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1.The role of family processes for military family well-being
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2.Military-connected adolescents' coping strategies and psychological well-being: The moderating role of family functioning
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3.How military-related stress and family relationships are associated with perceptions of work-family impact for married male service members with adolescent children
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4.Use of food distribution resources among military families with young children since the COVID-19 pandemic
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5.Understanding inclusion in child care and youth programs
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6.How work-related guilt informs parenting and adolescent psychological distress in military families
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7.Military stressors, parent-adolescent relationship quality, and adolescent adjustment
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8.Peer aggression among children and youth: Defining constructs and identifying programming
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Research summaries convey terminology used by the scientists who authored the original research article; some terminology may not align with the federal government's mandated language for certain constructs.
MILITARY SPOUSES: DON’T FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF
MILITARY SPOUSES: DON’T FORGET TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF By: Meredith Farnsworth Military Spouse Appreciation Day is a nationally-recognized day that was established in 1999 and is acknowledged each year on the Friday before Mother’s Day. Military Spouse Appreciation Day recognizes the essential role military spouses have in supporting the military through strengthening their Service member partners. This crucial role can be difficult at times, so it is key to make sure military spouses develop the support they need to take on this role, such as benefit-finding, keeping in touch, and using available military resources. Benefit-finding When we get caught up in the stress and challenges of circumstances, such as parenting children, taking care of a home, or meeting deadlines at work, we often forget about all the things we like about it, and military life is no exception. Benefit-finding, or identifying the positive aspects of a circumstance, can help balance out the negative aspects of whatever we are dealing with. Some studies have found that people who engage in benefit-finding also report greater well-being. This research can be applied to all the military spouses out there. For instance, take time to identify some of the benefits of being a military spouse. Some benefits might include the unique cultivation of community and friendships that military life offers or the personal strength you’ve developed from overcoming challenges. Find a relevant place to write these benefits (like in a planner, journal, mirror, or on a note on an end table where you sit often) as a reminder to yourself when life becomes stressful and challenges present themselves again. Tip: Identifying benefits can be an individual or group activity with your spouse and/or family. They might have some ideas to share! Keep in Touch The hectic tasks of life can keep us isolated. Running errands, going to work, taking care of children, and completing various projects leaves limited time to connect with family and friends. It seems that when we need family and friends most, we don’t always reach out. However, keeping in touch with others is important. One study found that when military spouses experienced higher levels of anxiety or depression, they didn’t connect as frequently with their family and friends. So consider being more proactive in connecting with family and friends, especially when facing difficulties. Importantly, continue adding to the list of ways that you build your support system, as support figures can provide a variety of options for mitigating stressful circumstances! Tip: Instead of feeling the pressure to schedule hours of time with friends/family, pick up the phone for a quick check-in. Weekly check-ins with family and friends can keep us connected, even when life feels hectic. Use Available Military Resources As a military spouse, you’re busy keeping your family running smoothly, and that’s a tall order! Knowing what resources are available to military families and using available military resources can make your life a little easier. The number of various supports and services available to military families can be overwhelming. However, Military OneSource provides a great starting point for military spouses to compile a list of resources and services, as well as online tools. Tip: Download the free Military OneSource app to more efficiently find benefits tailored to you as a military spouse and chat with a MilLife expert at any time from within the app! Military spouses, remember to take care of yourself! Taking care of yourself is a critical component to ensure you and your Service member are ready to take the stressors of military life. So, don’t feel that spending time and effort on yourself is unproductive and invaluable. Even spending as little as 10 minutes at a time (such as listening to music, meditating, reading a few pages from a book, or benefit-finding) can help manage stress. Lastly, continue adding to the list of ways that you build your support system to provide lots of options for mitigating stressful circumstances!
