Tough Times

It’s a perennial struggle for military families, but one that is hitting home for more and more of them as soldiers rotate back to the home front from Iraq and Afghanistan: the sometimes painful adjustments that come with the return of a long-absent parent. Rebecca Freshour looks at some of the issues.

Transcript of live chat (9/21/2005)

For kids—both those directly and indirectly affected by the storm—there is still much coping left to do and a lot of support still needed. How can adults help children through this stressful time? For the latest ConnectforKids.org free online chat on September 21 at 1 p.m. ET, we're connecting our audience with two experts who will answer questions on a variety of coping and support strategies for children, youth and families.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Connect for Kids has pulled together online resources for helping those affected. We’ve divided them into three sections: Emergency Guidelines for Helping Victims looks at how government agencies are developing procedures for helping the displaced; Giving & Getting Help is a compilation of information on donating and volunteering, also on help available to those affected; and Help with Healing offers information on supporting kids and families dealing with trauma related to Katrina. We expect to update this resource frequently.
As the war in Iraq and worries about terrorism at home continue to challenge our children's resilience and sense of safety, experts and organizations across the country are pulling together new resources on the Web to help. Here's our updated list of some of the best.

They do crafts. They sell cookies. And twice a month the girls in the Columbia River, Oregon Girl Scouts Beyond Bars troop spend a couple of hours at the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility with their moms. Linda Baker explains how this growing program works to improve the odds for families divided by incarceration.

To increase awareness of Parental Alienation Syndrome and the effect it has for children, and to provide information, support, and resources for parents and children dealing with this disorder.

Posted on February 6, 2005

Young people face new challenges in these stimulation-heavy, high-tech times. From rising rates of youth borrowing and credit card debt to plastic surgery pressures, even older siblings can say, "it sure wasn't like this when we were kids." This publication explores these challenges and—with sage advice from and interviews with noted experts—examines innovative ways to integrate new risks into the prevention dialogue.

Sometimes they feel lonely. Sometimes they feel angry. Often, they’re confused. But children with military parents serving abroad are finding help—through support groups and programs developed specifically for these situations. CFK explores a few of these services.
For parents serving abroad, life is filled with difficult realities—like how to explain why mom or dad has to be gone for so long. As the U.S. enters into year two of the Iraq war, Connect for Kids’ Rob Capriccioso talks to Sergeant Roberta Martinez, a mom who’s been there since day one.
With the second anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks upon us, the memories of that day and subsequent events continue to exert their power. Connect for Kids Editor Susan Phillips believes we have a long way to go to recognize the depth of that power, especially for our children.
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