MilitaryAvenue Resource: Growing up in the Military #MilitaryChild

MilitaryAvenue Resource: Growing up in the Military

In honor of Month of the Military Child I have compiled some resources and articles that are available to you, the parent, the community member, the military supporter.  I will keep this list updated throughout April 2011 so come back often to see the latest news from the Department of Defense community:

Growing up in the Military: A few years ago, a debate emerged on an Internet newsgroup for military brats about what kind of flower military children of military parents were most like. The consensus became the dandelion.  Anne Manning Christopherson wrote, “How about the dandelion? The plant puts down roots almost anywhere. It is almost impossible to get rid of. It is entirely usable except for the little puffball thingy.

April: Month of the Military Child: This is going to be quick because I need to get outside and play with MY favorite Military-Brats.  It is their first day of Spring Break.  It is over 70 degrees outside.  There is no reason for my to be behind the computer EXCEPT as a quick reminder that April is Month of the Military Child!  What a wonderful group-of people to celebrate.  I am one!  I may be 36… but will always be a Brat! It has defined me, and continues to define me. …

Thriller: Soon I will celebrate the 24th anniversary of my 10th birthday. I know that is a strange way to say that yes, I am almost 34. But any military-brat can tell you the importance of that 10th birthday. Turning 10 meant independence, empowerment, growing-up; it was a big deal! It was the day I could get my Military ID Card! It was a yellow card with a hole and a chain that I could hang around my neck. It had an awkward picture of a pre-teen with a curly perm and loads of freckles. It said that I, yes I, had Exchange, MWR, and Commissary privileges. …

The Military Child’s Creed: Military-Brats are strong! Active Duty kids move around the country, acclimating themselves to new cultures, new friends, new surroundings. They, along with our National Guard and Reserve children, are separated from one or both of their parents for long periods at a time.  As the mom of four military children I know they hold the key to the future. I pray for their future. I work to ensure that they are educated, social and well rounded. When their dad was deployed we sought the support we needed. We used programs like Military Kids, the YMCA, United through Reading. …

Recognition and Support
Kids Serve Too: Military children continually amaze us as they rise to the challenges of military life. It’s a life of frequent moves, changing schools, leaving friends and making new friends.  During April, the Month of the Military Child, we applaud their character and maturity, and we acknowledge that kids serve too. Our military community includes 1.8 million American children and youth under 18 years old. The Defense Department offers a wide range of programs and services to support military families and their kids. Just a few of the things we’re working on include: …

Military Children Deserve Nation’s Gratitude: Military children continually rise to the challenges of military life and deserve the nation’s gratitude for doing so, a Defense Department official said today.  “We applaud their character and maturity, and we acknowledge that kids serve too,” Robert L. Gordon III, deputy assistant secretary of defense for military community and family policy, wrote in a blog today titled “Month of the Military Child: Kids Serve Too.” Each April, Americans pause to recognize the contributions and sacrifices of the nation’s 1.8 million military children and youth during Month of the Military Child. …

Mrs. Mullen: Military Children Deserve Respect, Support: Military children need and deserve the nation’s utmost respect and support as they continue to weather a decade of war, the wife of the nation’s top military officer said here yesterday.  “I do not believe, and have not believed for quite some time, that there are many issues more important to the future of our armed forces — indeed to the future of our country — than those confronting military children today,” said Deborah Mullen, wife of Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. …

DOD Celebrates Month of the Military Child: Children of U.S. service members around the world will be honored throughout the month for their contributions to their families’ well-being and sacrifices on behalf of the nation, a Defense Department official said. Each April, Americans pause to recognize the nation’s 1.8 million military children during the Month of the Military Child, which marks its 25th anniversary this year.  “It’s really exciting that the Department of Defense, the White House and civic leaders recognize the sacrifices that military children make,” Barbara Thompson …

PCS
How to Prepare Your Kids for a Move: Moving is a major life event for adults — and even more so for children. As you plan your move, follow these pointers to help smooth their transition to a new community. Explain why you’re moving. As candidly and clearly as possible, let your children know what’s prompting the move.  Acknowledge their feelings. It’s only natural for your child to feel anxious about a move — after all, you probably are, too. …

Moving is Good for Your Kids After All: When you’re in the thick of moving with your family, you probably aren’t spending a lot of time focusing on the long-term effects of moving with your kids. Changing schools, friends, neighborhoods, patterns — it all gets thrown up in the air and becomes something of a scramble to pull it all back together again in the new place. It can get a little rough at times. There is a bright side, though. It probably shows in little flashes as the kids are growing up, but it doesn’t reach its full radiance until they’re grown. …

Finding the Positive in Goodbye: As a Military-Brat I know the pain that can be found in saying ‘goodbye’, whether a PCS on my family’s part or a friend’s family moving away. The tears, the fear of the future, the feeling of losing friends for forever. There was nothing easy about it but I do believe it influenced who I am, for the better. In 1984 my family PCSed from Lubbock, Texas (since closed Reese AFB) to Scott AFB, Illinois. I had my first real best-friend in Lubbock and it was my first real ‘goodbye’. …

