Valentina and her White Elephant: Secrets Don’t Include Mom

Description

Seeing her friend Peter being bullied by older kids was making Valentina very sad and worried.

Those boys were pushing him around and told Valentina she couldn’t tell anyone because it’s a secret! Children struggle with the ethics around “secrets.” In this story, Lucy explains to Valentina the difference between a good secret and a bad secret. Good secrets are fun things like surprise parties, but bad secrets are things that can hurt someone.

Knowing the difference will help your child have the courage to open up with you, but if they are not sure, knowing that secrets don’t include mom, or a safe, trustworthy adult, will encourage them to be open when they are going through circumstances that might not make them feel comfortable.

I use the analogy of the big white elephant in the room as something that no one wants to talk about; the book is written in a way that helps children understand and get through complicated topics.

“Secrets Don’t Include Moms” is one of a series of books that touches on complex subjects for children, like divorce, death, and secrets.

These are unique children’s books that would help families cope with difficult subjects or circumstances, how to talk to their children, and use the prompts to have open discussions, in this case, about parental separation and divorce.