Like all families, military families experience special challenges and triumphs. As a school-age staff member, you must be familiar with common situations that military families face. Some of these challenges are:

• Frequent Moves
• Current Events (media coverage)
• Stress

Frequent Moves

军事生活充满变化，往往需要频繁地为一个家庭举动。变化可能是困难的，特别是对于可能看起来被带走的学龄儿童，因为被带走的学校，朋友和活动而感到困难。重要的是让刚刚通过移动的家庭感到欢迎您的计划。幸运的是，大多数军事家庭的孩子都会理解为“新的孩子”是什么样的，并将与您合作，为您的新抵达创造一个欢迎和有趣的环境。国家军事家族协会建议这些提示与最近搬入您的计划的家庭合作：

• Provide a welcome packet to all new families; include information on local resources and the community.对于学龄儿童，包括关于当地公园，娱乐中心，运动俱乐部和该地区流行活动的信息。
• 创建一个伙伴系统。Pair a child that has recently moved into your program with a child their own age that knows the program well. This will help the new child feel welcome and comfortable in their new environment.
• 创造一个旅行者俱乐部。您的计划中军事家庭的许多学龄儿童都在全国各地旅行，也许甚至可能是世界。通过奉献时间来庆祝这一点让孩子们分享关于他们住在哪里的故事。这将有助于学龄儿童觉得他们属于，他们的生活方式并不是不合适的。

由于家庭举措而离开您的计划的学龄儿童也需要支持。离开你的计划的孩子可能会扰乱远离他们的学校，他们的朋友和家庭的舒适感到沮丧。您可以通过为他们创造礼物来帮助他们去新家。在您的程序中与其他孩子一起工作，为每个孩子留下时为每个孩子创建一个记忆簿。在您的计划中包含照片和故事。如果时间允许，他们的朋友们写一张音符或为这本书画一张照片。您和其他工作人员也可以写一个注意事项或记忆。当孩子到达他们的新家时，这将是安慰的，它会给他们一些帮助记住他们在您的计划中的时间。

Understanding Current Events

School-age children have access to news and current events through media outlets such as television, radio, internet and newspapers. Having information at their fingertips can cause concern for school-age children with family members in the military. Hearing or reading information about wartime issues, politics, terrorist threats or unsafe conditions across the world can be stressful for school-age children. You can help school-age children process this information by only sharing factual information. Avoid sharing opinions and speculation. Inform families if you hear children discussing a specific topic or current event. This way, families can prepare to have a conversation at home, if needed.

Stress

部署，频繁的动作，变化和军事生活的其他因素将对军事儿童及其家人施加压力。其中一些压力源可能导致儿童社会，情感和行为健康的问题，在学校或您的计划中。The presidential initiative “Strengthening Our Military Families: Meeting America’s Commitment,” points to a 2010 study that found “an 11 percent increase in outpatient visits for behavioral health issues among a group of 3- to 8-year-old children of military parents and an increase of 18 percent in behavioral disorders and 19 percent in stress disorders when a parent was deployed.” There are programs in place throughout the military that are designed to support and assist families going through a deployment. Check with your trainer, coach, or supervisor for information about these programs.

下表将提供学龄儿童中发现的共同应力指标的一些例子。

共同应力指标
Social	Child seems less interested in activities he or she used to enjoy 孩子难以加入一个团体，让朋友，与他人打交道，或应对失败或成功
情绪化的	Signs of depression Child seems uncommunicative Child seems withdrawn or quiet 孩子变得更加依赖，并表现出对年轻儿童的行为的迹象
Behavioral	一般不尊重或抵制权威 爆发 发脾气 Aggressive behaviors 躺着，偷窃，作弊
Other	学校工作或成绩的变化 Child seems unable to focus 外观的急剧变化 Drastic changes in eating habits

每个孩子对压力的反应不同,所以while the list above is a good place to start, it will not cover every behavior you may see. As you make daily observations of school-age children, you should make note of any behaviors that are unusual or out of character. If you notice the behaviors becoming a pattern, you should talk to your supervisor about having a discussion with the family.

Coping Strategies

不同的孩子将以不同的方式应对压力。一些最常见的应对策略是：

• 体力活动
• Reading
• Listening to or playing music
• Writing or journaling
• Talking it out with others

如何帮助

除了促进应对策略外，您还应为学龄儿童创造机会，表达他们的情绪并倾听别人。了解其他孩子在类似的情况下或者至少还有一个其他人可以理解他们经历的东西可能对孩子如何应对压力产生巨大影响。当他们表达自己或在你身上时，总是听学龄儿童。鼓励表达并倾听没有判断。有时，学龄儿童可以觉得他们在某种情况下没有选择。当部署父母或所爱的人时，他们没有什么可以确保他们的安全回报。这可能导致孩子感到无助和依赖。尽量允许孩子做出决定并在他们愿意承担责任来抵消这种感觉。帮助他人是缓解压力的另一种好方法。当学龄儿童看到他们的行为帮助那些有需要的行为时，他们觉得有用和责任。