Content

Chapter One: All about you

Examines personal experiences from the point of view of the leaver and the left and offers tips on how to survive during the early days and as time moves on.

Chapter Two: Your relationship with your ex partner

Deals with the process of separation, common causes of conflict between separating parents and tips on how to avoid them or deal with them.

Chapter Three: Your children

Explores children’s experiences of family separation, how boys and girls of different ages may react and ways to help them feel safe in a changing family environment.

Chapter Four: You and your children

Looks at parenting alone, from developing new parenting patterns to learning new parenting responsibilities and creating new routines for your children.

Chapter Five: Your Children and their other parent

Analyses how you can facilitate a good relationship between your children and their other parent, including how to communicate better and what to do if it all goes wrong.

Chapter Six: Your new separated family

Summarises the road ahead, looking at issues such as how to agree new parenting arrangements, agreeing shared parenting values and what to do about new partners.

Chapter Seven: Our final thoughts

Family separation is a process rather than an event. It can be painful and difficult but, through self reflection and a willingness to co operate, it is possible to build a post separation parenting relationship that is satisfying for you and ensures that your children will remain secure and grow to reach their full potential.