Ways family child care providers can support young children in military families as they deal with stresses of military life

1. Helping Young Children Handle
the Changes of Military Life:
The Role of the Early Childhood
Professional
This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture,
and the Office of Family Policy, Children and Youth, U.S. Department of Defense under Award No. 2010‐48869‐20685.

2. TODAY’S TOPICS
• Changes faced by children in military
families
• Effects of stress on the developing
brain
• Strategies to help children handle the
stresses of military life
• Communication with military families

3. BRAINSTORMING
• What do you know about the
experiences of children in military
families?
• What changes and transitions do
children in military families typically
face?
• How might these changes affect
young children?

4. MAJOR CHANGES IN
MILITARY LIFE
• Permanent Change of Station (PCS)
• Deployment
• Reunification
• Parental injury
• Death of service member
• Other changes

5. CHILDREN IN MILITARY
FAMILIES FACE STRESS
is any external stimulus that
threatens the normal balance of
equilibrium in the body

6. THE STRESS RESPONSE
• Stressors cause changes in the brain
» Release of cortisol
» “Fight or flight” response
» Increased heart rate and blood pressure
» Highly focused attention
• Primitive parts of the brain take over

7. LEVELS OF STRESS
• Positive Stress
» Everyday experiences
• Tolerable Stress
» More challenging stressors
» Presence of supportive
adult(s)
• Toxic Stress
» Extreme stresses
» Absence of support

8. DANGERS OF TOXIC STRESS
• Fewer brain connections
• Persistent hyper-arousal
• Impulsivity and aggression
• Reduced ability to learn

9. KEY FACTORS THAT
MITIGATE STRESS
• Loving, responsive,
consistent relationships
• Safe environments
• Consistent routines and
expectations
• Experience regulating
positive stresses

10. ADULT-CHILD INTERACTION
THE “STILL FACE” VIDEO
(See http://www.zerotothree.org/child‐
development/early‐childhood‐mental‐health/
to view this video)

11. STRESS IN CHILDREN
FROM MILITARY FAMILIES
• Multiple changes in caregivers
• Leaving behind what is familiar
• Adapting to new environments
» Family and home
» Community
» Child care
• Stress in adults
• A parent who comes home “different”

12. CHANGES IN PARENT-
CHILD RELATIONSHIPS
AFTER DEPLOYMENT
• Unexpected developmental changes
• Changes in family routines
• Young children with little memory for
parent
• Stranger anxiety
• Confusion and stress

13. HOW CHILDREN RESPOND TO
STRESSES OF MILITARY LIFE
• All children need extra emotional
support
• Each child adapts to change differently
» Withdrawal
» Aggression
» Regression
• Some children are more
resilient than others

14. STRATEGIES TO
SUPPORT CHILDREN IN
MILITARY FAMILIES
• Create a positive environment
• Provide support for individual children
• Build relationships with families
• Help connect children
with the deployed parent

15. CREATING A POSITIVE
ENVIRONMENT
Establish and follow regular routines
Create a safe, peaceful environment
Choose developmentally appropriate
activities
Set and enforce limits
Provide opportunities to
express feelings through play

16. SUPPORTING INDIVIDUAL
CHILDREN
Build a secure attachment
Identify and respond to
individual needs
Label children’s emotions
Be prepared for a child to enter or
leave your home suddenly
Support children through transitions

17. BUILDING SECURE
ATTACHMENT
• Be nurturing
• Be respectful
• Be consistent
• Be dependable
• Be patient

18. LABELING EMOTIONS
• Help children identify and name
feelings (sad, angry, lonely,
excited, etc.)
• Identify both positive
and negative emotions
• Avoid telling children
they are “okay”

19. IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL
NEEDS
Take time to observe the child’s
behavior and mood
Respond to non-verbal cues
Communicate with families

20. CONNECTING CHILDREN TO
A DEPLOYED PARENT
• Ask the parent to
record a story for the
child before leaving
• Create a photo book of
the child with the parent
• Allow for electronic
communication
• Encourage the child to
create art or stories for
the parent

21. EVERYDAY COMMUNICATION
WITH FAMILIES
• Establish a relationship
from the beginning
• Have an open door policy
• Exchange information
with families
• Suggest activities for
parent and child to do
together

22. SUPPORTING FAMILIES
DURING TIMES OF STRESS
• Talk with parents prior to deployment
• Check in daily during transitions
• Get to know grandparents or other
substitute caregivers
Help families seek
outside support

23. FOR MORE INFORMATION
Military Families Learning Network
blogs.extension.org/militaryfamilies/child-care/

24. QUESTIONS? IDEAS?
Diane Bales, Ph.D.
Cooperative Extension
Human Development and Family Science
The University of Georgia
dbales@uga.edu