These Books Help You Tackle The Tough Subjects With Your Kids

Having honest conversations with our children is one of the most amazing and daunting parts of parenthood. Sometimes we want to tell our kids the truth to the best of our ability, but we may not know how. For those of us who may find talking with our kids about difficult topics challenging, there’s a wonderful book series to help us out. The A Kids Book About series, made for kids ages 5 and up, focus on things like depression, creativity, and more.

The first book in the collection is A Kids Book About Racism. Jelani Memory has a racially blended family and knew conversations about race and racism were bound to happen. So he wrote this book for his own kids but then realized that other parents probably needed something like it too. Realizing that there are a ton of parents out there who struggle with talking to their kids about a range of topics, he reached out to other authors to write the other books.

A Kids Book About Divorce

In A Kids Book About Divorce, Ashley Simpo, who is a writer and mom to a son named Orion, creates a guide for kids to understand divorce. While it’s incredibly common, for many children, divorce is scary and confusing. The lives they’ve known are suddenly completely different, and they don’t always understand why.

“Last summer I allowed my son to stay with family in California for the first time without me. He stayed at my sister’s house — she’s been married for 20 years and has three kids. When I went to pick him up, my brother-in-law says to me, “Orion wants to speak with you.”,” she explains.

“He brings me into my sister’s playroom and he has all these questions about me and his father’s divorce.” After not really finding information about talking to your kids about divorce, she found the A Kids Book About series. When there wasn’t one, she reached out to the owner of the company, Jelani Memory. His suggestion? Why didn’t she write it?

Talking to your kids about divorce is hard. You’re navigating a whole new life yourself, and trying to create space for that and make sure that your child is feeling loved and supported. Having A Kids Book About Divorce can help to take some of the pressure off when it comes to explaining it. “Talking about divorce can feel incredibly awkward and even painful,” Ashley writes in the book’s intro. “You’re not alone on this new journey, after all. Plenty of us are right here with you, and we’re all going to be fine.”

A Kids Book About Racism

Described as “A clear explanation of what racism is and how to know when you see it,” this book focuses on teaching kids about racism from someone who experiences it. The book’s author, Jelani Memory is a Black entrepreneur, husband, and father. The book clearly explains racism to kids, and helps them not only identify it, but how it impacts those it affects.

A Kids Book About Empathy

Teaching young kids empathy is hard. Because it’s a very abstract concept. This book, written by “recovering” NFL coach Daron K. Roberts, teaches “how to feel “with” someone instead of “for” them.” Even though it’s for kids, adults might want to read it too.

A Kids Book About Anxiety

Anxiety almost feels like a buzzword now. Many of us can pinpoint it, but do kids truly understand what it means? In this book, Wellness Director at Geffen Academy at UCLA and CEO of the Human Power Project Ross Szabo explains for kids and parents what anxiety really is. “Having anxiety doesn’t just mean you feel nervous sometimes or need to calm down. It means having an uncontrollable feeling that gets in the way of what you normally do,” reads the description.

A Kids Books About Money

Many parents don’t know how to talk to their kids about money. And that leads to more adults who may not be financially literate. Adam Stramwasser, a financial coach and educator, helps kids (and their parents) understand what money is. And he also teaches early financial literacy and how to be responsible with your money.

A Kids Book About Disabilities

As able bodied adults, teaching our kids the ins and outs of disabilities is necessary but can be difficult. Kristine Napper, the author of this book, is a lifetime wheelchair user and middle school teacher. Disabilities are a totally normal part of life for a lot of people, and that’s what this book helps kids understand.