Week 4: Parenting in Military Families It was frustrating. I wanted to scream half the time. He was in the Gulf and I had to take care of my two daughters, one who was rebellious. Every time I set a c

Week 4: Parenting in Military Families

It was frustrating. I wanted to scream half the time. He was in the Gulf and I had to take care of my two daughters, one who was rebellious. Every time I set a consequence, she would e-mail her father and he would placate her. She played the two of us off each other. When he came home, he would end her grounding early so he could enjoy her time. It made a mess of things. Having to raise two girls alone for the most part was hard enough. Having him negate me almost broke us until we found a way to parent across the world.—Kristin Wilkinson, Former Navy Spouse(Laureate Education, 2014a)

This week, you will explore issues related to parenting in military families.

Learning Objectives

Students will:

• Analyze parenting in military families
• Evaluate approaches to providing parenting support
• Evaluate stressors
• Apply parenting strategies

Learning Resources

Required Readings

Cohen, E., Zerach, G., & Solomon, Z. (2011). The implication of combat-induced stress reaction, PTSD, and attachment in parenting among war veterans. Journal of Family Psychology, 25(5), 688-698.Department of Veterans Affairs Mental Health Services and Department of Defense National Center for Telehealth and Technology. (n.d.). Parenting for service members and veterans. Retrieved June 16, 2014, from http://militaryparenting.t2.health.mil/DeVoe, E. R., & Ross, A. (2012). The parenting cycle of deployment. Military Medicine, 177(2), 184-190.Sullivan, M. E. (2013). Introduction to the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act. Family Law Quarterly, 47(1), 97–135. Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.Gewirtz, A. H., Pinna, K. M., Hanson, S. K., & Brockberg, D. (2014). Promoting parenting to support reintegrating military families: After deployment, adaptive parenting tools. Psychological Services, 11(1), 31-40.Reschke, K. (2013, May 14). Insights from a military parent (part 1): The power of hearing their stories [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/2013/05/14/insights-from-a-military-parent-part-1-the-power-of-hearing-their-stories/Reschke, K. (2013, May 28). Insights from a military parent (part 3): Why I’m reluctant to talk to you [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/2013/05/28/insights-from-a-military-parent-part-3-why-im-reluctant-to-talk-to-you/Reschke, K. (2013, June 4). Insights from a military parent (part 4): Responding to misbehavior with compassion [Blog post].Retrieved from http://blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/2013/06/04/insights-from-a-military-parent-part-4-responding-to-misbehavior-with-compassion/

Required Media

Laureate Education (Producer). (2014a). The challenges of parenting in military families. [Video file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.Note: The approximate length of this media piece is 6 minutes.Accessible player --Downloads--Download Video w/CCDownload AudioDownload TranscriptLaureate Education (Producer). (2011). Family counseling [Multimedia file]. Baltimore, MD: Author.

Discussion 1: Parenting

Parenting can be challenging in any family. There are trials and tribulations related to issues such as parenting styles, life, and development stages. In military families, there are often unique challenges to consider. Reflect upon your knowledge about military culture and think about the challenges that can arise.

Review the media,The Challenges of Parenting in Military Families, in which military families talk about the challenges and successes of their parenting experiences during their military lives.

By Day 3

Post an explanation of what resonates most with you about the parenting challenges discussed in the media. How might you discuss the challenges and successes related to parenting with a family member who was seeking support? Explain whether your approach would be different if the individual was a parent or extended family member with custody of the military children, and explain how.

Read a selection of your colleagues’ posts.

By Day 5

Respond to two or more colleagues with support or alternative recommendations.

Return to this Discussion to read the responses to your initial post. Note what you have learned and/or any insights you gained as a result of the comments your colleagues made.