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Volume 25, April 2014

Month of the

Military Child

SOLDIER & FAMILY TOOLKIT 1/34 ARMORED BRIGADE COMBAT TEAM

Free ACT Prep

Page 7

Spring Cleaning

Page 12

Summer Camps

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The intent of this toolkit is to provide you with available events, deals, resources, and important information. Please take a few minutes to glance at these resources and visit a few sites!

IN THIS ISSUE 3 BEYOND THE YELLOW

RIBBON EVENTS & DEALS

4 MONTH OF THE MILITARY CHILD

6 ART CONTEST

7 TUTOR.COM/ACT PREP

8 YOUTH CAMPS

9 PARENTING MILITARY KIDS

11 MILITARY KIDS TOOLKIT

12 HEALTHY MONEY HABITS

15 RESOURCE LINKS

16 FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTERS

APRIL 15, 2014

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Check out the Beyond the

Yellow Ribbon website and

sign up for exclusive email

updates on monthly local

Beyond the Yellow Ribbon

events and deals.

Purple Up! at the Rotunda When: April 15, 9 a.m.

Where: Rotunda, St. Paul Capital

About: Come to the St. Paul State Capital on April 15th and

"Purple Up!" in support of the military youth whose parents are

deployed. Help stage the largest Minnesota Purple Up! photo.

More Info: Flyer

Celebrating Month of the Military Child in April When: April 15, 2014

About: Proudly show your support of Minnesota's Military Kids

during April's Month of the Military Child! One way you can

show your support and thank our military kids for their strengths

and sacrifices for our country is to wear purple on Tuesday,

April 15, 2014 for Purple Up Day.

More Info: Flyer

Spiritual Care for Veterans and their Families When: April 24, 2014

Where: St. Paul Area Council of Churches, St. Paul

About: Free conference for clergy, chaplains, congregational and

parish nurses, BeFrienders, Stephen Ministers, or anyone else

involved in spiritual care. More Info: Flyer

Free Military Marriage Retreat When: April 25 to 27, 2014

Where: Miracle Lodge, Stewartville

About: Operation Welcome Home offers several faith-based

retreats to provide encouragement, hope, and inspiration to vet-

erans and their spouses and families. More Info: Flyer

Mothers and Grandmothers Luncheon When: April 26, 11:30 a.m.

Where: St. Michaels Church, Farmington

About: St. Michaels Church is hosting their 6th Annual Mothers

and Grandmothers of Military Servicemembers Luncheon.

Please RSVP by April 14th. More Info: Flyer

Joining Community Forces - Minnesota Meeting When: April 5, 8 a.m.

Where: Southwest Minnesota State University, Marshall

About: You are cordially invited to Joining Community

Forces - Minnesota. The goal of JCF-MN is to collaborate

and synchronize community resources to support veterans,

Servicemembers and their families. This will be accom-

plished by educating the participants on federal, state and

community resources.

More Info:Save the Date, Agenda and How to Register

Tuition Discounts for Your Family at Rasmussen When: Enrollment starts immediately Classes start April 8

Where: Rasmussen Colleges

About: Military family members can save 10% on tuition at

Rasmussen College for a limited time. In addition to a 10%

discount, family members can also benefit from flexible

courses, student support, in-demand programs, and financial

aid options. More Info: Flyer

Celebrate When: April 12, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Where: Open Book Center, Minneapolis

About: The twelve finished works, from Part 1 and Part 2,

will be shown as an art installation with the dance response

at a special fundraising evening.

More Info: Flyer Registration

Harlem Globetrotters - Special Military Offer When: April 12, 1 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Where: Target Center, Minneapolis

About: The Globetrotter's one-of-a-kind family show fea-

tures mesmerizing ball handling, an assortment of trick

shots, high-flying dunks, and precise timing - all with an

array of comedy guaranteed to entertain the young and the

young at heart. More Info: Flyer

HOME FRONT EVENTS & DEALS

www.BeyondTheYellowRibbon.org

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MONTH OF THE

MILITARY CHILD

April is Month of the Military Child and was first celebrated in April 1986 under former Sec-retary of Defense Caspar Weinberger. The MOMC recognizes Military Chil-dren and Youth for the sacrifices they make so their parents can serve our Nation. In addition, it reinforces to Military Children and Youth that they play an integral role in supporting their Ser-vice member. Please help us spread the word to local communities about MOMC and Purple Up! Day. In Minnesota, Military Kids are often invisible to their local schools and communi-ties. Promoting MOMC provides a safe environ-ment for Military Kids to self-identify.

