Counting down the days until mommy or daddy is home from deployment is one way to keep the families eye on the prize, the homecoming. There are a few different ways to have a countdown. We are going to go through our favorites today.
- A Kiss A Day while Mommy or Daddy is away. In a jar, decorated, place Hershey Kisses for every day your service member will be gone. (If you have more than one child, it would be best to have more than one jar so the jars can accurately reflect how many days are left and the kids are not fighting over the kisses.) Either every morning or every night, depending how your family decides to eat the chocolate. (Don’t worry, we will have sugarless options as well.) It’s like getting a little kiss from the deployed parent!
- Patriotic Day Down, Days to Go! Set out two flower vases or jars, in one jar place American Flags, toy soldiers, or other symbols of patriotism. The items should equal the amount of days your service member is gone. It will help your child visualize how many days are left. The visualization can make it easier on them instead of just hearing a number, 50 is a large number to a child, but seeing 50 toys isn’t as scary. It is also a good way to visualize a half way point or when the days are closer to the service member being home. (Disclaimer, you can do this with any thing, doesn’t have to be just patriotic)
- Sticker board! On one wall of your home, place either a poster board or laminated sheet with the number of days on it. For each day your service member is gone place a sticker on the number or box. You can do this one of two ways. You can go reverse as a count down to how many days or left or you can count the number of days he or she is gone. Either way works, we like the count down method though. 😉
- Mommy or Daddy Wall. Choose one wall in your house to dedicate to your service members safe return. Have two clocks on the wall, one with their time and one with your time will be helpful the kids to understand why your service member calls at weird hours or isn’t always available to Skype before their bed time. This is also a good place to hang a welcome home banner that you and your children work on through out the whole deployment. It will continue to build excitement for the home coming. We also like the idea of pockets on the wall to keep pictures, drawings, or other things to show the parent when they return. Another pocket for things the children want to send to mom and dad is a good way to encourage them to write letters or draw pictures for mom and dad to have over seas. (We also like to add a map, who says we couldn’t make this a learning experience for everyone involved!)
We understand that there are many other ways to count down the days! Feel free to comment here and add your favorite way! t
For the last twenty minutes I sat here making a list of all the attributes I feel like myself and other Military Brats possess due to the way were were brought up. We’re resourceful, we know the value of hard work, we’ve sacrificed alongside our mothers and fathers to our country, but the most important of them all is that we’ve experienced the world in a way that makes our viewpoint incredibly unique. We see purpose and meaning in everything, and in a professional world this means that we’re able to look at problems and solve them in ways that others don’t see. Military Brats want to be a part of something bigger than themselves, understand their place in the world, and strive to make a difference. This desire is something that’s embedded in our DNA. There have been times in my life where all I’ve wanted was to be inadequate, to strive for less than greatness, but my past experiences, my role-models, and my work ethic won’t let me. This need to be efficient, to make the tough decisions, and to be the best version of myself that I can be, are all a result of the way I was raised as a Military Brat. Military Brats grow up overcoming giant obstacles, which make everyday struggles less daunting. If you’re a Military Brat reading this you’re probably thinking “As much as traveling the world with my family has been an immense blessing, it has also been a curse.” We all have moved more times than we can remember, said more goodbyes than we’d ever like to, and have grown up in single parent households. 
