New
New
Year 4

Challenges for families

I can explain some of the challenges that families can face.

New
New
Year 4

Challenges for families

I can explain some of the challenges that families can face.

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Switch to our new teaching resources now - designed by teachers and leading subject experts, and tested in classrooms.

These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Families can face serious challenges.
  2. We all go through difficult challenges in life.
  3. Many challenges are because of change.
  4. Parents or carers may break-up, separate or divorce.
  5. It is never the children's fault if parents or carers separate.

Keywords

  • Challenge - a problem that is difficult to solve or overcome

  • Break-up - when two people end or change their relationship

  • Separate - when people, who have been in a relationship for a long time, end their relationship

  • Divorce - when people end their marriage

  • Struggling - finding it hard to overcome a problem or situation

Common misconception

Children are to blame if their parents or carers break-up.

This is never the case, although many children carry guilt, shame and regret with regard to parental separation.


To help you plan your year 4 RSHE (PSHE) lesson on: Challenges for families, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

This subject matter will be particularly hard for children who have experienced parental separation or the loss of someone close to them. Facilitators should use their professional judgement when deciding how to approach this lesson.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

Loading...

Prior knowledge starter quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the definition.

Correct Answer:change,the way things become different to how they used to be

the way things become different to how they used to be

Correct Answer:support,giving help to someone

giving help to someone

Correct Answer:unique,being one of a kind or different from others

being one of a kind or different from others

Q2.
How might a family change?

Correct answer: a new baby might be born into the family
Correct answer: there might be a death in the family
a family continues to live in the same house

Q3.
Change can be , especially if we don't feel ready, or if we didn't decide to change.

Correct Answer: challenging, difficult, hard

Q4.
How might someone feel during change?

Correct answer: excited
hungry
Correct answer: worried
bored
Correct answer: confused

Q5.
Which of the following statements are true?

Correct answer: over time, change can feel easier to manage
only some people experience change
Correct answer: most people will experience change
change is always easy

Q6.
Which stategies are effective when managing our emotions during change?

keeping our feelings to ourselves
Correct answer: talking to a trusted adult
staying indoors all day
Correct answer: doing things we enjoy
Correct answer: exercising

Assessment exit quiz

Download quiz pdf

6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to the definition.

Correct Answer:challenge,a problem that is difficult to solve or overcome

a problem that is difficult to solve or overcome

Correct Answer:break-up,when two people end or change their relationship

when two people end or change their relationship

Correct Answer:divorce,when people end their marriage

when people end their marriage

Correct Answer:struggling,finding it hard to overcome a problem or situation

finding it hard to overcome a problem or situation

Q2.
Which of the following are examples of challenges a family might face?

Correct answer: a parent or carer might lose their job
a child might lose their favourite jumper
Correct answer: two parents or carers might break-up
a parent or carer might not be sure what to cook for dinner
Correct answer: a family member might become seriously ill

Q3.
What might happen when two parents or carers break-up?

Correct answer: the children might have to live in two homes
the children have to live on their own
nothing changes
Correct answer: the children might have to live with one parent or carer

Q4.
It is the children's fault if two parents or carers break-up.

Correct Answer: never

Q5.
Which of the following statements are true?

Correct answer: we all go through challenges in life
Correct answer: it can be challenging when two parents or carers break-up
only adults go through challenges in life
it's always easy when two parents or carers break-up

Q6.
How can we get support when we are struggling?

Correct answer: we can get support from trusted adults
we can speak to our younger siblings
Correct answer: we can use strategies to help us manage our emotions
we should keep our feelings to ourselves