HONORING DEPLOYED SERVICE MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES
National Day of the Deployed is observed on October 26 to acknowledge the commitment Service members make to serving and protecting the United States. As a short history lesson, National Day of the Deployed was first recognized in 2006 in North Dakota. Shelle Michaels Aberle, a constituent, approached the governor at the time and requested to have a day that honored the deployed. Shelle’s cousin, LTC David Hosna, was the inspiration for this request, who was deployed at the time. North Dakota became the first state to recognize Day of the Deployed on October 26, Hosna’s birthday. The first event was held in Grand Forks, North Dakota (where Grand Forks Air Force Base is located) to honor deployed local units. Today, all 50 states celebrate this day in some way. National Day of the Deployed was first recognized by the federal government in 2011 and continues to be recognized annually. Between September 11, 2001 and September 2015, 2.77 million Service members served on 5.4 million deployments. Further, more than half of these Service members were married and about half had children at the time of deployment. This indicates that, in additional to Service members, many family members are also affected by their absence. Honoring them and their families in tangible ways can show support, especially during deployment. Honoring Service Members During Deployment 1. Send a Care Package Sending a care package to a deployed Service member can boost their morale and help them feel connected to home. Military OneSource offers some guidelines to consider when sending a care package. If you do not know a specific Service member who you could send a care package to, organizations such as Packages From Home can help facilitate sending packages to deployed troops. 2. Donate to a Military Organization If you don’t personally know a Service member or family of a Service member, donating to a military organization can support Service members more generally. Find recognized and reputable organizations through the Military Benefits.info website. 3. Write a Letter Sometimes, it can be difficult to make a phone call to a Service member while they are deployed. They are likely in a different time zone and work varied hours during deployments. Sending a written letter to a Service member can be another form of communication that can build support for them. Additionally, you can write a letter to a Service member who you may not know. Angel blog provides some suggestions for how to structure letters to loved ones and to Service members you may not know to provide support and encouragement. Honoring Military Spouses and Families During Deployment 1. Prepare a Meal for the Family Military spouses often carry the responsibility of two parents while the Service member is deployed. If the family is comfortable having food prepared for them, consider preparing a meal as a way to alleviate some responsibility. This can help the military spouse have time for other important tasks that they are handling while their partner is deployed. Meals can be as simple as soup or sandwich fillings (such as chicken or egg salad). Make sure to ask the family about any allergies prior to preparing food and, if possible, send food in containers you don’t need back. 2. Take Care of the Children for a Few Hours Because military spouses are essentially acting as two parents during deployment, they often do not have time for self-care. Offer to watch a military spouse’s children for an afternoon or evening so they can have some much-needed time to relax and regroup. Age-appropriate board games, outdoor activities, and learning a new skill can provide some engaging activities to do with children for an afternoon. 3. Lend Your Time and Skills Lending your time and skills to help military families during deployment can provide support. Are you handy? Offer to fix the fence that might be broken. Are you skilled with emotional support? Offer to bring over coffee while the kids are at school to talk for an hour. Do you run errands often? Offer to pick up the groceries for the family or bring home the kids from school. These tasks can save time for the military spouse and provide support so they are able to more effectively attend to other family needs. Each of these are small ways to acknowledge and support Service members and their families during deployments. Although military families are capable and resilient, we all need support and encouragement at times. Focus Term: Deployment Reference: Wenger, J. W., O'Connell, C., & Cottrell, L. (2018). Examination of recent deployment experience across the services and components. RAND Arroyo Center Santa Monica CA Santa Monica United States.
