Supporting and celebrating healthier, more loving and meaningful lives and families, free from addiction, one day and hug at a time!

Family Resources for Children

Helping Kids When Addiction Hits Home

Recommended Books

Ages 4-8

An Elephant in the Living Room
Jill Hastings

The Dragon Who Lives at Our House
Elaine Mitchell Palmore

I Wish Daddy Didn't Drink So Much
Judith Vigna

My Dad Loves Me, My Dad Has a Disease
Claudia Black

Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods that Make My Day
Jamie Lee Curtis

The Way I Feel
Janan Cain

Up and Down the Mountain
Pamela Leib Higgins

Ages 8-13

Easter Ann Peters' Operation Cool
Jody Lamb

Tall Tales
Karen Day

Waiting for Normal
Leslie Connor

My Dad is an Alcoholic, What about Me?
Pre-teen guide to conquering addiction genes
Marc & Lianna Treitler 

Alcohol, Drugs & You
A Young Person's Guide to Avoiding Addiction
Marc & Lianna Treitler 

For Teenagers Living with a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs
Edith Hornik-Beer

When A Family Is in Trouble: Children can Cope with Grief from Drug and Alcohol Addiction
Marge Heegaard

Ages 12-18

Alateen: Hope for Children of Alcoholics
Al-Anon Family Group

Coping with an Alcoholic Parent
Kay M Porterfield

Different Like Me: A Book for Teens Who Worry about Their Parent’s Use of Alcohol/Drugs
Evelyn Leite & Pamela Espeland

For Teenagers Living with a Parent Who Abuses Alcohol/Drugs
Edith Hornik-Beer

The Secret Everyone Knows: Help for You if Alcohol Is a Problem in Your Home
Cathleen Brooks

Find some of these books (and many more!) at the Hazelden Betty Ford Book Store.

Find Hazelden Betty Ford resources on our Amazon.com page.

Empowering Recovery and Well-Being for All

Find dozens of helpful videos on every aspect of recovery on the Hazelden Betty Ford YouTube channel.

Family Services Orientation: Your first step in family support

This family program is intended to support anyone (families, parents, spouses/partners, friends or support persons) that know someone that struggles with addition and mental health. 

Available in English and Español. Also available for Native Americans.

Donate to Help Other Families

Your donation will help another family be better able to support a loved one in recovery. Click here to donate today.

Find a Sober Coach

Convenient and confidential, Hazelden Betty Ford's Connection program helps you navigate early recovery with personalized recovery coaching.You can also receive monitoring and accountability reports, as well as random drug testing.

Videos

Beamer Meets Addiction
Using colorful animation, this video from the Betty Ford Center talks to kids about parents and addiction. 

Sesame Street in Communities on Parental Addiction
With short videos and activities, Elmo and his friends help children and families to understand and talk about parents and addiction.

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