the more change is possible in the world.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish that there was an updated edition of this (maybe I didn't look hard enough?) but it was well-written and helpful. You can read it by topic or by age and the practical advice for assisting children with death, divorce, or other emotional loss. She's really big on acronyms but it is helpful to remember the steps to take or stages to go through. This was really helpful for me personally as well.

[Amy McCalla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book everyone needs to read but definitely helpful for new parents!!

[Alora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty helpful

[Ossy Firstan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Teknis sekali. Tapi menarik. Tapi kuingin lebih banyak contoh orang dewasa harus ngapain. Tapi gapapa

[Mikhaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really fantastic--picked this up from the library for the chapter on parenting kids with chronic illness, but also read the chapters on discipline and helping kids through grief and loss and other upheavals. Her approach is all about being honest and open and caring and teaching kids to be as self-confident and responsible as they can even in the most difficult times.

[Amber]

1 copy

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely, positively my favorite "parenting book" of all-time. Full of wisdom!!