Getting Through It: Kids Talk about Divorce

Gr 5–9—This film, like several others produced by Human Relations Media, includes actors, real-life young people, and a psychologist expertly edited together to discuss a variety of topics. Middle school and high school-aged youth describe life with divorce, and actors provide background for what both the young people and the psychologist are saying. The video is divided into several sections. "Getting the News" entails first learning about divorce. "Family Conflict" talks about removing the child from a stressful situation, if at all possible. "Talk about It" offers advice and ways to ask for help. "Developing a New Living Schedule" lets the tween and teen know that balancing a visitation schedule often becomes more difficult as they get older and have more friends, activities, and commitments of their own. "New Relationships" covers being respectful to the person(s) in parents' lives, and finally "Try to See the Upside" focuses on helping children develop independence and strength. The psychologist's approach is gentle, non-judgmental, and supportive of youth in transition, and the film could be used in a group or individual counseling session. There is also a 24-page teacher's guide with activities that lists NHES standards and performance indicators for the video and print materials. For an equally instructive video on divorce for younger children, see Split: A Film for Kids of Divorce (and their Parents).—Ann Brownson, Eastern Illinois University