Some ideas are:
- You branch off into another timeline and your actions make no difference to the previous timeline
 - You’ve already taken said actions but just didn’t know about it so nothing changes
 - Actions taken can have an effect (so you could suddenly erase yourself if you killed your parents)
 - Only “nexus” or fixed events really matter, the timeline will sort itself out for minor changes
 - something else entirely
 


It’s my favorite of the series, though I hate what JK Rowling turned into. Hope you and your son enjoy!