YOU CAN’T POUR FROM AN EMPTY CUP
Deployment can be a stressful and potentially dangerous experience for service members. Although most service members return with minimal impairments to daily functioning, others return with physical injuries and/or psychological problems such that they require assistance from a caregiver for activities of daily living (e.g., traveling to appointments, taking medication, practicing good personal hygiene). Caregivers are often unpaid individuals, usually family members or close friends. Because of the attention that these service members may require, caregiving can be challenging. It is common for caregivers to feel overwhelmed or even helpless due to the responsibilities that quickly accumulate. It is also common for caregivers to convince themselves that they must sacrifice themselves to take care of others. However, that type of mindset is associated with physical and emotional exhaustion among caregivers, as well as burnout. Caregivers need to take care of themselves—as the saying goes, you can’t pour from an empty cup. Here are some practical ways for caregivers to engage in self-care: 1. Ask for and accept help Asking for help is not easy, and sometimes caregivers have a hard time articulating the help they need. Try breaking down responsibilities into smaller tasks that others could easily complete (e.g., pick up medications, prepare a meal). Delegation of these small tasks may not seem like a lot, but it can provide the time necessary to allow for proper self-care and other responsibilities. 2. Emphasize personal health Caregivers need to be intentional about focusing on their own physical, mental, and emotional health. This emphasis can be accomplished in a variety of ways. These lists provide a few suggestions to consider: Physical: Get an annual physical with a Primary Care Physician. Get some exercise. Try going on regular walks or short jogs. Make minor dietary changes. Swap some unhealthy food options for healthier ones. Drink 64 ounces of water every day. Mental: Practice mindfulness to process the day (learn more about mindfulness here). Do a mental check-up. Talk to a therapist. Consider pursuing spiritual growth. Emotional: Try devoting 15 minutes for emotional expression. Journal about any thoughts and emotions, particularly those related to caregiving, to help process them. Confide in a close family member or friend for support. 3. Use available resources Resources can be found in many places, ranging from webpages to community organizations. Here are a few to check out: The Department of Veteran Affairs offers benefits for some caregivers of veterans. Visit here to see if you qualify for these programs. The VA also offers online resources, including a caregiver support line, peer mentor connections, and tips by diagnosis: Link to Source Veterans Families United is an organization dedicated to connecting caregivers to topic-specific resources: Link to Source
YOU’RE NOT ALONE: PARENTS OF SERVICE MEMBERS
YOU’RE NOT ALONE: PARENTS OF SERVICE MEMBERS ByMeredith Farnsworth Experiences commonly reported by parents of Service members include feelings of pride, fear, and concern for their child’s safety. Some parents also report that their child’s military experiences can feel like a family experience since all family members are impacted by the Service member’s physical absence. Although these experiences are normal, they can feel isolating. Parents of Service members are an important yet understudied military-connected population. Below you will find a list of resources for parents of Service members. Resources for Connecting Parents of Service Members Connecting with other parents of Service members can be a nice reminder that you’re not alone. DoD-supported resources and support groups offer ways to connect with other military-connected parents. In-person support groups may be available in some locations, while online groups (often through social media) are available to parents across the world. Connecting with other military-connected parents can give you an avenue to openly express your thoughts and feelings to others who understand the experience first-hand and receive empathetic encouragement. Ways to connect with other parents: To hear from other military parents, learn what to expect, and find community and support, visit Today's Military or Operation We are here Facebook groups (e.g., Parents of Deployed Service-Members) may be a good option to connect with other parents (or grandparents) both near and far who have similar experiences. Resources for Understanding Your Child’s Military Experience Because parents are an important source of support for their child, understanding your Service member’s military experience is important. Military culture may feel confusing at first – the endless list of acronyms, basic training, job assignments, deployments, and frequent relocations may all be unfamiliar. Fortunately, DoD provides some resources that can help you keep up with all the new information that you’ll be learning and give you ways of connecting with your Service member. Military OneSource is an excellent resource that provides information on military culture as well as practical tips, such as how to send care packages: Military OneSource RECENT STORIES Related Stories in References Crow, J. R., & Myers-Bowman, K. S. (2011). “A fear like I’ve never felt”: Experiences of parents whose adult children deployed to combat zones. Marriage & Family Review, 47, 164-195. Link to Source Crow, J. R., Myers, D. R., Ellor, J. W., Dolan, S. L., Morisette S. (2016). Military deployment of an adult child: Ambiguous loss and boundary ambiguity reflected in the experiences of parents of service members. Marriage & Family Review, 52(5), 481-509. Link to Source
PARENTING ON THE HOMEFRONT
