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4 Tips for Becoming the School Lunch Master

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The dog days of summer are nearly complete which means that back to school is just around the corner. What’s our first challenge as we prepare for parent-teacher conferences and report cards? School supplies. We’ll claw through mounds of 3-ring binders and pocket folders.

But while you’re checking off the annual school supply list and double checking the bus route schedule, don’t forget to spend a few minutes thinking about lunch.

No, not your lunch, the amazing, delicious and healthy school lunches you’ll pack for your entire brood each and every day. What? What’s that?

You don’t have time to pack your child’s lunch?

Just the thought of packing your child’s lunch stresses you out?

Getting your kid to eat a healthy school lunch is like trying to lick your elbow? Hold up, don’t worry. You can do this. Here’s how:

4 Tips for Becoming the School Lunch Master

Packing healthy and delicious school lunches doesn’t have to be a chore. Here are 4 tips to make it easier.

If You Pack It, They Will Eat It: 4 Tips for Becoming the School Lunch Master

Gather School Lunch Ideas Before the First of School

I have a hard enough time just figuring out what shoes to wear every day and I don’t exactly have hours to brainstorm school lunch ideas. If only there was a tool that allowed people with this uber-secret super power to share their wonderful, magical lists of amazing school lunches with the world. But, wait! There is!

A quick Pinterest search for school lunch ideas will give you more ideas than you can shake a stick at.

Worst-case scenario, Google “school lunch ideas,” but whatever you do, don’t feel like you have to reinvent the wheel. Learn from those who have already mastered the art of the school lunch.

Quick Tip: If your kids are old enough, let them help you find ideas for lunch. Recent research shows kids involved in food prep often eat better. Plus it’s a great opportunity to talk about what’s healthy and why eating right is so important.

Get the Right Tool for the Job

Now that you’ve pinned enough school lunch ideas to feed your kid until he’s 21, it’s time to gather all of the nifty tools that make packing all of those lunches a breeze. Keep things like sandwich and snack-size food storage bags on hand at all times. Better yet, your budget and the environment will thank you for the purchase of reusable compartment containers.

Check your local Exchange and if you can, invest in several reusable compartment containers so you can pack more than one lunch at a time. Search for containers that are easy to open, easy to clean, and are dishwasher/microwave safe. Oh, and don’t forget the cold packs.

Quick Tip: Want to buy those reusable containers, but have a kid who is notorious for losing them? Try a reward system. A small daily or weekly reward (could be a quarter, could be a peanut butter cup in their lunch at the end of the week) can help remind them to bring their lunch containers home. Plus it’s a great opportunity to talk about being responsible for their things.

Prep Instead of Panic

Nothing can send me into a panic like waking up late on a school day. The easiest thing to fall by the wayside in a moment of fight or miss the school bus? Yep, lunch.

Eliminate the stress and strain (and the temptation to toss a handful of pretzels and an over-brown banana in her lunch box) by prepping school lunches the night before.

Quick Tip: Carve out an hour or so each weekend to prep things for lunches during the week. Boil a few eggs, cut carrots and celery into easy-to-pack sticks, pre-load small containers with peanut butter, hummus or ranch dressing for easy packing.

Don’t forget to get the kids involved. If your children are older, let them chop veggies. Younger kids can help wash fruit or put stuff in storage bags.

Think Beyond the Sandwich When Thinking About School Lunch

Remember all of those amazing lunch recipes you pinned? I’d wager to say that most of them didn’t involve slapping a little PB&J between 2 pieces of white bread.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good PB&J, especially with a few sour cream and onion potato chips squished flat in the middle (I know it’s strange, don’t judge!), but a lot of kids get bored with the same thing day after day after day.

The key to making things perfect for school lunches is keeping everything bite-sized. No kid wants to bust out with a fork and knife, trust me. Try skipping the bread all together. Substitute cucumber slices, tortilla wedges or even mini waffles to mix things up.

Quick Tip: Prepare an extra dinner serving each night. Pan roasted sausage slices with a little barbecue sauce, meatballs with marinara, caprese salad, and sticky rice balls all make great sandwich-free lunch options.

What tips do you have for packing a healthy school lunch? Share your ideas in the comments section.

10 Ways that Military Dads Rock!

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Military dads – men who have this parenting thing handled. No matter what. Even at zero dark thirty.

10 Ways that Military Dads Rock

Here’s to you military dads. You absolutely rock!

