Publisher Description

When a parent has PTSD, children can often feel confused, scared, or helpless. Why Are You So Scared? explains PTSD and its symptoms in nonthreatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together.

The interactive layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and feelings about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing. This book can serve as a practical tool for kids to cope with and eventually feel better about their parent's PTSD.

A comprehensive note to parents offers advice for using this book to help children communicate the emotions that may accompany their parent's PTSD recovery.

Author Biography

Beth Andrews is a Romance Writers of America RITA(R) Award and Golden Heart Winner. She lives in Northwestern Pennsylvania with her husband and three children. When not writing, Beth loves to cook, make bead jewelry and, of course, curl up with a good book. For more information about Beth or her upcoming books, please visit her Website at:

Review

An empathetic and honest text introduces scenarios that might trigger PTSD, such as assault, car or plane accident, military service, police or fire service, natural disasters and war-related or terrorist bombings. Explanations as to how someone with PTSD might react follow, with examples including panic attacks, nervous or jumpy behavior, sleep issues or nightmares. The text acknowledges children's feelings of helplessness as well as the false sense that their behavior might be responsible, providing strong reassurance that that is not the case, and it also emphasizes that feelings of sadness, anger and despair do not cancel the love of a parent...Loose, child-friendly watercolors offer a window into a series of emotions and depict a wide variety of family configurations, ages, cultures and races, encompassing the spectrum of American society." -Kirkus

Long Description

When a parent has PTSD, children can often feel confused, scared, or helpless. Why Are You So Scared? explains PTSD and its symptoms in nonthreatening, kid-friendly language, and is full of questions and exercises that kids and parents can work through together. The interactive layout encourages kids to express their thoughts and feelings about PTSD through writing, drawing, and designing. This book can serve as a practical tool for kids to cope with and eventually feel better about their parent's PTSD. A comprehensive note to parents offers advice for using this book to help children communicate the emotions that may accompany their parent's PTSD recovery.

Details