Love this for 2013 resolution for parenting

1. Play. Through playing with our kids we build relationships while learning what excites and motivates them. Play develops the senses of imagination, curiosity and problem-solving. Encourage your kids to be inquisitive and ask questions. They should wonder about the world, how things work and how they are or were created. Encouraging exploration will help kids find passion and purpose.
2. Listen. Through active listening we allow a child to deal with their feelings. The best way to disengage a child is to lecture them. Remember it’s not about you, it’s about them. When children have a platform for expressing themselves they will develop confidence, autonomy and strengthen the parent/child relationship.
3. Enrich. Help your child develop practical life skills. The primary objective of our education system is simply to transfer knowledge. We need more than good memorizers and test-takers but rather kids who can communicate, make connections and are willing to take risks without fear of failure. 
4. Relax. Get your family to slow down, put life into perspective and prioritize what’s important. Stressed brains do not learn the same as the relaxed brain. Value and support each other’s uniqueness. People will be most creative when motivated by interest, not external pressures.
5. Smile. Happiness is contagious. Setbacks will occur but how we respond is a model for our children. Remember that problems are temporary and changeable. Positive emotions increase learning, creativity and problem-solving. 

We LOVE research and data!  There is nothing worse than hearing someone's opinion about being a military family.  I'm  a data girl.  I found the best scholarly article about military families that is solely based on facts, research and data.  LOVE!

ftp://ftp.ict.usc.edu/arizzo/IOM/AmerPsychologist%20Jan2011/10%20amp_66_1_65.pdf%5B1%5D.pdf

Military Kids Have Greater Challenges

I discovered an article today from a few years ago.  However, the timing couldn't be better.  We are launching a website/blog to help and connect other military families, just like us, through the transitions of the military lifestyle.  This particular article really encompasses our concern for our children and yours. 

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/12/military-children-education_n_847537.html

Our mission is to provide parents information, resources, stories and places to go for help after leaving our blog.  Becky and I are both parents of exceptional kids (in our eyes) and struggle to parent them through their normal developmental growth, but also through the tranistions of living the military life. 

As of now, we are work in progress hoping launch a full blog and website soon.  So check back or follow us now, we'll up and running after the first of the year. 

Stacy Huisman
Becky Harris