We aren’t “normal” people: we grew up without a “hometown,” but, if you’re like me, you look back on all of this and understand that you’ve been tested unlike any of your peers. I have lost count of the amount of times I’ve thought to myself “I’ve navigated the public transportation system in several countries without knowing the language, this task is a breeze,” or “I walked 2 miles in the freezing snow to and from school every day for several months because they wouldn’t close the schools in Germany, what is x compared to that?” Since graduating college just two years ago I’ve moved to 4 different states, taken complete leaps of faith, and there’s no way I could have done that if I hadn’t moved as often as I did growing up. We understand sacrifice in a way that nobody else does, and because of this, we are the ideal team player. The best part about being a Military Brat, is that as I sat down and began to write, I couldn’t possibly narrow down all of the great qualities and experiences that have shaped my life into a concise paper that wouldn’t put the reader to sleep. Although it hasn’t come without struggle, the members of this fraternity are blessed with an abundance of experiences, unique qualities, and stories to share that make them incredibly attractive assets in the professional world. Of all my friends that I’ve met through the military, not one of them are unemployed, and I imagine they have similar stories to tell. For all of you Military Brats out there getting ready to take on the professional world, you’ve grown up with a network of fellow Brats, you’ve been professional your entire lives, now go get ‘em! -Kaelan Dorr, Army Brat
William T. Sherman once said “War is hell,” and no one knows that better than a military brat. The first time my dad deployed, I was just an infant. My mother had given me a picture keychain that I carried everywhere. I had grown so attached to the photo, and I made sure to show everyone my “Daddy.” When he returned, I ran towards him at the gate. But when he knelt down to give me a hug, I ran away and hid behind my mom. I had only ever known him as a picture. Daddy didn’t move in the photo so seeing him kneel down scared me and, quite frankly, broke his heart. It took quite a while for me to get used to him being around again
We managed to get through the rest of the nineties aside from a few trips to Bosnia. When 2001 rolled around, I knew that I was going to have to “share” him again and I was far from ready. He left for Afghanistan the day after my 12th birthday. I was such a mess that I broke out in hives for nearly a week. During that time, I had morphed into my mom’s right hand gal and a third parent of sorts. I didn’t have much of an interest in who was “going out” with who or watching Spongebob Squarepants. Instead, I spent a lot of time keeping my mom up to date on the family’s schedule, doing chores, making sure my little brother did his chores, and cooking dinner. We got one 15 minute call a week – yes, that was 15 minutes to split between 3 people. There was no skyping, and email wasn’t quite set up yet. We also weren’t allowed to know where my father was stationed. All I knew was an area on the map with a bunch of countries I couldn’t pronounce. Every time I saw a plane crash or attack on the news, my stomach would turn. The best thing I could do was bury my head in books and homework. By the time my dad’s second trip rolled around, I was so sure that I had everything under control. But I quickly learned that I definitely did not. Between juggling bullies, standardized tests, and a pretty stressful day-to-day routine, I started having panic attacks and anxiety issues. And after the first one, panic attacks became a constant thing. I was almost always on edge. A lot of my memories from 2003-2006 are pretty much a blur. My father deployed a total of 8 times in 4 years. During that time, he missed quite a bit – my transition into high school, ball games/competitions, my first formal, my first heartache, etc.
I guess what I’m trying to get across is that this life is A LOT harder than it looks. But it won’t always be like this. My family is extremely close now. My brother is my best friend, I call my parents at least 3 times a week, and we do as much bonding as we can now that we actually have a chance. Ever since his retirement, my dad has spent every moment he can with me. And for every memory he had to miss, there are now several other memories to make up for it. Sure, I could’ve wallowed in self-pity and acted out at the time but I didn’t. I chose to use it as motivation and I would like to encourage those of you with deployed parents to do the same. Take it one trip at a time, and just remember that seeing your parent on that flightline or in that airport is totally worth it. -Leah Courtney, Military Brat
2016 is a brand new year to celebrate the best moments with friends and family. One way my family and I are making 2016 better even though we are so far away from each other is writing our best memories on a piece of paper and putting them in a mason jar. Everyone in the family has their own mason jar to decorate how they like (some are leaving their jars plain and letting the memories speak for themselves.) Personally, I decorated mine with ribbon and put index cards in everyone’s to set ideas/guidelines for how to use the jars. 
