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Tag: Impact

Child hugging military father

Children & Deployment – How to Help Them Cope

The effects of deployment on children can vary depending upon their age. Even children that have gone through a deployment before can react differently to the next one.

Here are some typical behaviors that occur:

  • Sadness, anger and anxiety
  • Problems sleeping and/or eating
  • Acting out
  • Sucking their thumb again
  • Being clingy and requiring lots of reassurance and encouragement

Remember to give your child the same patience and emotional support you give yourself. Even little babies know that the household has changed.

How do you help them cope?

  • Talk about the deployment before it happens. Have a family meeting!
  • Assure them they are loved and will still be taken care of
  • Don’t relax discipline
  • Don’t hide your emotions
  • Give plenty of hugs, kisses and reassurances
  • Answer their questions

There are also LOTS of activities you can do with your children. Like writing letters to the deployed parent, communicating through email and/or video (if available), looking at videos that are pre-recorded and looking through pictures.

Visit your local Fleet and Family Resource Center for information and resources to help your family through deployment.

Our Virtual COMPASS Session will also provide you with a wealth of knowledge and power to help you succeed. Sign up today!!

SIGN UP FOR COMPASS
a collection of smaller hearts creating one large heart with tiny hearts straying out of its edges

Valentine’s Day – Tips to Thrive While Your Loved One Is Away

For many military spouses, Valentine’s Day can be one of those tough deployment moments. You are sailing through like a champ and then suddenly your social media feed feels full of happy couples sharing romantic moments that make Hallmark Movies seem amateur and the reality that you are “alone” hits hard. So what is a military spouse to do? Thankfully the internet doesn’t just provide us with moments to envy but ideas to embrace! Naval Services FamilyLine has gathered a few ideas to help you cruise through the heart holiday moments with grace!

Remember the Reunion!! Keep your eyes on the prize – homecoming will arrive, so plan a romantic dinner or another special way to celebrate once your special someone gets home.

Celebrate with other loved ones! Children love Valentine’s Day – anything celebrated with sweets and a craft makes children happy. If you don’t have children, set up a virtual gathering with family or friends – put on something red and let them know they are loved.

Send a care package! Even if it won’t arrive on time, your service member will surely enjoy getting a package or even a letter filled with LOVE from home!

Indulge yourself with something you love! A long hot bath with bubbles, a decadent dessert, or a movie marathon of romantic comedies or action-adventure! Doing anything that rejuvenates your soul is a great way to spend Valentine’s Day!

A quick internet search or visit to Pinterest is a great way to find more ideas and specific ways you can make Valentine’s Day special even during deployment!

However you choose to celebrate, we hope you feel loved and know that Naval Services FamilyLine has the resources you need to live this best life!

Credo & ePrep written in pink next to pink roses and the NS FamilyLIne logo

CREDO & ePREP

CREDO and ePREP know that “love takes learning” and with this program you can learn from the failures and successes of thousands of people.

You will learn the communication and conflict management skills to talk without fighting about your key relationship issues, you will learn how to protect and preserve fun and friendship and you will enhance your commitment and love for each other.

WHAT IS ePREP?

PREP (Preventiontion and Relationship Education Program)

Over 40% of married couples will divorce, and 31% of married people report being unhappy in their marriages.

  • Couples can learn how to talk without fighting
  • Keep friendship and fun alive
  • Beat the odds of relationship difficulties.

To learn more about the ePrep program, visit: https://www.lovetakeslearning.com/

What is CREDO?

(CREDO), a Chief of Navy Chaplains sponsored relationship enrichment program, was established in 1971 to help improve job performance and enhance quality of life for active-duty service members and their families.

https://www.cnic.navy.mil/content/cnic/cnic_hq/regions/cnrma/om/religious_programs.html

A Donate Pile & Keep Pile of Clothhing for the PCS Purge

PCS Purge Benefits & Tips

What are the benefits of purging some items before you PCS?

The biggest one….it reduces your weight limit! Every service member has a certain weight allowance and if your HHGs are over that limit, you have to pay the difference.

Another benefit of purging is it helps you to downsize and free up some space. Every duty station has different BAH and home sizes and by getting rid of some extra stuff, you free up some space (in case your home may be smaller).

If you are selling or renting your home before you move, purging helps to declutter and stage the home for pictures. It creates a great opportunity for potential buyers/renters to see your beautiful home!

Some helpful tips for the “PCS Purge”:

  1. Find a good balance–don’t look at your whole home and think “everything must go!” Pinpoint certain areas that have more clutter than others and start there. Then move onto other areas that may need some decluttering.
  2. Look at your items and give a good think on if it’s something you really need or use. Does it make you happy?
  3. If you have multiples, get rid of one!
  4. Go through closets (of everyone in the home) and get rid of clothes that don’t fit, you never wear and ones that need to be updated.

Learn more tips and tricks like these in one of our Virtual COMPASS Sessions!

https://nsfamilyline.org/compass-registration

Historical-Photo

Letters from Sailors

Have you visited the Naval History and Heritage Command website? It is FULL of history and pictures! We found some neat letters from James Wright and Charles W. “Bill” Cooper. Check it out!

“The Archives Branch maintains the personal papers of James Wright and Charles W. “Bill” Cooper, two Sailors who served in the Pacific during World War II. Both men wrote frequently to their families back home. The letters published here capture their thoughts and feelings about the end of the war, their activities following the cessation of hostilities, and their eagerness to return home. Some of the letters also describe the activities of their families on the homefront.”

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/research/archives/digital-exhibits-highlights/vj-day/letters.html

Here are a few more photos of Sailors reading their letters from home!

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-122000/NH-122893.html

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-43000/NH-43384.html

A collection of historical Navy Wifeline magazines and an ancor platelet arranged nostalgically on a table

Throwback Thursday – NSFL History

History of Naval Services FamilyLine

In 1965, a group of Navy wives wanted to establish an organization that would reach and support Navy spouses in remote locations. From that initiative, the Navy WifeLine Association was born. Working out of a small office on the Washington Navy yard, this dedicated group of women began publishing a quarterly newspaper and providing vital information and assistance to spouses relocating overseas. From this small vision, they built the groundwork for what would develop into a worldwide family support network. Despite only being 5 years old when the Ombudsman program was established in 1970, the Chairman of Navy WifeLine was appointed to serve as the Navy-wide Family Ombudsman-at-Large by the Chief of Naval Operations and continued to serve in that position until 2007. The Association and its mission continued to expand and develop and in September of 1999, the name was changed to Naval Services FamilyLine to reflect the changes in today’s sea services. With the support of Navy leadership, along with the financial support of the Navy League, military spouses’ clubs worldwide, and other organizations, Naval Services FamilyLine has continued to grow and flourish.

We currently have 8 Guideline Series Publications, COMPASS and CORE programs, NSLEC (Naval Spouse Leadership and Ethics Course), in addition to Anchors Aweigh, an online resource for new spouses. As we follow the legacy of those Navy spouses 55 years ago, Naval Services FamilyLine seeks to embrace the rapidly changing world we live in and to accomplish our mission to “empower sea service families to meet the challenges of a military lifestyle with information, resources, and mentoring”. This mission continues to drive a dedicated group of volunteers around the world to deliver high quality publications and courses to the sea service spouse community.

Please visit our website to download our Publications, explore our Courses, and connect with Naval Services FamilyLine Volunteers. Don’t forget to download the MyNavy Family App for even more great resources!