We can’t prevent our children from going through difficult life experiences. Sometimes the cookie crumbles, and we are left trying to clean up the metaphorical mess. How do we show up for our children during these times and talk about what is happening? Crummy Conversations offers the Courage to Communicate Model, a practical and effective guide for talking with children about life’s 5 Big D’s: Death, Divorce, Diagnosis, Departure, and Disaster. Using humor and real-life situations, Surtees writes for everyday parents, educators, and professionals trying to do their best on the hardest days. Crummy Conversations will help both you and your child feel safe and secure in your relationship while you process, understand, and embrace a major life change. It is a judgement-free read that helps adults feel seen and supported while doing their best to be tough cookies for the children they care about.
Book Review
“Surtees has very cleverly offered a “recipe” that is the anti-script I have always wished I could direct parents to when they are so desperately seeking answers for how to navigate the most challenging of conversations with their children. Her research-based and heart-centred approach takes into account the being of the adult, the heart of the child, and the reality of how hard it can be to confidently step off into the abyss of big conversations about significant, messy, and difficult topics.
This is a book that offers you a lifeline. As Surtees so eloquently captures, navigating life’s difficult conversations and experiences isn’t about making it all better. Rather it is about having the child really feel cared for and understood. You don’t need to know the answers. Rather you get to BE the answer. With her well thought out approach, Surtees will guide you to exactly the place and space you need to be in order to show up as exactly this.”
Dr. Vanessa Lapointe