A broken promise is a story about a same-sex couple dealing with divorce due to an affair. We encourage parents to use this book to explain to five to seven-year-olds what an affair is. The book also explains to young children that while things may be different after divorce, their parents still love them. We hope this book helps your little one understand a little better what divorce is and answers questions they may have about it. We encourage parents to read this with their children, asking written questions along the way. A glossary is provided in the back to help the children understand the story.

Hi! My name is Jessie B, but everyone calls me Jess. I am seven years old. Come with me and meet my family.

This is mom, mommy, my little sister Maia who is five and my older brother Alex who is 12.

Maia

Alex

Mom

Mommy

  Has anything ever made you sad?

We all used to live together, and it was so much fun! But we do not live together anymore and it makes me sad.

Things are not the way they used to be. Mommy and Mom have different houses now. They said it will be fun because I will have two homes, but I liked having just one home.

Maia says it is her fault that we do not live together anymore, but that is silly- she is just a little girl. What could she have done? And that's why I feel lost and confused.

LOST

My fault...

 Has someone ever said they would do something and did not? That is what a broken promise is. 

When we all stayed together, mom and mommy were happy. They gave each other hugs and kisses everyday… but things started to change when mommy said mom broke a promise.

How did it make you feel when someone broke their promise?

It made mommy really sad. Mom said she had to move out to work out some problems. Which I found out was a grown up way to say they are breaking up. Later, my teacher told me when two married people break up, it is called a divorce. That is why mom has one house, and mommy has another.