Every day many children lose someone close to them - a parent or grandparent, brother or sister. Nothing can take away the pain of loss, but there is a great deal that a caring adult can do to avoid the long-term distress which can be caused by hidden fears and anxieties. This book is for anyone who wants to help a child who is coping with grief - parents, teachers, nurses, doctors and friends. The topics covered include: terminal illness; sudden death; the death of a sibling; when death is a relief; and other people's attitudes and misunderstandings. This new edition looks at the problems particular to bereaved families of varying cultures, and explores how family dynamics and relationships can influence the grieving process. Much depends on a child's age, family relationships, and a child's own perception of death, but, in favourable circumstances, and even in fairly disordered ones, most children do cope successfully with the death of a parent or sibling.

This updated edition seeks to help anyone who wants to know how best to support a child whose parents are divorcing. It contains guidance about how to help without taking sides, easing the difficulties of access visits, and keeping lines of communication open. It also includes information on the new Family Law Act and how it affects children, and advice about mediation services and how they can help. There are reassuring pointers for parents, grandparents, teachers and friends.

Over two million children in Britain are growing up as part of a step-family following separation, divorce or death. This work highlights problems facing step-families such as the clash of temperaments, family rules and the emotions of all concerned.

Children face all sorts of changes in their lives and almost inevitably find this change stressful and frequently difficult. This book discusses different sorts of change and suggests ways in which parents can help children cope with it successfully, whether it is moving house, gaining a step parent, going to "big school" or even winning the lottery.