Let’s celebrate some of the many ways that these guys rock at parenting.

1. Most Realistic GI Joe Gear

When you can bust out Daddy’s cammo face paint, strap on a real helmet or slip into authentic aviators, you pretty much have Halloween in the bag. Or just a casual neighborhood game of tactical tag.

Having a father in the military means that you get to see his gear up-close and personal. And you also get to “borrow” it from time to time.

2. Father-Daughter Moments

If you think that man looks good in a dress uniform, add a sweet little girl who looks just like him to the picture.

Many bases, units or organizations sponsor Father-Daughter dances throughout the year. This is precious time spent together for fathers and daughters who are often separated by lengthy trainings and deployments.

3. Bring Your Parent to School Day

Sure, the other parents are sharing how they can fix cars or treat medical conditions.

A military dad?

He can FAST rope from a hovering helicopter into unknown territory in the dead of night.

When a military dad shows up in school to talk about his job, it is inspiring and a little intimidating. After all, his career has sent him all over the world. He has been to places many of us have only read about and he has the challenge coins, awards and pictures to prove it.

4. Scout Badges

When your father knows how to camp out for weeks on end, tie knots like nobody’s business and is generally well versed in field medicine, many of the badges in Boy and Girl Scouts become so much easier.

With years of tactical gear and training under his belt, he has the knowledge to share with you. Troop or pack mates will also benefit when dear old dad shows up to explain things like: making freeze-dried food edible; the importance of hot sauce; proper backpack packing; and leave no trace tactics.

5. Making the Most of Each Moment

The internet was recently broken by Staff Sgt. John York, USMC, and his 3-year-old son Bryson. To help his little boy deal with an upcoming deployment, this stellar dad celebrated all the holidays that he would miss with this son before he left.

Military dads know how to make the most of each moment, no matter when or how long that moment lasts. Whether they are holiday-loading before a deployment or just hanging out at home, military dads cuddle harder and play longer.

Let’s not leave out the rest of the dads who man up in military families – dads on the home front.

10 Ways that Military Dads Rock

Let’s not forget about the amazing male military spouses who also rock.

6. Master of the House

When mom is away, this dad is in charge. He can cook breakfast, organize a PTA meeting, schedule soccer carpools and survive bath time. Solo.

He guides his children through tough situations, like deployments, as a minority in the military spouse community. And he does it with grace, class and style.

7. Welcome Home Crafts

For a military homecoming, dad has got it handled. He not only purchased the supplies from the craft store, but he also searched Pinterest for the best homecoming sign ideas. His perfectly executed plan is guaranteed to build lasting memories for his kids and show his spouse how much he cares.

8. Lots of Dad Time

Not many kids can boast that they get to spend months on end with just their dad. But military kids can! These are formative years and time spent that can influence future decisions and beliefs.

Plus, dad gets to see a lot of things that are stereotypical “mom” territory: ballet practice, parent-teacher conferences, field trips, class snacks and sleepovers.

9. Cooking with Dad

Yes, this definitely happens in all sorts of families, but male military spouses are often in charge of the kitchen. This can lead to fun experiments that only dads would think of: macaroni and cheese and pizza rolls; hot dogs with jelly; and pasta with whatever is left in the fridge.

10. Rocking Solo Parenting

Female military spouses and moms get a lot of attention. These ladies hold it down at home while their partner is off protecting and defending.

Let’s not forget about the amazing male military spouses and dads who do the exact same thing.

These superstar fathers are finding resources to make separations easier, to figure out semi-solo parenting and to navigate military life. They become both mom and dad in a world where often “mom” is the default expected solver of all child-related problems.

So, here’s to you military dads of all sorts. You absolutely rock!

Tell us about your child’s military dad. What makes him a rock star dad?

5 Inexpensive Outdoor Summer Activities

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Summer is quickly approaching and your kids will be out of school before you know it. Keep them busy with these 5 outdoor summer activities that all cost under $10. They will be thrilled and your summer spending won’t get out of hand.

5 Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids for Less Than $10

Did you know you can make your own sidewalk chalk?

5 Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids for Less Than $10

DIY Slip ‘n Slide

Kids love to be outdoors playing in the sun. As parents, we worry about keeping them from overheating. Drinking plenty of water and playing in water can help. There are many summer activities that include water. Going to the swimming pool is great, but it isn’t always a possibility.