Youth and Moving: Moving is a way of life for military families. They know that just as they are finally starting to feel settled, they are likely to receive orders to move on to a new duty station. However, with the frenzy of packing boxes and making plans, the difficulties experienced by military children and youth can sometimes go overlooked. Fortunately, there are a number of programs and services available to support military youth throughout the relocation process. …

Helpful Moving Tips – Moving with Teenagers: Pre-Move -> Facts about Teens: Female teenagers are the group most affected by relocation, followed by all high school seniors. Teenagers are independent. We as parents tend to think that they will handle the move “like an adult”, but they are still in the process of letting go. Teenagers are unwilling to accept our advice easily. We tend to back off if we encounter any resistance from our teens – don’t. Stay the course.  Things we can do to assist teens: …

School
From the Military Child Education Coalition: Education Resource Center: Welcome to the MCEC Education Resource Center. The Center is a compilation of resources in one location for all fifty states, DoDEA, and Washington, D.C. It provides information about state school requirements and resources by each individual state, or you can identify specific resource areas that you wish to research in one or more states. Resource areas include the following …

Surviving as the New Kid on the Block: Coping with the First Day at School: While you are dealing with the movers, the boxes, the new house, and getting settled after a move, your child is dealing with unseen fears, anxieties, and expectations. Just like you, your child has moved to a new place and given up old friends and old habits. He or she also needs to make new friends and find new places to hang out. Add to that the stress of starting a brand new school. It’s just another day in the life of a military child. …

Moving Tools: School Report
Military Families Gain Access to Free, Online Tutoring: The Defense Department has launched a free, online tutoring service for servicemembers and their families. The site – http://www.tutor.com/military — offers round-the-clock professional tutors who can assist with homework, studying, test preparation, resume writing and more. Marine Corps and Army families have had access to the program for more than a year. Seeing the value, Defense Department officials decided to expand the service to encompass all servicemembers and their families, officials said. …

Exchange Rewards those who ‘Made the Grade’: According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, military children, especially those with deployed parents, face unique stresses that often result in higher rates of school absenteeism and failure. Keeping these unique challenges in mind, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service established an exclusive educational rewards program that continues to receive high marks from students and parents alike. …

Book Recommendations: PCSing with children
Mental Health
Helping Your Child Handle Stress: All children experience stress at times. One of the best ways to help your child cope is to be aware of how he or she is feeling and to provide ongoing support and encouragement. …

Coping with stress: The other day my 1st grader got off the bus, dragged himself into the house, snagged a snack and sat down for homework. All routine. Except for the awful look of frustration on his face. After inquiring what was wrong I was informed that the bus-driver was a sub that afternoon and she was MEAN. Grumble, Grumble, back to homework. Couple minutes later I look back and there were tears streaming down his face. More questions and he is still very-focused on that mean bus-driver, clearly homework was not in the forefront of his mind. …

Deployment
Support for Military Children and Families: Children who experience a parent’s deployment can have trouble coping, especially when mom or dad returns home with an injury – or doesn’t return home at all. During the Month of the Military Child, the MHS will offer a number of different informational resources to educate military families, supporters and caregivers on the unique challenges military children present. Some of the unique programs promoted by the MHS include …

Study Explores Deployment Impact on Older Children: Children in military families experience emotional and behavioral difficulties above national averages, a study has revealed. The Rand Corp. study, commissioned by the National Military Family Association, explored how older children from military families deal with the deployment of a parent. The results were published in the journal Pediatrics on Dec. 7. The study surveyed 1,500 military children, ages 11 to 17, from across the nation and their non-deployed parent or caregiver. …

From the Military Education Coalition: Deployment / Separation: Deployment can be a difficult time, for both the adults being deployed and the families they are leaving behind. Children face a host of special issues when one or both of their parents are deployed. How to prepare our children and stay involved in their education during deployment… This booklet was created to help parents and educators, two groups who care deeply about children and support children during this potentially stressful time. …

Military Children Can Attend Free Camp: Military parents seeking a fun — and free — summer camp option for their children should check out the National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple Summer Camp program.  The association developed the camps to support military children ages 7 to 17 dealing with the stressors of war, according to an association news release. Now in its eighth year, the program will host more than 3,500 children during 40 weeks of camp in 25 states, as well as one overseas location this summer. …

 
Other MilitaryAvenue Resources:

• MilitaryAvenue.com Resources: Are you Having a Baby
• MilitaryAvenue.com Resources: Buying a Home
• MilitaryAvenue.com Resources: Money and the Military
• MilitaryAvenue.com’s PCS Central

More Great MilitaryAvenue.com content:
Find Military Discounts in your community

You have Questions? We have MilitaryAvenue Answers!

Our Letters to You, MilitaryAvenue.com’s Military Family Blog
Subscribe to MilitaryAvenue Alerts, monthly military-discounts & incentives right to your email box: Manage Subscriptions

The Reading Room, full of relevant news related to the military family

Moving Tools, Our Moving and Relocation Tools for Military Families

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byUnknownonMonday, April 04, 2011Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to PinterestMilitary Life:Leanne,Month of the Military Child,Online Resources