Additional information
by Cathy Barker (Author), Tamar Blaauw (Illustrator)
Living with Grandma and Grandpa: Jack and Alice's Challenges
This book is designed for educators and therapists to support children aged 6 to 12 in kinship care, helping them teach feelings such as anger, guilt, and shame.When Jack and Alice move in with their grandparents, everything is different. Their mom is struggling emotionally and can't take care of them, and their dad can't do it alone. Now, the siblings are left navigating new routines, unfamiliar rules, and a tidal wave of mixed emotions they don't know how to handle.
Jack is angry one moment and guilty the next. Alice feels lonely, scared, and ashamed-afraid of what her friends will think if they knew the truth. Both are confused, uncertain, and grieving a life they've lost. But when Gramma Kate invites them to help plant a garden, something begins to shift. As they start to identify their feelings out loud and without judgment, they begin to understand them more clearly.
Themes and Emotions Explored In This Story:- Living in kinship care due to a parent's mental health or addiction struggles
- Emotional literacy by identifying feelings such as anger, guilt, shame, and emotional overwhelm
- Emotional resilience because their life is different from other kids' lives
- Empathy for other kids who struggle silently with their home life
- Healing through nature as a way to understand and express emotions
Living with Grandma and Grandpa is a resource for teachers, child therapists, and counsellors to help children make sense of their emotions. Whether read in a classroom or therapy room, this story creates space for children to explore who they are and know that their feelings matter.