There are endless ways to define the [stages](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/military-life-cycle/deployment) of deployment, but here is the basic breakdown: pre-deployment, deployment, post-deployment reunion. If you’re from a military family, it’s likely you’re familiar with the deployment cycle, and it goes a little something like this - the service member gets a warning order for deployment, the family prepares, the service member leaves, the family adjusts, the service member returns, the family adjusts. Those words represent stages, but what those stages are made up of is mixed emotions such as sadness, fear, and anxiety, as well as uncertainty stemming from all of the changes required to make your home function smoothly. Unsurprisingly, the deployment cycle often affects the mental health and behaviors of the family members left on the homefront. Many parents experience depressive symptoms, such as sadness, numbness, lack of motivation, sleeping too little or too much, and/or eating unhealthy. Depressive symptoms can make it difficult to accomplish daily tasks, pay attention to children’s needs, or even get out of bed. Although these depressive symptoms tend to decline as post-deployment union approaches, deployment can still have consequences on parenting behaviors. For example, parental responsiveness (e.g., cheering up a child when they are sad, making a child feel important) has been shown to decline throughout the deployment cycle, but continues to decline even after reunion. With these challenges in mind, it is not surprising that parental depressive symptoms and responsiveness can affect child behavior. Specifically, more parental depressive symptoms have been associated with more child aggressiveness and agitation as well as depression and anxiety problems. Conversely, parents who were more responsive tended to report fewer depression and anxiety problems for their children. After reading this, you probably get that deployment is hard on at-home parents. In an effort to make parenting easier throughout the deployment experience, here are a few tips for fighting sadness while also helping to enhance your responsiveness to your children. #### 1\. Journal Allowing yourself to process your thoughts and feelings in a journal can help get some of them out of your head and onto paper. Your journal might be a stream of thoughts or drawings. Each one is unique, so find what works best for you. #### 2\. Consider professional resources Professional resources, such as therapy, can be used as support before problems become too difficult. [Military Onesource](https://www.militaryonesource.mil/confidential-help/non-medical-counseling/military-onesource/free-confidential-face-to-face-non-medical-counseling) is a great place to look for a therapist that can meet your needs. #### 3\. Be consistent Consistency and structure make life predictable, which helps lower stress and feelings of chaos during deployment. In parenting, be consistent in your response through words and actions. Follow through on plans and discipline. This helps children know what to expect on a daily basis, and feel as if their parents are dependable and supportive. #### 4\. Engage in activities together Try going to the park, catching that new movie, or working on a project together at home. Engaging in activities together can foster closeness and boost morale in your home. #### 5\. Regularly praise your child Verbalize your recognition of positive behaviors, or perhaps write your child a special note acknowledging a few things they have been doing well (e.g., good grades, helping around the house). This can help promote positive internalizing and externalizing behaviors. ##### References [Flittner O’Grady, A. E., Whiteman, S. D., Cardin, J. F., & MacDermid Wadsworth, S. M. (2018). Changes in parenting and youth adjustment across the military deployment cycle. Journal of Marriage and Family, 80(2), 569-581](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/api/v1/Report?_=06262b4d-ab10-42a1-beca-91178d1ca1c0) [Link to Source](https://doi.org/10.1111/jomf.12457)
Work-Linked Couples: Navigating Schedules and Experiences
What is a work-linked couple? As the phrase implies, work-linked couples are those couples in a romantic relationship whose professional identities overlap by the couple either working together or working at the same organization. In the military, these couples are known as dual-military or mil-to-mil couples, such that both partners are service members. Recently, researchers sat down with individuals in dual-military couple relationships to better understand work-linked couples within the military. Most commonly, dual-military couples spoke about the benefits and challenges related to work-linked schedules and experiences. Work-linked schedules As any service member can attest, work schedules in the military can change on a whim. Dual-military couples are in a unique position to understand abrupt work scheduling changes. This mutual understanding may allow dualmilitary couples to better empathize with demanding and unpredictable work schedules. Nevertheless, empathy can only go so far. Dual-military couples must also balance the competing demands of work with completing personal responsibilities (e.g., attending family events, doing chores). This balance is difficult when both partners have schedules that are demanding and sometimes difficult to predict. The key to this balancing act, according to individuals in dual-military couples, is to create flexible plans. Dual-military couples can do this by: • Planning multiple date/quality time options – Think about a few different date ideas (a walk, movie at home, dinner date), and determine which activities work best for your schedules week by week. • Making a weekly chore schedule that rotates household tasks – This approach creates shared meaning about what needs to be done around the house so that each individual can pitch in as time permits. • Planning backwards – As a couple, put all the events on the calendar and then see if there are some you can take off, combine, or reduce to have more time with your significant other. Work-linked experiences Working in the military can be quite different from civilian jobs. The policies, procedures, credentials, and endless acronyms can be difficult for civilian spouses to grasp. Dual-military couples have an in-depth understanding of the military and may be better able to leverage their knowledge to support each other’s work. With that said, dual-military couples must also make a concerted effort to maintain appropriate work-family boundaries. Bringing up family concerns at work or having relationship disagreements with a partner at work can be viewed as unprofessional and may create an unpleasant work environment for fellow service members. To help manage these issues, it is important to recognize that there is a time and place for family conversations. Here are some tips to help you uphold appropriate work-family boundaries: • Designate when to have family conversations, especially difficult ones – This boundary-setting can allow dual- military couples to feel mentally prepared to have a conversation. • Designate when (not) to have work conversations – Although work and family are often intertwined, setting aside time to focus on shared leisure and enjoying down time without talking about work helps to create some boundaries between work and family time. • Consider couples therapy – Couples therapy is not only for when partners are struggling; it can also be utilized as a relationship “checkup.” A couples therapist can help guide you through difficult conversations and help provide communication skills that work for your relationship.
