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Today’s Teachers: Frontline of Defense for Military Children
Today’s Guest Post is from Levi Newman of Veterans United Network Today’s military children have to adapt to more stressorsthan ever before. Their parents are deployed more frequently and many kidschange schools anywhere from four to twelve times during the course of theirparents’ military service. It’s a stress many outside the military are unfamiliar with,especially teachers. The biggest service we can offer to these children andtheir teachers is to preparethem both for these transitions. And while the children can ask theirparents how to prepare for these changes, who is there for the teacher? You may be thinking, “What does a teacher need to know aboutthe child’s move?” Well, it really depends…
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Pets for Patriots > A “How To” for Veterans
Stephanie and Fly > Photo Credit BelowOur four legged friends can be the best when we face the tough times: Sharing our time, greeting us at the door, telling us when we need to pet them, finding us when we need to “snuggle”, a warm blanket while watching March Madness, taking walks in the woods, chasing squirrels while we laugh, playing “catch”, sitting on our feet when they know we are deep in thought and so much more! So it was with eager anticipation that I waited to talk with Beth Zimmerman, the founder of Pets for Patriots! Are you a veteran or active duty service member? Do you need…
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The Insecure Military Brat (That’s Me)
I started a wonderful book over Spring Breaktitled ‘The Artist’s Daughter’, a memoir by Alexandra Kuykendall. MOPS International gave it to me and I have a hard time putting it down each time I pick it up. If you ask me about my identity (a key question in this memoir) I struggle to answer. I have grown a lot through the years. Especially now, as a mom, wife, a resident of the same city for the last 12 years. But years before that? I was (and still remain) a Military Brat. I was always a little awkward. I had a SUPER hard time making new friends. The shy introvert who just wanted…
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The ‘busy-ness’ of Spring
Ah… Spring. A perfect adjective would be refreshing. We get out of the house. We start the garden. We clean off the deck. We pull out our soccer cleats, baseball gloves and running shorts. We pump up our bike tires, clean out our cars and hose off the outdoor dump trucks, bubble wands and kiddie pools. We open windows, smell the flowers, take long hikes. We start to fill the family calendar with all sorts of events. As military families we also might be looking at orders. We clean out our closets, get rid of the ‘extras’, plan for the future. We make last ditch moments to see the town we called home…
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Your Heart and that Energy Drink
Too much of a “good thing” I bought myself a tray of bakery cookies at the grocery store the other day under the guise that they were ‘peanut free’ so my 2 year old (with major confirmed allergies) could enjoy them while the rest of us dined on a nut-cake I bought for a group of friends. Here’s the problem. I have no self-control. And I’ve been eating the cookies. all. week. I stepped on the scale last night and Wowzers… I know who was eating the cookies. The point… one cookie? No problem. Two cookies? eh. Three cookies? Not healthy! So how about those Energy Drinks you are consuming? Nutritionist Explains…
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PCS? Moving Tools Can Make it Easier!
It is the PCS season for many military families. Orders in hand and with the next location almost in site, how do you find help to learn more about that next assignment? Friends? Social Media? Military One Source? Family Centers? Military friendly businesses? There are so many resources that are available for you! We tried to grab and bring them to you in a centralized location. Military experience helped us create some ways that can help you on MilitaryAvenue.com. Our Moving Tools section is perfect to guide you through many of the challenges military families face! Come take a look: School reports, mortgage advice and articles, packing materials, utility hookups…
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Grandpa, my favorite antagonist
This weekend we will lay to rest my grandfather. James Marion Kissinger, 88, of Lake Placid, Florida, died on January 31, 2013, and is now present with the Lord.Jim was born in Culver, Indiana to James and Cynthia Jane (Anderson) Kissinger on March 15, 1924. He was one of nine children including: Irene (Don) Weimer, Wilbur (Helen) Kissinger, Clifford (Virginia ) Kissinger, Dannie Kissinger, Lloyd (Nancy) Kissinger, Marjorie (Russ) Underwood, Janey (Dean) Cernek, and Karl (Julie) Kissinger. He graduated from Liberty Twp. High School in 1942. He served honorably in the US Army during World War II where he spent a considerable time in England with 685th Engineer Base Equipment…
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Another PCS? Or Your First? Some great Moving Tools to Assist You!
It is PCS Time AgainAre you excited about this next move? Or is it the wrong move, at the wrong time? Ready to jump into research, house hunting, finding the best schools, how to get those utilities hooked up, a new local bank maybe, etc. Or maybe you have put it off and now the time crunch is upon you and you need to get started in a hurry? We faced all of those situations during a career that spanned 18 PCS type moves and some college students being hauled across the continent as well. The internet has opened some great new avenues to help and MilitaryAvenue’s Moving Tools is…
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Military Kids Website Also Helps Parents, Educators
Technology has come a long ways since I was a military-brat PCSing around the world in the 80s and 90s. I didn’t have to deal with year long deployments but I remember Dad being gone for six months at a time for training and schooling. Fast forward a ‘few years’ and I watched my husband head off to Iraq with the Ohio Army National Guard. I had a few print pamphlets and a couple of Internet articles I could share with teachers that weren’t accustomed to having military-children in their classroom but there wasn’t much more support then that.I am so glad to see our military families getting the support they need! The Defense Department…
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A Moment Out of the Norm: Dog Show
A moment out of the norm. “Grinda” is a rescued pup. She is a hoot! She is a Welsh Corgi Pembroke. She has short legs and long ears. She also has our hearts and pride of ownership streaming all around her. Yesterday was her moment to shine. Well, we all take that idea differently… the car for example shining moment would be a wax job. The house’s shine would be a spring cleaning. The shining moment for our dog Grinda: an entry in a dog show. No kidding!Mrs. Becky Kissinger, teacher at Christian High School in Grand Rapids, MI, led an interim class on the subject of ‘dogs’. The class…