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Enter Senator Franken’s Poetry Contest Encourage your child to write a poem about being a military child! Enter the Poetry Contest. Senator Franken is hosting his 3rd Annual Poetry contest in April. The theme of this year's contest is "Celebrating the Veteran in My Life." Poems must be submitted by April 18, 2014 to poetry@franken.senate.gov

1st Annual MOMC Art Contest Encourage your youth to explore their creative sides and sub-mit an entry to the State Family Programs Office. The art pro-ject can be their best drawing of a tank, a plane, or a shadow box answering the question, “A Day in the Life of a Military Kid, what does being a Military Kid mean to you?” There are four age categories, K-2nd Grades, 3rd-5th Grades, 6th-8th Grades, and 9th-12th Grades. Prizes will be awarded for each cate-gory. Entries will be accepted from April 1st-30th and can be sent to Child and Youth Programs, 8180 Belden Blvd, Cottage Grove, MN 55016.

HOW CAN WE CELEBRATE

MILITARY CHILDREN?

“Purple Up Day!” at the Capitol Come to the State Capitol in St. Paul on April 15th and "Purple Up!" in support of the military youth whose parents are deployed. Help stage the largest Minnesota Purple Up! Photo. Meet us at the Rotunda at 9:00am.

“Purple Up Day!” Wear purple on April 15th! Purple Up is another way the community and schools can show support during April. Communities and schools are encouraged to wear purple on April 15 to show their support. Take a picture in purple and have it posted on our FaceBook page in celebration of Month of the Military Child. Please send pictures to Laura Groeneweg, laura.l.groeneweg.ctr@mail.mil

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MILITARY YOUTH CAMPS

This is only a portion of the wonderful

opportunities that are offered to our

youth!

Be sure to check out www.beyondtheyellowribbon.org/youth-camps

Contact Laura 651-268-8695 or

Moriah 651-268-8378

For any questions about

Youth Programs and Camps!

Camp Gratitude A weeklong, rustic camping experience for military fami-lies with children between ages 5-11 who have experi-enced deployment in the past three years. The 2012 Camp Gratitude event will be held at the Veterans Camp Ground on Big Marine Lake. Because of increased popularity of the camp in recent years, it's recommended applications be submitted early. Dates: June 20 to 27, 2014.

Tween Overnights Military youth ages 9-13 can spend the night at the Minnesota Zoo and other fantastic locations to network with other military teens and learn how animals are resilient. Dates: July 12-13, Sleeping with the Wolves, International Wolf Center, Ely Aug. 22-23, Minnesota Zoo, Apple Valley Camp Onomia Extended weekend is a gift to families who have a parent serving in the armed services for our country. It is a tremendous opportunity for support and family fun on a weekend which celebrates our national heritage. Combined with prayer and worship in the Christian community that Onomia provides, this is a weekend you will come back for year after year. No cost for this weekend, donations accepted as you are able. Dates: July 2-5, 2014 Defending the Blue Line Youth Hockey Camps Nearly a dozen camps, located throughout the nation, are available for free or at a discount for military youth. The camps are one of many ways Defending the Blue Line ensures that children of Service-members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. Check the website for dates: http://www.defendingtheblueline.org/programs/camps/

Project New Hope Weekend retreat for veterans and their families to help them face the challenge of transition from war to civilian life. Choose from four different retreat locations in Minnesota, each nestled among wood-lands, lakes, wetlands and wide-open spaces. Check the website for dates: http://www.projectnewhope.net/locations/USA/Minnesota/location_minnesota.aspx

