Wishes and Worries: A Story to Help Children Understand a Parent Who Drinks Too Much Alcohol

Lisa Arsenault is a high-school English teacher who is involved in
several ministry campaigns to increase literacy.

For her ninth birthday, Maggie wishes that the disaster of her eighth
birthday won’t be repeated. At her eighth birthday party, her father
got drunk and dropped her cake on the dog’s head in front of all her
friends. The next day in school her friends ignored her and gossiped
about her family behind her back. A number of caring adults, including
her mother and a teacher, tried to help Maggie understand that her
father’s behaviour was not her fault. Eventually, her father did get a
counsellor and her parents worked on the problem together. Though he had
a relapse during his recovery, by Maggie’s ninth birthday, he has not
been drunk for several months and the birthday goes off without any
unfortunate incidents.

Much thought went into the making of this picture book to help children
understand a parent who drinks too much alcohol. The comic-book style
illustrations give the book a generic quality, making it easier for
children to approach the sensitive issue. The illustrations also include
a diverse ethnic mix in the makeup of characters. An information section
for parents addresses the issue of why we should discuss this topic with
children, and it provides a number of suggestions for encouraging
children to talk about their individual situation. An information
section for kids addresses questions or worries they might have, and
includes the telephone number for the Kids Help Phone.

Wishes and Worries nicely fulfills its two goals: to provide young
children with a story that holds their interest and answers their
questions, and to serve as a tool to help adults talk with children
about an alcohol problem in the family. Recommended.