1. Jude makes a Life Story Book

2. 1 When Jude was small he lived with his Mum and Dad

3. When his Mum and Dad separated, he was sometimes with Mum, and sometimes with Dad. 2

4. When Jude was about 2 years old, he began to have respite care. He did not understand what was happening. 3

5. Then, one day he went to stay with foster carers. He thinks that he stayed with Nicola. He remembers that he liked Nicola. 4

6. Jude remembers that he also stayed with the Hepples. He did not like staying there. Jude says that the Hepples told him off for wetting his bed. 5

7. Jude moved carers, to Mary and Gary. With their help he began to feel happie r 6

8. Now that Jude is more settled, his worker is going to help him make a book all about his life..... A Life Story Book 7

9. First they will draw a road, one space for each year of his life. They will work out where Jude lived, who he lived with, and for how long. They will also work out how old he was at the time! 8

10. As Jude makes his book, he will find out that his Mum and Dad had some muddles. They had money muddles, angry muddles, drinking muddles, and mental health muddles. They both loved him, but they could not look after him properly. 9

11. Jude will learn that going to respite care was one way that Social Services tried to give his parents time to sort out their muddles. It also gave Jude a safe place to stay. 10

12. Jude will learn that when the angry and drinking muddles made it unsafe for him to be at home, his social worker went to Court to ask for permission to take him to a foster home. 11

13. Jude will discover that after 4 months living with Nicola, he returned to live with his Mum. Soon afterwards, Mum and Dad got back together for a time, until they separated for good. Sometimes Dad took Jude to live with him, and sometimes Jude returned to his Mum. 12

14. When the mental health problems of both Jude’s parents made it impossible for them to look after him, he again moved into foster care. This time with the Hepples. Jude had too many changes, he had seen too many angry and hurting muddles, so he was a confused and unhappy little boy. His behaviour showed how unhappy he was. He felt that he was always being told off. 13

15. As Jude learns about all the happenings in his life, he will begin to understand why he could not live with his parents, and why he needed a new family. He will also learn that he was not a bad boy! His Life Story Book will become the story of Jude’s life. 14

16. Jude Makes a Life Story Book “Jude Makes a Life Story Book”, is a simple story that begins with the difficulties that Jude has experienced: respite care, the volatile on/off relationship of his parents, and his parent’s muddles. The story acknowledges that his parents love him, but cannot look after him. Jude’s experiences are gradually reframed by the process of making his Life Story Book. This book can be shared with a child, before, after, or during Life Story Book work, giving a child an opportunity to share experiences or feelings. “Jude Makes a Life Story Book’’ gives a clear message that other children also live through ‘muddles’ and survive them.