Little Fox is used to his parents being divorced. But now his Dad has a special friend. Will Dad still want to be with him? And will Mom be upset? Soon Little Fox discovers that it is a-okay for Donna to be his friend, too! Journey with Little Fox as he experiences meeting his Dad's new partner, and help your own little one know that their feelings are valid and it is a-okay for them, too, to let a new adult into their own lives. As both a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and parent, I highly recommend "A New Special Friend" by Tamar Burris as a resource for those navigating separation, divorce, or the blending of families. This book illustrates many of the thoughts and feelings that children may experience during their family's transition. Often, these are displayed through their behaviors. Developmentally, children can lack the skills to verbalize their thoughts and feelings in a variety of situations. As parents, we can support our children by helping them learn how to identify and communicate their feelings and develop the skills to successfully cope with them, instead of utilizing behaviors to communicate. This book does an excellent job of modeling a parents' role in successfully supporting their child/children through their transition. It's important to recognize that everyone in the family, including each parent, is having their own thoughts and feelings about the family's transition. It can be helpful for parents' to identify how they can separate their own experience from the experience of their child/children. This can allow parents to provide as much support as possible for their child/children as they adjust to the changes in their life. -- Jenna Semeiks LCSW A New Special Friend was written to help young children adjust to new partners in their loved ones' lives. It helps them know it is OKAY to feel sad/scared/angry/worried. And it reassures them that it is also okay to like and love these new additions to their families. As Little Fox learns, all the adults in his life are one big team - a team that LOVES him! I am a relationship/family coach and educator. I wrote A New Special Friend for my son. He was four when my ex and I split. Just as self help books inspire us as adults, books about divorce helped him process his feelings about our separation. They made important conversations happen. But I was stumped when my ex found a new love. My goal with A New Special Friend is to remind children of divorce that they are loved and that they do not need to choose sides in adult situations. It is ok to accept and to like/love a parent's new partner.