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Whenever I've been asked to be a secret keeper, I tell the child that I will keep their secret as close between us as I possibly can. If I need to talk to another trusted adult--cw, principal, therapist--then I will talk to ONLY that person. I, too, stress the safety issue. Then I keep my work. If I can keep the secret because there's no safety issue, I do. If I need to tell it, I just tell it to the people I name to the child.
My experience is that most kids just need someone to take charge of the situation. Good secrets need to be shared and kept. Not so good ones--well, they already know. They're just not able to figure out who else needs to know. That's why they told you.
You did good. Don't worry about the relationship with the mom. It's a plus to have it, but not necessary. Your first responsibility, your ONLY responsibility, is to the safety of the child.
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