You can put up the water sprinkler for a quick cool off but have you ever considered making a water slide in your yard?

Jennifer from Hope Studios has a wonderful DIY slip ‘n slide. In 20 minutes, you can have one set up. The kids will be excited to have fun summer activities in their own yard and you might score some cool parent points.

To get the fun going you will need:

  • heavy-duty plastic sheeting
  • landscape anchor pins
  • hammer
  • garden hose
  • baby soap (optional)

Follow these step-by-step directions and you’ll be slipping and sliding in no time. Your family will have plenty of laughs and great stories to tell after making a slip ‘n slide as part of their summer activities.

DIY Sidewalk Chalk

Making your own sidewalk chalk is a fun family project to add to your list of summer activities. Children love playing with sidewalk chalk. There are many games you can play with sidewalk chalk including: hopscotch, tic tac toe, four square and making roads to race cars on. Drawing pictures and scribbling are my 2-year-old’s favorite things to do with sidewalk chalk.

Don’t tell your kids, but this can also be educational. Using sidewalk chalk helps children work on their fine motor and gross motor skills. If you have young children, you can use this opportunity to practice colors, shapes, counting and the alphabet. Just make sure to keep it fun.

Start off with some basic supplies to make your own sidewalk chalk:

  • toilet paper rolls
  • scissors
  • Duct tape
  • a small bucket
  • waxed paper
  • ¾ cup warm water
  • 1½ cups Plaster of Paris
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons tempera paint
  • a paper bag

Follow these step-by-step directions for your own homemade sidewalk chalk. Note: It may take several days to dry the chalk before your kids can use it.

Vegetable Garden

What kid doesn’t like playing in the dirt? Some of the best summer activities involve getting dirty.

Planting a garden with your children can be a fun and rewarding family activity.

You can plant a large garden or simply plant a flower or herb in a pot.

Gardening is another one of those sneaky educational activities. Children learn responsibility from caring for the plants. They learn cause and effect, such as if you don’t water it, the plant will die. They also learn self-confidence from seeing the success of the plant growing after their hard work.

5 Outdoor Summer Activities for Kids for Less Than $10

Caring for a garden is a summer activity that keeps your kids busy for the entire summer. Do you plant a garden? What do you grow in your garden?

No matter the age of your children, everyone can play a part. A small child can dig a hole, push some soil in, drop a seed in the hole, push dirt over it or maybe even help pour water. Bigger kids can enjoy adding personality to the garden by making plant markers. Try one of these 26 unique ideas for DIY plant markers.

Begin small by buying a bag of potting soil, some seeds and a clay pot. Tomatoes, green beans and cucumber seeds are all great starter plants. Let your little ones paint or color the pots.

DIY Bird Feeders

One of my favorite summer activities is making bird feeders with peanut butter and pinecones. It’s fun to go on a hike to look for pinecones to decorate. You get a chance to get out in nature and explore with your children.

This is one of the easiest and cheapest summer activities. All you need are pinecones, peanut butter or shortening if someone has nut allergies, bird seed, a butter knife and something to hang the pine cone with such as twine or string.

Kids love covering the pinecones, choosing a place to hang the bird feeder and watching the birds. This also gives you a chance to talk about different birds that live in your neighborhood.

Old-Fashioned Sack Races

Sack races are a quick, easy and inexpensive summer activity. All you need are start and finish line markers and sacks to use in the races such as sleeping bags or pillow cases.

If you’re ambitious and like to sew, you can make your own sacks using burlap.

The start and finish lines could be masking tape, little cones, leftover birthday streamers or anything you find around the house. Let the laughs begin.

What are your children’s favorite summer activities? Tell us about them in the comments section.

What’s Wrong with Military Service as a Family Business?

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Government officials are worried that the military is not diversified enough. A recent report showed that the majority of service members are part of what they call the family business, meaning military service runs in the family.

A surprising 80 percent of recent troops “come from a family where at least one parent, grandparent, aunt or uncle, sibling or cousin has also worn their nation’s uniform. More than 25% have a parent who has served,” according to a Pentagon report of 2012-2013 recruits.

Military service is a wonderful and proud tradition within many families.

What problem could the government possibly have with military service legacy?

Members of the Senate Armed Services Committee subcommittee discussed this topic recently in length. They are worried that the pool of service members is not as diversified as it could be.

