Q: My son is 4 years old. I am a single parent, though I am not divorced, but I have been staying away from my husband for the last two years with my brother's family. We were living together till my son was 2 years old. After that I told my son that his father is working in a different city and showed his photographs. My son is now is LKG and enquires about his father not coming to his school or taking him out for shopping. How do I handle this? At what age should I tell him about the truth of our separation/divorce and the possibility of him not staying with his father?

A:Whenever you tell the child the true facts, it will be a shock to him. Your brother could be requested to take him out once in a while. Your love and affection should be available at all times. Maybe you could wait for a year longer before you tell him, but be sure to assure him that you told a lie for his sake and that you can be generally relied upon to be truthful with him. Invite his classmates over to play with him. Make his every day interesting, filled with play, music and chats.