My Daddy Is In Jail

"Written by an ex-con. Endorsed by PhD's, school principals and judges. Awesome book with an inspiring message: You are loved and you will get through this." -BERT BURYKILL, Vice Magazine There are nearly three million adults in the U.S. alone that are in prison or jail. Many of these being parents that leave behind unanswered questions with their children: What is jail? Why did this happen? Is it my fault? Is my daddy (or mommy) bad? Do they love me? My Daddy's in Jail is a story of two bears who have a father in prison. The book is narrated by a very odd cockroach.

When someone you love goes to jail, you might feel lost, scared, and even mad. What do you do? No matter who your loved one is, this story can help you through the tough times.

Includes suggestions for caregivers and optional small-group counseling activities for helping children cope with the incarceration of a loved one.

How would you feel if your family life was turned upside down? How would you feel if someone you loved went to jail? Would you feel sad? Would you be embarrassed? Would you be angry? When a young girls father is sent to jail because he did something wrong, she and her family try to adjust to life without him. As the adults struggle with their own problems, she is left with emotions and questions for which she has no answer. Thankfully, in the midst of the turmoil, someone she trusts steps in to help her with a surprising story of her own. My Daddy Is in Jail reflects todays reality for many children. Mrs. Hopp seeks to give these children a safe place to voice their concerns, and to find healthy ways of dealing with the issues in their lives. Mrs. Hopp shows that all feelings are valid, and it is important to reach out to others. Life can be difficult, but it is possible to be happy despite the sad times in our lives.

My Daddy Went to Jail and I Am Sad is about unfortunate real-life instances that are hard to talk about with our children. Sometimes, we as parents are embarrassed to talk to our family and friends and especially our children when a parent makes a mistake in life and ends up in the judicial system. We need to be open with our children about these things and talk about things that are hard. This book is one of those ways to help in talking to our children. Proverbs 28:13 says, "He who covers his sins will not prosper. But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."

This children's book sets out to normalize the feelings accompanied by the absence of a parent while either in prison or jail. Many children feel responsible for the separation and think they are all alone in their internal struggle for understanding. My Dad Is In Jail describes the good times and the bad times that families face during this transition in their lives.

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER NBCC John Leonard Prize Finalist Indie Bestseller “This is a book people will be talking about forever.” —Glennon Doyle, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Untamed “Ford’s wrenchingly brilliant memoir is truly a classic in the making. The writing is so richly observed and so suffused with love and yearning that I kept forgetting to breathe while reading it.” —John Green, #1 New York Times bestselling author One of the most prominent voices of her generation debuts with an extraordinarily powerful memoir: the story of a childhood defined by the looming absence of her incarcerated father. Through poverty, adolescence, and a fraught relationship with her mother, Ashley C. Ford wishes she could turn to her father for hope and encouragement. There are just a few problems: he’s in prison, and she doesn’t know what he did to end up there. She doesn’t know how to deal with the incessant worries that keep her up at night, or how to handle the changes in her body that draw unwanted attention from men. In her search for unconditional love, Ashley begins dating a boy her mother hates. When the relationship turns sour, he assaults her. Still reeling from the rape, which she keeps secret from her family, Ashley desperately searches for meaning in the chaos. Then, her grandmother reveals the truth about her father’s incarceration . . . and Ashley’s entire world is turned upside down. Somebody’s Daughter steps into the world of growing up a poor Black girl in Indiana with a family fragmented by incarceration, exploring how isolating and complex such a childhood can be. As Ashley battles her body and her environment, she embarks on a powerful journey to find the threads between who she is and what she was born into, and the complicated familial love that often binds them.

Every single day a child suffers from having a mother, father or loved one taken away by the system, a few really take the time to think about what the child is going through and how it will affect them long-term. During these rough times, we need to talk about the programs and support that are available. We should bring awareness to Children, letting them know that crime is something that Society deals with in Clumsy ways. Some innocent loved ones are jailed; others are unjustly punished for their crimes; others are kept incarcerated long after they are rehabilitated. These are real issues that do happen in life, and talking about them will creep positive change, preventing negative views on law enforcement and of the incarcerated loved one. It is so important to explain to the children that anyone can make a mistake, and some mistakes have serious consequences, but that working together to heal those mistakes can make things right. Children need to be taught that a parents mistakes or those of someone they love don't necessarily make them bad. And unfortunately, incarceration can happen to any family anytime.