You can have your card say what ever you would like it to! I also put a list of things I hope to accomplish or am looking forward to in 2016 on the back. (16 things to be exact!) Doing this as a family will help keep the optimism and fun throughout the whole year! What you will need:
- A jar, I like to use Mason Jars
- A small notepad to place memories on
- Colorful pens or stickers! (This is just a fun suggestion)
- Decorating supplies such as ribbon or glass pens
- A year full of memories to place in your jar
We cannot wait to see your jars and hear some of the memories you share! This is a great way to keep memories to share during a deployment while a parent is recovering from a severe injury. Focus on the good things that are happening rather than the stressful moments in life. x0x AnnaMaria
When was the last time you cooked at home? No, not microwaving a frozen dinner – actually cooked. If it’s been a while, you might have forgotten how great it feels to actually make a real meal in your own kitchen. Try out one of these super easy–to–make #ClassIRecipes from Guard Your Health, an Army National Guard health and wellness campaign. Here are four reasons you’ll be glad you did.
1. Save Money
It’s common to spend more than $20 on a restaurant dinner, but you can often make three or four home-cooked meals for the same price. Check out this recipe for a tuna and apple sandwich from Guard Your Health for a cheap, healthy eat. Many of the #ClassIRecipes feature budgetfriendly options ranging from $3-$7 for a family of four. That’s less than $2 per serving!
2. Know What You Are Eating
Restaurants are getting a lot better at telling you what’s in the food on their menus, but nothing beats buying, preparing, and seeing all the ingredients for yourself. When cooking at home, you’re in control of making sure you and your family are eating healthy, wholesome meals. This #ClassIRecipes breakfast option contains only five ingredients and is sure to make your mouth water.
3. Cook with Family or Friends
Cooking can be a ton of fun, especially with family or friends. Pick an easy #ClassIRecipe to make with your kids or special someone, or invite some friends over for a dinner party. #ClassIRecipes are fun to make, and even more fun to eat!
4. Save Time
Fast food is fast, but the ingredients might not be healthy. If you want a wholesome meal, you can often make it quicker than it would take you to drive to a restaurant and buy it. Try one of the #ClassIRecipes that are ready in only 30 minutes or less. Another convenient option is to make a slow cooker recipe. What’s better than your dinner cooking itself while you go about your day? This slow cooker recipe is a perfect time saver and makes more than enough for leftovers for lunch the next day.
Ready to whip up one of the #ClassIRecipes? Let us know how it turns out by posting a picture using #ClassIRecipes and tagging the Guard Your Health Facebook page or @ARNGHealth Twitter account. Happy cooking! ### Guard Your Health (www.guardyourhealth.com) is a health and medical readiness campaign for Army National Guard Soldiers and their families sponsored by the Army National Guard Chief Surgeon’s Office. Guard Your Health provides Army National Guard Soldiers with the information, motivation, and support to overcome challenges and make healthy decisions for themselves, their families, and their units. To learn more about improving your health, visit the Guard Your Health website, like “Guard Your Health” on Facebook, and follow @ARNGHealth on Twitter. For tips to max your APFT and stay mission ready, subscribe to FitText, Guard Your Health’s text message program, by texting FIT to 703-997-6747.
