Paper Bag Books: A Creative Intervention with Elementary School Children Experiencing High-Conflict Parental Divorce

Research has found that school-based interventions for children of divorce help counter the adverse effects. Studies of school-based interventions have identified effective means for helping children of divorce cope with their situation and produce a significant reduction in clinical symptoms. Those components include activities that: (a) help children identify and express common feelings associated with conflictual divorce and custody issues; (b) teach coping skills; (c) provide peer support, helping to normalize their experiences; (d) foster parent-child communication; (e) develop realistic perceptions of things they can and can't control; and (f) enhance their understanding of divorce. The creative intervention described in this article incorporates those components into a small group counseling program utilizing child-made paper bag books. The child-made bag book served as a catalyst for communication between child and parents. This helped empower the children to express their inner-most feelings and connect in a more authentic manner with their parents. This authenticity helped parents recognize the need to work together to protect the children from the harmful effects of their divorce and custody battle. (Contains 7 photos.)