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE RESEARCH: WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE AND HOW ARE THEY LINKED?
Research seeks to answer different questions. Some research asks, “Is a certain medication effective for reducing depression symptoms?” Other research asks, “How does a person diagnosed with depression view their life?” Research doesn’t take a “one-size-fits-all” approach to answering such a variety of questions. Rather, research methods differ based on the question they seek to answer. Although there are many specific research strategies, most fall under two broad categories: [quantitative](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DictionaryResult?term=Quantitative%20Study) research and [qualitative](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DictionaryResult?term=Qualitative%20Study) research. These two categories seek to answer different types of questions, yet they are strongly linked to each other. _Quantitative_ (quantitative like quantity, so think “numbers”) research is the category that most people think of when they visualize research. Quantitative research seeks to answer questions about the relationship between [variables](https://militaryreach.auburn.edu/DictionaryResult?term=Variables), connect variables over time, or organize lots of data into smaller groups or categories. One trick for spotting quantitative research is that these questions are often phrased as close-ended questions. For example, “Does owning a pet enhance a person’s well being?” will have a “yes or no” answer. To answer questions in this category, numerical data are collected and analyzed for patterns, connections, and average scores. These data are often collected with many participants, sometimes as many as thousands of people. This means that findings from this large sample may be more widely applicable to the population, rather than only applicable to the people in the study. So, researchers might collect data on participants who own pets and about the participants’ well being. The findings (e.g., whether owning a pet enhances well being) may be applicable to other people outside the study who also own a pet. These studies offer a high-level understanding of what is going on, like viewing a forest from a helicopter to see all the major areas of the forest, such as the entrance and exit points. Because it offers a high-level understanding, quantitative research generally cannot explain findings with much depth. If _quantitative_ research seeks to answer questions about certain variables, qualitative research seeks to understand what those variables are in the first place. Qualitative research explores concepts, opinions, or experiences that provide an in-depth understanding regarding the topic of interest. These research questions are often open-ended, such as, “What are people’s experiences of owning a pet?” and do not have “yes or no” answers. To answer these questions, data are often collected in the form of interviews using open-ended questions or recording interactions. These methods require in-depth information to be collected, which often takes longer to gather and analyze; therefore, these studies tend to have relatively few participants compared to quantitative data, sometimes as few as ten people. So, researchers might collect data on participants who own a pet by interviewing them regarding their experience of owning a pet. The findings (what experiences people report regarding owning a pet) may be applicable to other people outside the study who also own a pet, but because there are fewer people’s experiences examined, we cannot be so sure of this. These studies offer an in-depth understanding of what is going on, like walking through the forest to see all the paths, animals, and plants, allowing us to examine the details of a variable or experience. Although quantitative and qualitative research differ from each other, they use these unique positions to inform each other. Findings from _quantitative_ research may inform what questions _qualitative_ research might ask, and findings from _qualitative_ research inform what questions _quantitative_ research might ask. In our example, _quantitative_ researchers want to know whether owning a pet enhances a person’s well being. _Qualitative_ researchers might then ask about other areas of a person’s life that might be enhanced by owning a pet. This research might find that owning a pet provides an opportunity to care for another living creature, and that care consists of responsibility, empathy, and nurturance. The findings may also provide some context for what exactly constitutes each of these variables (responsibility, empathy, and nurturance), giving some insight on how to measure them. Quantitative researchers might read these findings and think, “Interesting. Instead of only measuring well being, we should also measure responsibility, empathy, and nurturance when we study people who own pets. We might develop new ways of measuring these variables with the information provided in this qualitative study.” This informative cycle is both circular (meaning it can start with either quantitative or qualitative research) and endless (as each method both answers questions and prompts new questions). Both quantitative and qualitative research are important to understanding military and veteran families. Military REACH translates both types of research into Translating Research into Practice (T R IP) Reports for our stakeholders, including military and veteran families, helping professionals, military leadership, and policy makers. You can search for “quantitative” or “qualitative” in the dictionary on the Military REACH website to learn more about each of these research categories.
