1. Watch and listen to 1) Sesame Street For Military Families Video and 2) Sesame Street and Military Deployment Story Video. From watching these two videos what have you learned about military families and deployment? How would you use these to videos in counseling/education sessions with military children?
2. After reading Chapter 3 Deployment in Social Work With Military Populations and watching Long Distance Relationships and Deployment video, explain the importance of resilience during deployments and strategies for remaining resilient.
3. Please review classmates’ discussion board posts and comment on at one classmate’s post.
4. Respond in paragraph format
please also respond to classmate below separately:
After watching the videos about military families and deployment, I have learned that it is hard for children to adjust and fully understand what their parents job is and why they’re leaving. It is important to include children in what they do. For instance, allow children to dress up in their uniform and show them what exactly it is that they do. It is very important that families have a strong and dependable support system of friends/family. Although, friends and family won’t replace that loved one that is away at work, they will be there to keep them busy and to comfort them. Having a support system is also a good thing to have especially is the deployed loved one is a single parent.
In a counseling or education session, I would use these videos to show other children that they are not the only going through this. I would remind them they are not lonely, their family loves them and they have friends to keep them company. By using these videos, it will show children that they can still keep in touch with their loved ones by sending pictures, notes/letters and gifts. Also, they can also video chat. These sessions will also allow children to express how they feel about their loved one being deployed. Also, these sessions will be used to educate children about the Military and what that job entails.
Resiliency during deployments is an important aspect to have because it teaches new things. Resiliency is described as “the ability to withstand and rebound from disruptive life challenges” (Walsh, 2003, p.1). Having this attribute creates growth, new skills and stronger relationships. It also allows the family to be strong and be able to function with their loved one being deployed. Strategies to remain resilient are to keep in contact with support systems, before and after. Prepare family and friends together with the process of deployment. Also, sustain relationships with health/mental personnel’s and social service workers.
References
Walsh, F. (2003). Family resilience: A framework for clinical practice −
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Theory and practice. Family Process, 42, 1-18.
