The Bad News Scriptbook for Parents

Say the hard thing right, the first time.

A death, a divorce, an illness, a move, most parents get almost no practice at telling a child hard news before they're suddenly doing it. This scriptbook gives you word-for-word starting scripts for the conversations that come up most, shifted for three age bands so what you say actually matches how your child's age understands the world.

What's included:

• The 5 Principles of Telling Kids Hard Truths, the foundation every script in this book is built on
• An Age-by-Age Developmental Guide for ages 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12
• 8 full situation scripts: pet death, death of a family member, divorce, serious illness, job loss, moving, pregnancy loss in the family, and losing touch with a friend
• A What Not to Say section covering the most common well-meaning mistakes
• Guidance on the aftermath: handling follow-up questions, reactions of anger or silence, and the weeks that follow
• A Fill-In Script Builder for the specific situation your family is facing that isn't covered above

Format: PDF scriptbook and playbook, 21 pages.

This scriptbook provides general communication guidance, not therapy or medical advice. If a child's reaction to hard news doesn't ease over time, or includes any expression of wanting to hurt themselves, consult a pediatrician or child therapist right away.