Our Military Kids is very thankful for the wonderful support we get from around our nation. We have individuals and corporations dedicated to our mission and helping us fund more grants, for more families. We have had a few people ask us about how to support Our Military Kids and the best way to do that, other than donating funds, is to donate your time and host a fundraiser. Something as small as a traditional bake sale, or as large a dinner event can help us greatly. In the past we have had people do marathons/runs, bake sales, PTA drives, wine events, dance-a-thons, tennis tournaments and many other unique ideas. Below you are some general steps on how to host a successful fundraiser: 1. Get the large details together. Make sure you have a date, and a backup date if you want someone from the organization to be there, have a tentative plan on how the event is going to run and what your goal is for the event. If you are doing a small fundraiser like a bake sale, keep your goal small, around $500 so if you surpass that, your whole team will feel accomplished and ready to do another event. For a larger event like a wine tasting, your goal should be around $5,000. 2. Create a budget, and stick to it. Fundraisers cost money. The old cliché, “you have to spend money to make money,” is very true when it comes to raising funds for a non-profit organization. The smaller the event, the less money you will spend, but also, the less money you will make. For events like bake sales, your budget should be at most $200 to buy ingredients for the bake sale. However, for large events like a tennis tournament, you can get more necessities donated. Right now, an individual is hosting a tennis tournament to benefit Our Military Kids. He has only had to pay for the park permits out of pocket, the food has been donated, and he has secured sponsors to pay for other expenses like trophies and marketing. Large events seem scary, but with proper planning and help from your organization, they are doable and can garner media attention and larger donations. 3. Contact the organization you are fundraising for, Our Military Kids can be contacted by email at Updates@ourmilitarykids.org. Make sure the email has the date of the event (or time period is the event is more than one day), what your target audience is, what exactly the event is, your goal and how we can help you make it a success. A lot of events ask us to send literature about our program or donations bracelets to give to people who donate extra. We can also help you create flyers or share your event on social media. If the event is a large event, we can help circulate a press release as well. 4. Book a venue. If you are hosting the event outside of your house, you will need to book the place. Whether it’s in front of a grocery store, a country club, or a restaurant, make sure you book the place well in advanced. The minimum time required is about four weeks, but if the event is larger, we suggest at least three months. For larger events, this gives you time to plan accordingly. Outside events will need permits for food and other vendors, such as music, if you have them. Make sure to check with local laws for outside events. 5. Market your event. Once you have the date, time and location, it is time to start marketing your event to your audience. For general events that can encompass the whole community, make sure to flyer at ‘Hot Spots.’ Local restaurants, grocery stores, and gyms are a great place to start. The local PTA organizations are another resource. They have the ear of other parents and if the event is kid friendly, they will be there to help. Another great way to market an event is do a digital media campaign, emails and social media can highly effective if used correctly. For help with digital marketing and use of logos, reach out to the organization again. 6. Have Fun. Your event should be fun for everyone involved. Helping a great organization while bonding with friends or co-workers should never be too stressful that you forget the mission of the organization and the reason you all got involved in the first place. We look forward to helping you host an event soon!
Military Brat: Offensive and No Longer Necessary
Before I was ever born, my father was a naval officer. My father went through medical school at UNC Chapel Hill through the Navy and when he was done became a Navy doctor. I was born in the Naval hospital in Charleston, South Carolina where I only spent about 3 months of my life. After that my father was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. This is where I spent the majority of my first five years of life and where my sister was born. When my sister and I were little, our father (though he lived with us) was not around very often. Though we didn’t understand at first, our mother taught us to be patient and to be understanding of his absence. We didn’t throw tantrums when sitting at a tea party and his beeper went off, sounding an emergency he had to rush off to. We didn’t whine when sitting at the dinner table with our nanny because our mom had to bring him something to eat at the hospital because he’d been there for two days. We learned to honor his sacrifices he made with us, his family, because we knew he was caring for other military personnel. He was serving his country with honor and we were taught to respect and honor those sacrifices ourselves. When I think of brats, I think of children who throw tantrums, who are selfish and who are not understanding. On the contrary, we as the children of past and present military personnel HAVE to be the strong, understanding ones BECAUSE of the challenges our families face. Therefore, I don’t think we should be referred to as military brats. I find it offensive and far from the bravery some children have to endure due to their familial circumstances When I am referred to as a military brat, it makes me feel like the world perceives me as feeling entitled. It makes me feel as though people seem to think I am undeservingly privileged. I know I have never fought for this country. I am not pretending that my sacrifices are anywhere near the sacrifices made by my father and other veterans. All I am saying is that we as military children do make our own small sacrifices and we are not privileged brats.