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PARENTING MILITARY

CHILDREN TAMI ESTES –SOUTHERN MN FRSA

If you have children, you have heard the phrase “Kids are resil-ient, especially Military Kids!” Can I be honest for a moment? There was a time during all the pre-deployment and integra-tion events that I would get tired of hearing this phrase, but the more I actually understood what resiliency is, the more I agree with it. A little background about my children and my military family- Our family has been through four deployments with my hus-band and five with my brother, who is active duty. My two oldest children, at the tender ages of 11 and 10, have been through all of these with the exception of one from each Sol-dier! My 7 year old daughter has been through 2 with Daddy and her Uncle gone. This past Christmas was the first time in years that we got to celebrate both Soldiers being home at the same time, it seems that the Army schedule always wanted my guys to overlap. People say to me all the time, “Oh, I’m sure since you’ve been through so many, it just gets easier?” My answer is usually something along the lines of, “Actually, from a parenting point of view it gets harder.” When we went through our first de-ployment with kids, the boys were 14 months and 1 month old. Yes, it was tiring as any new mom adding a second child would be, but from a deployment stand point it was the easiest, even more so than the one deployment when it was just me! Now, I know that each person deals with deployments in their own way, so please don’t take it as I feel that it should be a breeze to everyone with young children or being a newlywed with your husband deployed. My experience of having 3 children in 3 different activities, on the same night, all within 15 minutes of each other is what exhausted me. The “meet the teacher” nights, explaining three times to three different teachers how Daddy is gone and it may/may not affect the school year. The Christmas concerts that were attended by the whole family without my husband, and having to comfort my daughter be-cause Daddy missed seeing her in her beautiful, new, sparkly dress. We all have our lists that we can each add to this!

For additional Military Kid parenting per-

spectives, check out MilitarySpouse.com.

The picture above is from their article en-

titled, “When Daddies Dance,” by Morgan

Slade.

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Continued. It’s easy to see how resilient children can be during times of deployment; they learn new coping mechanisms and how to get through the routine of the day without their Soldier, but what about when

that Soldier has been home for a while? We are part of the Guard family, which means our Soldiers serve once a month (I didn’t say weekend, because there are a lot of extended weekends) and for AT during the summer. It doesn’t matter what age a child is, when he walks into the front room and sees the sea of camouflage, as his Daddy is going through his packing list for AT, there are feelings stirred up! MN does have Soldiers and families going through the beginning of that deployment cycle, but for the most part we are in that “Steady State of Readiness”. It’s important to remember that even though the Brigade has been home for almost 3 years now, children- like adults- has their own timeline for when that “new normal” occurs. You may still be experiencing problems in school, disconnection between the Soldier/child, regression of bedwetting at night- this can all still be normal behaviors! As mentioned above, our Soldiers are still drilling each month which means they are still missing important events; such as the dance recitals, birthdays, Father’s Day, graduations, ball tourna-ments, and the list goes on…. We, as the non-military parent, are still explaining to the little friend, “Yes, her Daddy is home, but he’s at drill” (which we all know opens up a whole new conversation with school age children!) I encourage you to talk with your children about how they are feeling with our unique military lifestyle. How do they feel reintegration has gone for themselves and for the family as a whole? Ask how the last deployment has made them a different/better person? Discuss if they DO have any feelings come up when they see Dad/Mom pack-ing for drill weekend. For those children that have not experienced a deployment, it may be harder for them to deal with Dad/Mom being gone for those important events during drill- make sure that you acknowledge their feel-ings and talk with them about it because their feelings are valid. Often time’s children get left out of the biggest family conversations; we all need to remember that just because they are young they also have a voice! April is the Month of the Military Child; consider doing something special in recognition for YOUR military child! Take advantage of the highlights in this Tool Kit to help recognize your child, you could even take it to a more per-sonal level with doing something special, like an ice cream date to say “Thank you. YOU are appreciated!” Remember, our military kids really are the silent heroes that serve, too!

TAMI ESTES –SOUTHERN MN FRSA

PARENTING MILITARY

CHILDREN

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Last month’s healthy money habit was building emergency funds. One of my primary strategies for doing this was selling stuff. There are many ways to do this and I will outline my personal experiences.