CONNECTING RESEARCH TO PRACTICE: WHAT TO KNOW
Many helping professionals work with military families in a variety of capacities, including education, prevention and intervention programming, and therapy services. As a helping professional, it can be difficult to know what the latest research recommends, as research can be difficult to access due to costs associated with it and the time it takes to interpret each study’s findings. Additionally, knowing what the general consensus is across the body of research on military family well-being may be hard to interpret by only reading a few studies. Recognizing these challenges, Drs. Lucier-Greer, O’Neal, and Mancini shared some insight on how military family science research could be and is currently being practically applied for helping professionals who work with military families. To read more about their research, explore this brief summary highlighting the key findings from their work. Families are continually changing Military families often experience similar stressors repeatedly, such as deployment and relocation. Although a family might experience the same stressor multiple times, they experience these at different points within family life. For example, a family might experience their first deployment when a child is very young, which might influence how they manage child care or parenting in that context. The same family might experience another deployment when their child is an adolescent, which might influence roles and responsibilities within the family that a much younger child would not be able to help with (such as household chores) and parenting may look very different at this age. This could change the experience of deployment for families and could make each deployment or relocation present new challenges. Helping professionals need to remember how families change over time even when events may seem similar. Military families are first and foremost families Although military families face unique challenges associated with military life, including relocations and separations, they also experience the typical challenges related to family life. For example, military families have to manage effective parenting and communication between family members. These typical family challenges often look similar across many types of families, including civilian and military families. When working with military families, helping professionals may get caught in overly-focusing on particular military challenges and forget to address core family issues. Helping professionals must remember that typical family challenges are important for military families, even in the face of unique military stressors. Incorporating all family members Many programs available to military families are designed for service members and/or their civilian partners to participate in, often with the intention of impacting the whole family system. Additionally, many programs are available for military-connected children to participate in to enhance their well-being. Although both of these programs are important to offer, there are fewer opportunities for families to participate together in education, programs, or therapy services. Including all family members can provide opportunities to address difficulties with everyone involved, such as communication. Offering education, programs, or therapy services that all family members can participate in together can enhance the overall well-being of the family in a comprehensive way. Using resources for learning about research Using resources designed to make learning research easier can help professionals take in necessary findings more efficiently to incorporate them into their practice. For example, Military REACH is a free resource that offers brief summaries that highlight key findings and implications for helping professionals. This can help directly connect research findings to everyday practice for working with military families. Although Military REACH provides many brief summaries for the most recent research, helping professionals may find a research article of interest that they would like to read, but do not have access to. Oftentimes, it is possible to request access to a research study by emailing the listed corresponding author. Although researchers cannot share the copyrighted, published version, many are allowed to share the original document of their article at no cost to you. A simple email could provide access to an article of interest, and many authors are excited for people to read their research and are happy to share their work. Serving military families through education, programming, and therapy services is an important avenue for families to feel prepared to manage the challenges associated with military life. Being aware of research-informed suggestions and finding ways to implement them in everyday practice may continue to enhance work with military families to improve their well-being.