Military Brat: The Ultimate Badge of Honor
It’s hard to find any term these days that hasn’t been found offensive to some degree. While some see being called a “military brat” as an insult, I wear it as a badge of honor. My father retired from the Air Force after 28 years of service. He was a flight engineer on C-130 gunships, and was also a fellow military brat. I honestly cannot get through five minutes in a conversation without referring to myself as a military brat. My father and the squadrons he served with have been responsible for several successful missions, as well as saving the lives of fellow soldiers. I can remember sitting at his retirement party hearing all of the stories about what he taught younger airmen, and how much he would be missed. After hearing about what my father had accomplished, it was pretty difficult not to take pride in being a military dependent. So why are so many offended by being referred to as a military brat? When you look at what the term actually represents, it’s easy to see that we are not, in fact, being called “brats.” We are the kids that sometimes celebrated Christmas two weeks later because we had to wait for Mom/Dad to get home. We’re the kids that stayed up all night drawing pictures and writing letters to sneak into our parent’s bags before they shipped out in the morning. We’re the ones that sucked up the tears at school after dropping our parent off at the airport. We’re the ones that bent over backwards to help out at home in order to keep the other parent from feeling overwhelmed. We stuck by fellow “brats” to make sure we all kept our game face intact until the deployment was over, and we did everything in our power to give our parents the motivation to get home safely. The nickname serves as a reminder that I am strong, patient, thoughtful, and capable of taking on any challenge. Soldiers are not the only ones making sacrifices, and people recognize that when they think of someone being a military brat. We have a reputation, and is certainly not that we are bratty by any means. Overanalyzing the term is not worth the effort. Accept the name, and take pride in it. It means nothing more than you being a person of great strength.
– Karen Fuller
I’ve avoided writing this post for sometime…I guess because then it makes it real.
Our time together went so fast. Our youngest was really struggling with the idea of Daddy leaving again. In her mind it wasn’t Daddy leaving to be a hero, it was Mommy leaving Daddy. With that we knew she really needed the closure of attending the farewell ceremony to see him off. Being that the Army had moved the date of the farewell, this meant we would again brave a cross-country drive in order to savor every last moment together.
The morning of the farewell event my husband quietly slipped out of bed, dressed in his uniform and softly kissed my forehand before leaving. It was surreal, bleary eyed I woke to see him step out of the room, watching the door shut knowing that the kids and I were just a few short hours from having to say goodbye to our Hero.
Later that morning as we pulled up to the hangar, I could feel my heart tightening and struggled to keep the years at bay.
The ceremony was a blur. Each moment seeming frozen in time but moving on fast forward at the same time.
When the time came to say our goodbyes, we all acted as if we were trying to avoid reality. The kids slowly led their Hero throughout the hangar, holding tight, never venturing farther than fingertips reach from him.
As we walked to the car I felt like I couldn’t breathe. I watched the love and admiration that the kids had for their father, and the conflict occurring within my husband. The struggle between the duty felt to his country and the pain of leaving his loves again.
Nearing the door, our daughter wrapped her arms around her dad and softly said, “if you be brave, Daddy, I’ll be brave.” With that my heart shattered. There was such strength and sacrifice in simple words from the lips of a child.
We slowly made our way to the car, grasping at every last hug, holding tight, fearing to let go.
As we slowly drove away, leaving half of our hearts behind, we knew our journey had just begun.
*Originally written for our Newsletter, The Briefing. As a military family preparing for our second “adventure” I’ve found myself looking back through photos and notes from the first one thinking “how did we do this?” “Can we do it again?” Then I came across a couple pictures of my daughter Keira dancing and quickly remembered how blessed we are. Our Military Kids is an organization that our family will forever hold dear. With our first adventure, we found it difficult to find a way to tell our three young kids that their dad would be leaving for a year, especially our daughter Keira because she truly is “daddy’s little girl.” Then, in the mail arrived a package from Our Military Kids. Inside the package we learned that Keira was fortunate enough to be awarded a grant for her ballet lessons for the next six months! Included was a certificate for Keira, a patch, a bracelet, and a special dog tag that said “I’m proud of my military parent.” When I opened the package I was overcome by the generosity of others, and decided that this would be the perfect opportunity (if there is such a thing) to tell Keira. Our Military Kids gave us the opportunity to share the news in a way that allowed us to celebrate our service and to recognize the honor being a military family is. Through one of the most difficult conversations I could imagine, we had the opportunity to tell Keira because she is so brave, a very kind person had given her a special award, and that that award would allow for her to continue with dance while Daddy was away. Keira loves ballet, and she loves her picture taken even more. We talked about how we would be able to take a picture every weekend at ballet and send it to Daddy so that he could see how well she was doing. I even told her that we would video tape her recital that way Daddy could watch it too. Deployment is hard through the eyes of anyone, especially a child. The fear and uncertainty with which they endure is unfathomable and shows up in many different ways. The opportunity to continue ballet gave Keira something to look forward to each week and allowed her to have something that was special for just her. Each week she would send a picture to her dad and when it came time for her recital she proudly represented her military family pride. So as we embark on our second adventure, of course we’re overwhelmed and fearful, but far more importantly we are proud and grateful. We are eternally grateful for Our Military Kids and all of the donors that make deployment just a little easier for our nation’s warriors. Each donation helps shape memories, resiliency and pride in their journey. Through the support of organizations such as this, we will persevere.