When America had the draft, the military was made up of a more diverse population. At the height of the Vietnam War there were 3.5 million troops. They came for all walks of life, had different religious beliefs, different levels of education, different ideals and different backgrounds.

Now the military has closer to 1.4 million service members. The number of men and women entering the military is shrinking and so is the diversity within it.

If the military continues to mainly be made up of those in the family business, the military will continue to shrink and so will its diversity, or so the government thinks.

The pool of potential recruits is dwindling, which is going to force the Pentagon to think outside the family on ways to recruit new troops.

Lt. Commander Nate Christensen is the spokesperson for the Chief of Naval Personnel. He said the reason behind their worry is

We believe that this limits both the talent pool from which the Navy draws, as well as the diversity of background in our force, and ultimately could lead to a civil-military divide.

The Navy has a long tradition of sailors in the family business as 82 percent of them come from families with other service members.

The Air Force has an even greater number of families with multiple service members.

Eighty-six percent of current airmen have close relatives that have served in the military. The Army and Marines also have large numbers, 79 percent and 77 percent, of those in the family business.

Why do so many people decide to follow in the military service footsteps of their family members?

People make choices based on the life they have led and the people they have grown up with. Service members are likely to influence their family members to either join or not to join the military. Many that do join the military also enter the same branch of service that their family members were in. Fifty-nine percent of Army recruits come from a family that has close relatives in the Army.

The traditional make-up of the military no longer stands however. What was once mostly middle- and working-class men is now diversified with women in many of the positions.

There has been a large influx of women entering the military in the last few years as well. With the military opening doors to careers in fields women were not eligible to go into previously, the trend is set to continue. The military overall is shrinking, but in the last decade, the number of women joining the military has increased.

The government can’t afford to simply count on those entering the family business to keep the military strong. They’re going to have to start thinking outside the norm and recruit fresh blood, so to speak.

There are so many opportunities available in this age that the younger generation is not enlisting at the rate of previous years. The Pentagon is going to have to find a new incentive to get talented people to join the military.

In doing so, however, I hope that they don’t diminish the pride service members feel in continuing a family tradition. The term “family business” is being turned into a negative, when in fact it is a wonderful thing. I come from a family with a long line of service members and I married a sailor. I don’t know if our son will grow up and join the military, but I will be proud to have him in the family business, if he decides to.

What do you think of the statement that “military is a family business?”

Is Common Core Good for Military Kids?

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Military families move a lot. A Permanent Change of Station (PCS) becomes a rite of passage for us and is an inevitable occurrence for military members. The statistics are out there. We move on average every 2 and a half years, which can add up to about 7 moves for a military child in grade school.

In the course of 5 years, I attended 4 different schools growing up as a military child in 2 different countries and 3 different locations.

I remember the struggle with figuring out where I belonged, especially with my mid-school year move. The things I worried about, however, were more like, “how do I fit in with everyone else?” instead of, “how is the school curriculum?”

I did realize I had either some catching up or lull time with learning. Who knows if that was actually the best for me?

Is Common Core Good for Military Kids?

Since military children attend many different schools in different states, will the national Common Core Standard benefit their education?

My last school was off-base in a civilian neighborhood, where I didn’t know any military kids. Luckily, I was able to finish out my grade school in one location from then on – with sacrifice though. My dad would get stationed elsewhere, but my mom and I stayed. That’s a long story for another day.

One of the main reasons for my father being a geographic bachelor or geo-bachelor was the fact I was thriving at school and my parents didn’t want to disrupt the process. By the time a big move came up, I was approaching high school and my father was at the end of his military career, so it made sense. My dad wanted to retire in Texas and we made the 2 years apart work.

Not every military family shares our story and moving occurs at so many different points for us all, which is why Common Core is interesting to military families with school-age children as well as military educators.

The Common Core Standard is an initiative created by multiple state education chiefs and governors. The adopters of Common Core recognized the importance of establishing a precedent for young learners to gain knowledge to help them with college and career.

In addition, there are several states already in agreement with the benefits of the program, which provides uniformity that could strongly benefit military children in particular. Common Core acts as a bridge to keep curriculum similar, so no matter where a military child moves, they would be at the same point in their educational journey.

So far, 42 states in addition to the District of Columbia have or will be incorporating Common Core standards in their schools. According to the Military Times,

DoDEA is in the process of transitioning to Common Core, which it calls ‘College and Career Ready Standards,’ over the next 5 years.

