“Mommy Went Away” is about how a child deals with her mother's addiction and having to be responsible for her younger sister and take on many adult responsibilities. In the world of psychology, this would be termed the “hero” child who is hardworking that tries to create some normalcy, especially for the younger children in the home. Some children feel embarrassed by their parent's addiction and may not even share their feelings, often trying to cover up for the parent or be in denial of the addiction itself. This book shows that life can continue even in the absence of a parent who eventually goes away for treatment and comes back ready to parent again in a healthy manner.
From early on, children's environments help in shaping their behaviors later and throughout their life. The purpose of this series is to help children understand the realities behind traumatic events. The objective is for children to know that they are not alone in some of the toughest and most devastating situations occurring in a playful yet sympathetic way. Hopefully, this will allow them to open up, ask questions, talk to someone they trust, and/or be hopeful that everything will be “okay.”