Vacations are wonderful for precious family memories, and remember memories are also made during the drive to your destination. While traveling, entertaining children can be a challenge, but plenty of activities are available to help pass the time. Instead of being asked “Are we there yet?” hundreds of times, create a visual display so your child can comprehend how much time is remaining. You could string a photo of a vehicle to the roof of your car, and with each passing hour, you move the picture along a specified amount. This will be an easy way to see how far along you are in your journey. Preschool and school aged children love engaging activities so why not go fishing in the car? Before you leave, attach small magnets to the back of paper fish, and then you need to create a fishing rod by using a paper clip, string, and small pole. The paper clip will attract the magnets, and your children will have loads of fun catching fish. Unless you wish to spread the fish out on the floor of your vehicle, you should bring along a bowl or bucket to place them in. For an educational spin, you could attach questions and answers to different sides of the fish, and in order to keep it, you must give the correct answer. If your child is an adventure seeker, attach elastic string to both an action figure and a fixture in the vehicle. Now, the toy can fly and go bungee jumping. Be sure the “fly zone” is clear of anyone else…including siblings! Children enjoy photographing scenery, objects, and of course, selfies, and if you have an old phone or camera, you could give your child photography privileges for the duration of the trip. This allows children to use their imagination, and at the end of the vacation it will be fun to see the journey through your child’s eyes. Handheld toys like racecars and puzzles can be a challenge for car rides because they are frequently dropped. Consider giving your child a cooking pan with edges or a shoebox to use while playing with these items. It is much easier to balance an item in your lap than to hold several small items at once. Scavenger hunts are always excellent entertainment options for children of all ages because you can tailor the search specifically for the child. Before you leave, create a list of objects for your children to find such as a stop sign, bridge, boat, or person wearing a hat. Feel free to be creative when you create your list, and you can format your list using Bingo style, checklist, coloring book, or any way your children will enjoy. For a handheld scavenger hunt, you can create an I-Spy game by filling a jar or bottle with rice and putting in an assortment of random objects including dice, beads, doll shoes, miniature toys, coins, etc. Look around your house to see what toys your children have forgotten about, and wrap them up for a fun surprise. Children often forget about toys, and a car ride is the perfect opportunity to reunite your children with their forgotten treasures. Unwrapping the surprise is part of the excitement even if your child has had the toy for a long period. In order to store your entertainment options, you can use objects you already have. Hanging toiletry bags work wonderfully because you can place it by your child’s window or on the seat in front. Another option for smaller objects is a muffin pan with an attachable top. Before you leave on your next vacation, take a few minutes to plan entertainment options that your child will enjoy. Spending a few minutes beforehand planning different activities will provide hours of entertainment in the car and could create for lasting memories. Valerie handles media relations for Caliber Collision, and in her spare time, she enjoys swimming, traveling, baking, and playing with her puppy, Emma. Some of her favorites include Taylor Swift, Coke Zero, and The Good Wife, and she enjoys living life to the fullest but also making time to enjoy the small moments.