Despite praise from some military families, the Common Core standard is also met with controversy from vocal opponents. Several critics say that implementing Common Core doesn’t necessarily improve overall testing. A big drawback from Common Core is that states would get less control over the curriculum since it would be something they agree to incorporate. As a result, some states have edited their take on Common Core or even rescind their claim.

The big question military families have about Common Core is will this curriculum be good for my child.

I encourage you to take a deeper look at the Common Core website to form your own opinion. Of course, if you’ve seen it in action, I’m curious to hear your thoughts too.

Now it’s your turn: Do you think Common Core is beneficial to military kids? Why or why not?

10 Ways to Thank Your Military Child

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April is Month of the Military Child. This month was established to underscore the important role children play in the Armed Forces community.

10 Thoughtful Ways to Thank Your Military Child

How do you plan to celebrate your military child this month?

There are approximately 2 million military children, ranging in ages from newborn to 18 years old; 1.3 million military children are school-aged. Having a month to recognize them and what they have been through is important.

Here are 10 thoughtful ways you can celebrate your military child during the month of April.

  1. Write them a letter. If your military child is old enough to read, write them a letter about how much you care and appreciate them. They can keep this letter close and read the words from time to time. Even better if the letter comes from the parent who is serving in the military.
  2. Take them out for their favorite treats. My own boys love to go out for ice cream. Think about a fun treat that your military child would love and take your kids out to thank them for being military children. Every child is going to enjoy doing something like that.
  3. Show them photos. If your children have been military kids for a long time they might not remember some of those early years. Show them photos when you were stationed somewhere else or any fun trips you went on together.
  4. Be patient. You should always be patient with your kids, especially when military life is making things a little more stressful. Your military child might need you to be there to understand that what they are going through is hard and to acknowledge that.
  5. Read them a book about military life. There are quite a few military kids books. Take time to read one of these books to your military child. They should be able to relate to the characters and see that they are not alone in their experiences with military life.
  6. Listen. Sometimes just listening can be a good way to celebrate your military child. They might just need someone to hear what they have to say or how they are feeling about what is going on in their life.
  7. Ask them questions. Check in with them. Even if they are little, ask them what they are thinking or feeling about an upcoming military event. Some children won’t just come up to you and talk about what is going on. Sometimes they just need to be asked.
  8. Help them make new friends. Losing friends is one of the hardest parts of being a military child. Help them make new friends and find fun things for them to do. Encourage them to sign up for activities that they would find interesting and take them to fun events in your community.
  9. Make a special dinner. Pick one day in the month of April to make a special dinner for your kids. Not much of a cook? Take them out to their favorite restaurant. Let them know why and celebrate together.
  10. Explain why they are a military child. Older kids might enjoy knowing the story about why your spouse joined the military in the first place. April would be a good time to let them know why they are a military child and what it means that their parent serves in the military. This can also be a good conversation starter to answer any of their questions or talk about their feelings.

Whatever you do during the month of April, make sure to remember your military child. Sometimes life can move so fast that we forget that they are just children trying to figure out why things keep changing so much during their lives. Taking a month to celebrate them is important.

How do you plan to celebrate your military child this month?

Why More Military Families Are Home Schooling

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Home schooling is becoming more and more popular these days. This is even more true in military families.

Why More Military Families Are Home Schooling

By home schooling you can create the type of school you want for your children.

As parents try to figure out what is best for their child, they are turning to home schooling in order to make things a little easier for their children. They know military life is stressful enough and want to make sure they can create a stable school experience as they are growing up.

I have met many home schooling families during my time as a military spouse and one thing is true for all of them.

Home schooling makes their military lives a little easier.

Whether that is because of all the moving or being able to plan a trip or vacation whenever they need to do so.

Everyone knows that military families move often. On average, military families move every 3 years. That means that some kids could end up attending 3 or 4 schools before they even get into junior high. It’s no wonder that some military families are thinking about home schooling instead.

By home schooling your child you can avoid having to have them be the “new kid” time after time. If you have to move in the middle of the school year, you don’t have to worry about that disrupting their education. Military family schedules need to be flexible so home schooling allows you to make school just as flexible.

When children have to move a lot, their grades can decline and have trouble catching up. Friendships can be more difficult and finding their new place can be difficult.  Whether you home school or not your children will have to find new friends, but not having to find new friends at school right away too can take some of the pressure off.

