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The interests of children whose parents' marriage has broken down have recently assumed considerable importance as the number of such children has increased. An impressive body of knowledge exists concerning the impact of divorce on children but there is little understanding of how children themselves manage parental separation and divorce.

To redress the balance we listened to 104 children talk about living through their parents' divorce. By talking with children we have been able to explore their first-hand experience of parental separation and divorce. We found the children were able to reflect upon and put into perspective what had happened in their families. Also they were able to provide measured opinions on what may and may not be helpful to others who find themselves in a similar situation.

The children we talked with enjoyed taking part.
Here are some of the things they had to say about taking part in the KIDs project.

"When Lesley came to visit I was a bit nervous because I had never done something like that before. Lesley helped me a lot. I could never say to my mother what I said to her. If something like this happens I know I can always write to her. It was also fun when I answered the questions, I didn't find anything boring or hard. Thank you for helping me."
Emy, aged 10

"I enjoyed working with KIDs because it was a chance to help others with their experiences of divorce and convey to adults what divorce is like from a child's point of view." 
Oliver, aged 14

I was very happy to take part in the KIDs project. I was happy to tell my problems to someone I trusted."
George, aged 11

"It was good to take part in the KIDs project because it helped me realise what I felt about my situation. It was also good to think that I was helping someone else."
Libby, aged 13

 

For more detailed information about KIDs click:

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