Why didn’t you tell me my son would attend nine schools by the time he reached the seventh grade? The other day I was late to an event because I started obsessing over these numbers. We will be moving this summer, so I wanted the answer to the common question, “Which number move is this for your family?” It will be my eighth move as a military spouse, my 12-year-old’s seventh move and my 10-year old's sixth move. Then I thought about the number of schools my children have attended. It … [Read more...]

When my husband deployed I had a close friend who’s husband was also living away from their family because of his assignment. We did a lot together that year just for fun and also for survival. It made the time as a temporary single parent easier to manage with a friend who was going through something similar. In the military spouse community when a military service member deploys, the spouses left at home are encouraged to find a “battle buddy” - someone they can trust, confide in, and rely on … [Read more...]

Transitioning to middle school can be a tough change for many kids. Recently, a 7th grader came home from her first day of school and told her father she did not want to go back to school and wanted to be home schooled. Her description of her first day of middle school was somewhere between Alexander and the No Good Very Bad Day, and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. You would think she was auditioning for a movie the way she threw herself on the couch listing ALL the things that went wrong. A week into … [Read more...]

A simple activity in the classroom and a clever teacher could make the difference this year to your military-connected student. What makes a great teacher? A teacher who can inspire and protect all while writing on a smart board.  I’m referring to those teachers who are looking out for the new kids, the shy child and the little ones who feel like they are different - all while teaching mountains of curriculum. As a military family, we have little choice but to trust a new school every few … [Read more...]

Telling your child’s education story within the first few weeks of school is critical. A parent recently contacted me looking for advice on how to introduce her child to his new teacher. The child will be new to the school, has some “unique” needs and his parents would like to speak with his teacher early in the school year, if not before the first day of school. Many parents find themselves in this tricky situation at the beginning of each school year. A child is a parent’s primary … [Read more...]