Dear Parents - by Grace Casper (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

When is the last time you read a parenting book - specifically about divorce - written from the perspective of the child? While there are plenty of resources for divorced couples, very few of them are written by a child of divorce.

When she was eight years old, Grace Casper's world changed forever when her parents told her that they were getting a divorce. In the wake of this, Grace started writings tips for her younger brother based on what she was learning from her parents' divorce, trying to help him as they went from house to house. Fourteen years later, Grace began the first draft of the book that would be borne from these tips, writing in the hopes of being able to provide parents with a look into the effects of divorce on their children with first-hand experience.

If you are wanting to learn how divorce affects your children, then this is the book for you. In Dear Parents: Notes From a Child of Divorce, Grace offers practical wisdom, honest encouragement, and opportunities for further dialogue and reflection. Humble in her approach yet sharp and clear with the lived realities of divorce, Grace provides unique and measured insight that only experience and discerning reflection can yield. Whether you are looking for tips on scheduling, dating, favoritism, or even buying a dog, Dear Parents gives attention to these and many other topics. Divorce can be a scary, tragic event - but Dear Parents is one way in which Grace hopes to show that it is not the end but, in many ways, a new beginning full of hope.

Review Quotes

"With great care and thoughtful consideration, Grace Casper lays out a practical roadmap designed to help parents help their children through the ups and downs of divorce. Combining her fifth-grade experiences as a child of divorce with her reflections as an adult and host of the podcast 'Divorce: What I Wish My Parents Knew, ' she offers a unique glimpse into how kids think and feel when parents part. Filled with useful tips, helpful resources, and insightful question prompts, 'Dear Parents' delivers more than an insider perspective. It provides a wealth of inspiration and actionable child-centered ideas that mesh with real life."

- CHRISTINA MCGHEE, MSW, divorceandchildren.com, divorce-parenting expert, and author of PARENTING APART: How separated and divorced parents can raise happy and secure kids

"Grace took me seriously. She has persevered shaping, sweating it out and writing what started as a children's book that has now morphed into the parenting book you have in your hand. It is her passion for this topic, her tenacity at seeing kids and parents alike cared for, that informed the content. Love does motivate and inspire. I hope this book does the same for you!"

- BOB GOFF, NYTimes bestselling author, CEO of Love Does

"Dear Parents, as a divorce attorney and fellow author in this space, Notes From a Child of Divorce, is a MUST read. This book is an excellent road map for parents and children of divorce on how to navigate this massive life change. It is filled with valuable "Grace Tips," engaging questions, and thoughtful encouragement to help any family work through the challenges that lie ahead before, during and after divorce. Grace does a beautiful job of being vulnerable, addressing the needs of children from the perspective of a child, and sharing what is meaningful for everyone in the family as they seek to discover the positive. Her insights truly will help you and your children not just survive divorce but thrive through it!"

- JILL COIL. Esq., author and podcast host of No One Dies From Divorce

"Divorcing parents are balancing a LOT and often forget how to effectively support their kids - possibly because we forget what it's like to be kids! With this book, Grace gives adults the rare opportunity to truly understand and have empathy for what kids of divorce are experiencing. If taken to heart, this will change the game for a lot of kids. Dear Parents is an easy and important read that I would highly recommend."

- SARA OLSHER, founder of Mighty & Bright Co, author of the What About Me? series, Co-Parent

"Dear Parents: Notes From a Child of Divorce is an insightful and practical guide for any divorced parent. Grace is literally explaining what children are likely thinking and feeling, which is what every parent wants to know. From scheduling, to handling jealousy and favoritism, to dealing with dating, to getting a dog(!), each chapter/tip is written from personal experience as she dealt with her parents' divorce. There are even questions at the end of each chapter to help parents talk to their kids, as well as some additional resources that parents will find useful. Every parent is looking for a how-to and what-not-to-do to help their kids navigate divorce, and this book is it."

- JESSICA & T.H., Founders of exEXPERTS, hosts of the Divorce etc... podcast