Comic book : Deux toits, un chez-moi ?

https://kenneseditions.com/product/deux-toits-un-chez-moi

Laura Merla and Bérengère Nobels teamed up with a comic book writer, Falzar, and an illustrator, Pacotine, to create a comic book, Deux toits, un chez-moi? (Kennes Editions), which addresses the consequences of shared custody (in case of parental separation) on teenagers’ lives.

The pitch? Four teenagers, four families marked by parental separation, four destinies! Kim, Douglas, Lily, and Sascha are pupils at the same school. But it is mainly their family situation that brings them together and a complexity of daily life to which each adapts as best they can… Ultimately, these four stories offer as many unique and complementary perspectives on a life spent with a backpack in transit between two homes.

The originality? The story is inspired by the MobileKids research, which aims to understand the experiences of children aged 10 to 16 who grow up in separated and/or divorced families within the EU and have opted for shared physical custody. The researchers’ goal was to see how children adapt to this lifestyle, the practices and strategies they implement to create their own landmarks, negotiate their place in their two “families,” build a sense of home, and the daily challenges they face.

A topic that is all the more relevant as divorces and separations are becoming increasingly common: in Belgium and France, 3 to 4 out of 10 children live in a single-parent or blended family. In Belgium, equal shared physical custody is the primary arrangement examined by family courts. While the majority of children still live exclusively or mainly with their mother, more than 3 out of 10 children live in shared custody.

Why a comic book? For Laura Merla, “it was important to create an educational tool accessible to everyone, to better understand this way of life, challenge certain preconceived ideas, allow young people to recognize themselves, and open spaces for dialogue.” By giving a voice to young people, the comic book aligns with the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, which emphasizes the right of every child to freely express their opinion on any matter that concerns them. A booklet at the end of the album connects the stories to UCLouvain’s research and provides tools for families, teachers, and professionals working with families and youth.