DOES OUR RELATIONSHIP MATTER?: BEING A PARENT OF A DEPLOYED SERVICE MEMBER
HOME ABOUT MILITARY REACH LIBRARY UPDATES RESOURCES DEC 2019 DOES OUR RELATIONSHIP MATTER: BEING A PARENT OF A DEPLOYED SERVICE MEMBER ByMeredith Farnsworth The relationship with your child will likely face new challenges when your service member deploys. Though these challenges may be difficult to navigate, maintaining a positive, supportive relationship can be beneficial for your service member. Research has shown that service members who report frequent communication with their parent(s) during deployment tend to have a higher quality relationship with them. Furthermore, those service members who have a better relationship with their parent(s) generally report fewer negative mental health (e.g., symptoms of PTSD, anxiety, depression) outcomes after deployment. Here are three ways to keep the relationship with your service member/child supportive and positive during deployment. 1. Write letters and send packages In addition to modern forms of communication such as phone calls, video chats, and emails, utilizing “old school” methods such as postal mail to send letters and packages can be a special form of communication during deployment. Writing letters provides a space to be thoughtful and communicate in a meaningful way. To make it easier for your service member to respond, consider including pre-stamped envelopes when you send letters. Additionally, sending packages with items tailored to your service member’s preferences can be an excellent way to boost morale and help them feel connected to home while they are deployed. Here are some tips on writing letters and sending packages to your deployed service member: 2. Communicate frequently While opportunities for communication may be limited, a little bit of planning can help with getting in touch with one another. If possible, schedule phone calls ahead of time so both parties can be prepared and avoid “missing” each other on the phone. 3. Talk about what matters Now that you have your service member on the phone or video chat, what do you say to them? We all have been at a loss for words at one time or another, particularly when we are overcome by emotion. To foster quality communication, consider the following points of discussion when talking to your service member: Share daily happenings at home. While your daily routine may feel monotonous to you, it may help keep your service member grounded and feel connected to home. Take time to share about your day (e.g., what was going on at work, what your pet was up to). Ask about their daily happenings. Learn about what your service member’s daily life, outside of work, is like so you can better understand their experience. Although they may not be able to share many aspects of their job, it may be possible to talk about other activities that keep them occupied each day. Be honest. It’s okay to share that you feel worried about, miss, and love your service member. But, don’t forget to share excitement, joy, and warmth with them as well. Positivity is good for both of you! RECENT STORIES AMBIGUOUS LOSS AMONG MILITARY FAMILIES May 2024 MILITARY FAMILY READINESS: AN OVERVIEW April 2024 SPOUSE EDUCATION AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES: WHAT IS SECO? March 2024 Related Stories in Parents Deployment THE REALITY OF REINTEGRATION Burke, Benjamin YOU’RE NOT ALONE: PARENTS OF SERVICE MEMBERS Farnsworth, Meredith POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER AND FAMILIAL RELATIONSHIPS Tidwell, Allison References Farero, A. M., Blow, A., Bowles, R., Gorman, L., Kees, M., & Guty, D. (2019). The relationship between parent-Soldier communication and postdeployment Soldier mental health. Military Behavioral Health. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/21635781.2018.1550026 Link to Source MOBILIZING RESEARCH, PROMOTING FAMILY READINESS. Our Partners Auburn University University of Georgia Department of Defense US Department of Agriculture 203 Spidle Hall, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849 Military REACH Department of Human Development and Family Sciences (334) 844-3299 MilitaryREACH@auburn.edu Contact Us Website Feedback Stay Connected with Military REACH These materials were developed as a result of a partnership funded by the Department of Defense (DoD) between the DoD's Office of Military Community and Family Policy and the U.S. Department of Agriculture/National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA/NIFA) through a grant/cooperative agreement with Auburn University. USDA/NIFA Award No. 2021-48710-35671. Last Update: March 2024 2017 - 2024 All Right Reserved - Military REACHPrivacy Statement| Accessibility Plan