Craigslist: When Craigslist works well, it is wonderful. When it doesn’t, it can be time-consuming. Some things to consider are pick up time and location and methods of communication. Al-ways arrange for pick ups to be in a safe place and ideally as a part of your normal schedule. I have had multiple no-shows or people that are late, so I generally don’t go out of my way any-more. Usually transactions should be fairly large, otherwise the process is not worth the hassle. A down side is that it can be easy to under-price items. If something sells in a few hours, chances are it would have sold for a higher price. The best part is that us-ing the site is free and simple.

Ebay/Half.com/Amazon: Ebay is great for high value easy to ship “niche” items. There is a learning curve. Half.com and Amazon are good for books and other media items. Beware of shipping. All of these sites charge fees. One of the benefits to Amazon is that they offer fulfillment services, which can dramatically reduce your hassle and your profits.

Etsy/Pinterest: Some people have hobbies that simply get out of hand. In some situations, Etsy or Pinterest may be ways of selling these items. I personally have never sold or bought on these sites, but I really enjoy looking at them. These sites are for sellers with amazing photography skills. They also cross into the tax ter-ritory of going from a hobby to a small business, so you will need to keep good records. Consignment Shops: These tend to be the least hassle and have the least monetary return. Very little of your time is required and you don’t have to arrange meetings, store the items or set up a space. This is a good venue for antiques, clothing, or children’s items that need a new home quickly. The best part is that stor-age is free.

Interest Group: These are good places to sell very specific items like hockey gear on a bulletin board of your local hockey associa-tion .

HEALTHY MONEY HABITS

SPRING CLEANING CRISTY HOUSE –NORTHERN MN FRSA

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Garage Sales: These can be time and space con-suming, but when they go well, they are fabu-lous. I have never heard of a sale having too many signs or the prices marked too clearly. Neighborhood sales tend to draw more people. I have had sales go really well and others go terribly with weather and timing being one of the biggest factors. Preparation is key and plan that people will show up early. I have had peo-ple stop by at 6 am on the day of a sale. I also suggest having a space heater near the checkout table because it can be cold. If you are selling chil-dren’s items, make sure to have nearby parking. Your best customer may be a mom with small chil-dren in the car napping.

Craft Sale: I did craft sales for several years and these are great places to sell certain items. They are also time-consuming, but the venue is provided for you. The customers are provided as well, but there is a lot of competition for their business. There are fees to have tables at events. You also have to be careful about spending your profits at other tables at the events. Family or Friends: This may be a good way to sell certain things depending on your relationship with individuals. The nice part is that it can be pretty easy to coordinate pick ups. Pricing can be an issue though. Some buyers expect to get a good deal and some sellers overvalue their items. Have a plan for if large items break. I know of a situation where relatives bought a car from one another and the transmission broke shortly after. The situation put a strain on their relationship for years. Facebook Group: These are springing up all over the place and are a really good option if the item photographs well.

HEALTHY MONEY HABITS

SPRING CLEANING CRISTY HOUSE –NORTHERN MN FRSA

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RESOURCE LINKS ARMY / NATIONAL GUARD minnesotanationalguard.com armyonesource.com militaryonesource.mil CHILDREN ADAPT: cehd.umn.edu/fsos/adapt operationwearehere.com mnchildcare.org ausa.org/family mdva.state.mn.us/child guardfamilyyouth.org militarykids.org DISCOUNTS beyondtheyellowribbon.org military.com/discounts/category EDUCATION education4military.com gibill.va.gov militaryonesource.mil militarychild.org EMPLOYMENT esgr.org mn.gov/deed FMLA: dol.gov/whd/fmla HEALTH / MENTAL HEALTH tricare.mil militarymentalhealth.org Counseling 24/7: militaryonesource.mil MARRIAGE AND RELATIONSHIPS Marriage Retreats: strongbonds.org militaryonesource.mil PARENTS OF SOLDIERS bluestarmoms.org operationwearehere.com/Parents.html PET CARE dogsondeployment.org netpets.org guardianangelsforsoldierspet.org SPOUSES & SIGNIFICANT OTHERS militarysos.com spousebuzz.com milspouse.com msccn.org nationalmilitaryspousenetwork.org STRESS MANAGEMENT militaryonesource.mil defense.gov/specials/stressawareness

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