diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
index d44eac186e..0893a4dd12 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/tests/test_contentstore.py
@@ -111,10 +111,10 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         chapter = module_store.get_item(Location(['i4x', 'edX', 'full', 'chapter','Week_1', None]))
 
         # make sure the parent no longer points to the child object which was deleted
-        self.assertTrue(sequential.location.url() in chapter.definition['children'])
+        self.assertTrue(sequential.location.url() in chapter.children)
 
         self.client.post(reverse('delete_item'),
-            json.dumps({'id': sequential.location.url(), 'delete_children':'true'}),
+            json.dumps({'id': sequential.location.url(), 'delete_children': 'true'}),
             "application/json")
 
         found = False
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ class ContentStoreToyCourseTest(ModuleStoreTestCase):
         chapter = module_store.get_item(Location(['i4x', 'edX', 'full', 'chapter','Week_1', None]))
 
         # make sure the parent no longer points to the child object which was deleted
-        self.assertFalse(sequential.location.url() in chapter.definition['children'])
+        self.assertFalse(sequential.location.url() in chapter.children)
 
 
 
diff --git a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
index 0a87306666..4ae59f5656 100644
--- a/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
+++ b/cms/djangoapps/contentstore/views.py
@@ -649,9 +649,11 @@ def delete_item(request):
     for parent_loc in parent_locs:
         parent = modulestore('direct').get_item(parent_loc)
         item_url = item_loc.url()
-        if item_url in parent.definition["children"]:
-            parent.definition["children"].remove(item_url)
-            modulestore('direct').update_children(parent.location, parent.definition["children"])
+        if item_url in parent.children:
+            children = parent.children
+            children.remove(item_url)
+            parent.children = children
+            modulestore('direct').update_children(parent.location, parent.children)
 
     return HttpResponse()