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When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — book cover
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — a family reading moment
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — inside scene 1
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — inside scene 2
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — inside scene 3
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — product card
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — product card
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — product card
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — product card
When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — product card

When Families Change: Understanding Parents' SeparationA personalized story to help your child understand their parents' separation and express their feelings.

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A personalized book to support your child after the news that their parents are separating. A story to read together, suited to their age, in 10 or 20 chapters.

  • Premium hardcover book
  • Custom illustrations
  • Express delivery in 8 days
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When Your Family Changes, by Real Big Stories, is a personalized story to read after an adult has given a first explanation of the separation. Your child finds words for their feelings and questions, without being made responsible for their parents' decisions. The book comes in 10 or 20 chapters.

For children aged 3 to 12. A conversation starter to read with an adult, which does not replace support tailored to your family's situation.

№ 02 · Preview

When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — inside scene 1

№ 02 · Our promise

Your child doesn't have to solve the separation. The story names what is changing, welcomes their questions, and gives them the right to feel several things at once, without taking sides or comforting the adults.

We tell the story through concrete comforts, with the loved ones you choose. No custody arrangement or return of a parent is assumed. The ending stays gentle, with the chance to talk about it again, even when the sadness comes back.

— , on every When Your Family Changes book.

What we do

  • Simple words for separation
  • No responsibility placed on the child
  • Mixed feelings welcomed
  • Anchors without invented promises
  • An ending that leaves room for conversation

What we won't do

  • A designated culprit
  • A child burdened with reconciling anyone
  • An assumed custody arrangement
  • Imposed or promised contact
  • The obligation to be happy at the end

№ 02b · The book up close · Last updated October 10, 2026

Parents are separating, and your child has questions of their own. When Your Family Changes tells the story of a transition from a child's point of view, with simple words, feelings that are welcomed, and reassurance without made-up promises.

How do you talk to a child about their parents' separation without asking them to understand the problems between the adults? There are the words you find, the ones that stay hard to say, and the questions that come later. When Your Family Changes offers a story to read together, after an adult has given a first explanation. Your child sees their own name and face in everyday scenes where their feelings have a place.

The story follows one thread: after the news, the child wonders what will happen to them. They find a familiar comfort, go through a moment of anger or missing someone, then dare to ask an important question. A small helper chosen just for them accompanies what follows. They don't have to become wiser to bring their parents back together, take sides, or comfort the adults.

The words stay simple and direct. The separation is named, without looking for someone to blame or recounting the couple's private reasons. Sadness can sit alongside a moment of play. The ending opens a space to keep talking; it doesn't ask the child to already be happy about all these changes.

The loved ones you add to the story can support your child. A brother or sister may feel things differently, without the older one becoming responsible for the younger. The story assumes no two homes, no shared custody, and no reconciliation between the parents. What is unknown stays unknown: no visit or return date is promised just to reassure at all costs.

The preview lets you explore the story before going further. For a specific family arrangement or a situation that calls for particular support, our team can help you prepare the elements to include. The book serves as a reading and conversation aid, and does not replace that support.

For ages 3–5, short sentences and familiar situations make room for first questions. For ages 6–8, the story separates the adults' decisions from the child's own small choices. For ages 9 and up, it also welcomes the need for privacy and mixed feelings, without talking down.

In 10 chapters, the book follows the first essential landmarks. In 20 chapters, the same transition is enriched with concrete moments: getting ready for tomorrow, keeping a memory, deciding what they want to share, and asking for help again when the sadness returns. It is always one continuous story, with your child at the center, to read at their own pace.

№ 04 · A story for every age

Visual preview of the Simple words archetype

A gentle story to name what is changing, ask one small question and find familiar anchors close by.

  1. The separation is explained without making the child responsible.
  2. Their questions and feelings find a place.
  3. They discover a small source of help for the days that are changing.

For every book, our creative team selects the arc that best captures your duo — the one you'll recognise the moment you read it together.

№ 05 · FAQs

The most common questions about When Families Change: Understanding Parents' Separation — answered honestly, with nothing left out.

Can we read this book before announcing the separation?

The story is designed to be read after an adult has given a first explanation. It helps open up conversation around the child's questions and feelings; it shouldn't be how they learn about a family decision on their own. You can then reread it together, at their pace, leaving room for whatever they want to say.

Does the story assume two homes or shared custody?

No. The story sets no custody arrangement and promises no visit or return of a parent. The loved ones you add can find their place in it. To reflect a specific arrangement or contact limits, talk to our team before creation so we can prepare elements true to your situation.

Can a brother or sister appear in the book?

Yes, you can add a brother or sister among the loved ones in the story. Your child remains the hero, and each person can feel the separation differently. The story never gives the older sibling the job of reassuring the younger ones: that support belongs to the adults. Both the 10- and 20-chapter versions keep this care.

What are the delivery times?

Our express delivery takes 8 days within mainland UK — the safe option if you need the book by a specific date. Standard delivery takes 10 to 15 working days when there's no rush. In a real hurry? The digital version (PDF) is ready within 24 hours of your order being confirmed. For international deliveries, allow extra time depending on the destination. You'll receive a tracking number by email as soon as your order ships. Any questions? Drop us a line at hello@realbigstories.com.

What size is the book, and how many pages does it have?

The book is A4 landscape format (29.7 × 21 cm when closed) — perfect for reading together side by side or laying flat on a table. The standard version has 10 illustrated chapters, plus an introduction and conclusion, coming to around 28 pages in total. The long version is nearly twice that, with 20 chapters and roughly 48 pages. Each chapter features a full-page illustration paired with text tailored to your child's age.

What's the print and paper quality like?

Printed on thick, premium matte paper. The hardcover is sturdy and the same high quality across all age ranges. The binding is sewn and glued to last — this is a book built to be read a hundred times, not to gather dust at the back of a drawer.

Can I make changes after placing my order?

Yes — as long as your book hasn't gone to print yet, which is usually within the first few hours after ordering. Get in touch as quickly as possible at hello@realbigstories.com with your order number and the change you need (a misspelled name, a photo to swap, a character to adjust). Once printing has started, we're unable to make any further changes.

What if I'm not happy with the result?

If something isn't right — a printing defect, a quality issue, or an illustration that doesn't look like your child — contact us as soon as possible after receiving your order at hello@realbigstories.com. We'll either reprint or give you a full refund, no questions asked. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, we make it right.

Are my photos and personal data safe?

Yes — your photos are used only to create the book. They're never shared, never sold, never used for anything else, and you can delete them anytime from your account or by simply asking us. All our providers (hosting, illustration generation, payment, printing) are fully GDPR-compliant.

How much can I personalize the book?

Far beyond just the name. Your child's face is illustrated from your photos, and appears on every page. You also choose the story world, the plot, the characters around them (family, friends, pet) and the little details of appearance. The book stays fully editable until you approve the preview: you read through the text, request any changes, and printing only starts once you're happy.

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