Childhood Traumatic Grief and Military Children

Children in military families are incredibly resilient and typically thrive among supportive family and friends who understand their needs. But there are times when their resilience is tested.  Sadly some children and teens will not have the wished for reunion with their military family member or friend, but instead will have to deal with the death of this special person. Others will have a reunion only to lose the person to a devastating death days, weeks or months later due to self injury or other military related causes.

General Tips for Communicating with Children of All Ages on Deployments

Be careful about how you share emotions with children. Some parents share too much (losing control in front of kids) or share too little (no emotion or giving the message that you can’t talk about it).  Children take their cues from you.

Keep up the routine. Activities, such as games, schooling and bed times, are important to keep regular.  Continue to celebrate birthdays or other special occasions with enthusiasm.

Over 3 Million Americans Have Had a Spouse or Parent Deploy Since 9/11

For ten years, these unsung heroes--your neighbors, coworkers and friends--have shouldered the burdens of war with the same strength and resilience as their loved ones fighting overseas. As the last U.S. troops leave Iraq this month, their families especially need our urgent support this holiday season to face the challenges that still lie ahead.

That’s why today IAVA is launching a new program for military families inspired by the findings in our latest issue report Unsung Heroes: Military Families After Ten Years of War. Be the first to read the report online and spread the news to your friends and family.

The Military Child: Research, Education and Consultation

Since its establishment in 2006, the Child and Family Program (CFP) of the Center for the Study of Traumatic Stress (CSTS) has been conducting research to advance scientific knowledge and clinical interventions that address the needs of children and families affected by trauma, especially military children and families.  The focus of CFP research is on the impact of war, including deployment stress, parenting and family function and the impact of war injuries on military children and families. In addition to research, CFP provides education and consultation to the military healthcare system and its leadership, national media outlets, professional organizations and projects dedicated to helping families and children affected by traumatic events, particularly the military child.

VeteranCaregiver.com New Web Site

VeteranCaregiver.com launched in May 2010 and has added many new interactive features and has plans for more in the coming weeks. 

Click here to go to the web site.

DCoE, Sesame Workshop Unveil When Families Grieve

In honor of the April recognition of Month of the Military Child, this issue focuses on the impact of military service on military children and highlights the resources, collaborations and research that have been developed to assist this “small” yet “mighty” important audience.  

The Defense Centers of Excellence for Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury (DCoE) and Sesame WorkshopTM have teamed up again, this time to release When Families Grieve — a program designed to help families with children ages two to eight cope with the death of a loved one. In the past eight and a half years, more than 12,000 military children have experienced the death of a parent. Grieving is a family experience and, thus, the entire family needs support during this difficult process.