I CAN BE ME
A Helping Book for Children from Troubled Families
-with a special focus on children with addicted family members-
I Can Be Me supports children from troubled families. It includes a special focus on children with addicted family members, including children of addicted parents.
I Can Be Me also helps children who are experiencing other family problems.
Are you worried about a young person with addicted family members? Is addiction an issue in your family or the family of a young person you care about, and/or work with? Do you wonder how you can support children of addicted parents?
You are not alone. Family problems like problem drinking, drug addiction and codependency affect children and contribute to and exacerbate psychological problems in a young person.
Millions of children are growing up worldwide with addicted family members.
There are two versions of I Can Be Me, one is a workbook version for children aged 4 to 6, the other is for young people aged 7 to 12. These two versions of I Can Be Me contain similar content, but differ in the presentation of the content.
Both versions of I Can Be Me include a section at the beginning of the book for mental health professionals, parents and other helping adults who want to support children with addicted family members, including children of addicted parents. This section provides the rationale that underlies their need for support, and outlines how to use the book to help children with addicted family members and other family problems.
The Children's Work Book for children aged 4 to 6 also serves as a colouring book and provides children with the therapeutic value that colouring offers, as well as the psychoeducational benefits of I Can Be Me. Colouring can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve focus and promote mindfulness, help calm the brain and relax the body.
I Can Be Me Helps Children
With Addicted Family Members
I Can Be Me can help you help the children of addicted parents and other family members.
- Eight separate units make I Can Be Me an ideal companion to counseling or support group sessions.
- Parents or helping professionals can also use sections of I Can Be Me to address the unique concerns of an individual child.
- The introduction suggests strategies for integrating I Can Be Me into to your own helping program or family life.
More About I Can Be Me
Through entertaining drawings and text I Can Be Me teaches children about addiction. It also suggests strategies for building healthy coping behaviors in children.
Through a series of creative exercises and activities children learn:
- They are not responsible for their parents' addiction.
- They cannot cure, cause or control the addiction.
- About feelings and healthy ways to express them.
- About the defenses or masks we use to hide our feelings
- How addiction affects the entire family.
- How to make good decisions/choices and solve problems.
- To take care of themselves.
- There are good things about their families.
- There are lots of kids with addicted parents.
- They are not alone and can find help.
- To recognize and celebrate the good things about themselves.
- Move through their defenses toward increased psychological well-being and healthier coping skills.
- Build healthier, more positive views of themselves, their lives and their capabilities.
- Build increased independence, self-reliance and competence.
- Develop appropriate problem-solving and decision-making skills.
- To work with their families to build healthier family relationships and attachment bonds.
- To build their self-confidence and feelings of self-esteem
I Can Be Me is written from a child's perspective. The pictures and text are based on the experiences of children of addicted parents. Children hear others speak to them through the pages of this book. They learn they are not alone..... there are other kids just like them.
Resources Used On This Page
I Can Be Me has been updated to reflect the literature on Adverse Childhood Experiences.
Learn more about children of addicted parents and how to help.
"I CAN BE ME" Has Been Well Received
"I Can Be Me" is superb and very, very accurate--congratulations! Could you please
send me another copy? I would also like to distribute I Can Be Me to the school systems, which
lack greatly in understanding and information." (a concerned parent and community member)
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