Being in a new school without friends can be quite difficult.

If you have ever moved schools before you know that there can be a big difference between what they teach and expect from the kids. Even if they are in the same grade. Another positive for home schooling is that your kids don’t have to experience any of that. You won’t have to struggle with a school in order to make sure your kids are on track. You will take care of all of that yourself.

If you want to take your kids to grandma’s house in October because that is when your spouse has a month of leave, you can do so and bring school with you. Taking off like that wouldn’t be possible when they are in a traditional school. This is a big plus to those who home school while in the military as they don’t have to worry if they want to take their kids out of school for an extended period of time. This also will allow you to take your kids home during a deployment and not have to worry about the local school system.

The great news about being a military family who is home schooling is that there is usually a lot of support for those who home school on base or even in your local community. There are a lot of other parents to connect with, make plans with and work together with to create a good community with your kids.

You will not be alone as a home schooling military family.

By home schooling you can create the type of school you want for your children. You can give them consistency and you don’t have to worry about having to move them in the middle of the school year. You can plan around your military member’s schedule and you can create a better home life for your children. Home schooling isn’t for everyone but choosing this option can be a big benefit to a lot of military families.

Do you home school your children? Why did you decide to home school them?

Pets May Help Military Kids Cope with Deployment

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A recent study by Tufts University shows that children who have a strong relationship with a pet cope better when dealing with the stress related to a parent’s deployment.

The study was designed to find out how animals help people physically and emotionally during stressful times as well as how to help people commit to fitness, reach educational goals, overcome physical disabilities and recover from psychological trauma.

Tufts Institute for Human-Animal Interaction (TIHAI) surveyed 600 children from both military and nonmilitary families. The kids were asked how they interact with animals, about their stress levels and their strategies for dealing with stress. The outcome of the study was that children with animals at home had more positive outcomes than those without, regardless to whether they had a parent on deployment or not.

The children that had animals at home were found to be more confident and had stronger relationships with both peers and family members. On multiple occasions, children reported that pets are what kept them company while a parent was on deployment or when they moved.

What researchers say is the most significant outcome of the study is that children who had a parent on deployment and also had a strong bond with an animal at home exhibited greater ability to cope with the stress of the situation than children that didn’t have pets.

“Strong attachments to pets may foster a more proactive attitude about handling stressful problems and could serve as a bridge to developing and maintaining peer relationships during stressful circumstances,” said Megan Mueller, a developmental psychologist and research assistant professor at Cummings School. She goes on to say,

Pets provide a nonjudgmental, emotionally supportive relationship, especially for kids who may be having difficulty in social situations or moving to a new social setting. The responsibility of caring for another living creature and understanding an animal’s needs also plays a role. There’s been some research showing that just stroking an animal reduces your blood pressure and heart rate.

Unfortunately, it isn’t possible for every child to have a pet however. There are many circumstances that can prevent families from being able to incorporate a pet into their lives. This could include allergies, illness, finances, housing rules, travel schedules and more.

If you fall into this group, you can still provide opportunities for your children to receive the benefit of animal interaction. Take a day trip to a local farm. It doesn’t have to be advertised as a petting farm. Many farms will allow families to meet their animals. Call ahead and see if you can arrange a time to visit when your child will be able to touch and possibly feed the animals. Let the owners know your spouse is on deployment and they might be even more inclined to have you over.

Horses have an amazing effect on children. If you can, take your children to a horse ranch while your spouse is on deployment. Check with your MWR; many Army garrisons for example have stables with equestrian services. Horses are great therapy animals.

The Tufts study showed that horses can reduce the level of stress in children that suffer from PTSD. Horses respond to children’s body language.

One of the symptoms of PTSD is being either hyper-aroused or under-aroused, and horses react to that –avoiding the jittery kids and ignoring those who are emotionally detached. In order to interact positively with their therapy horses, the children must learn to better regulate their own fight or flight response. By taking deep breaths and employing other techniques, they can lower their heart rate and relax their muscles.

You don’t necessarily need to sign up for equestrian-assisted therapy. Perhaps, plan a family day at a ranch, take an hour-long lesson or even enroll your child in equestrian camp. That would certainly be a great way to take their mind off deployment.

The interaction between children and animals is amazing and there are so many benefits to building this relationship. If your child is having problems coping with the stress of a deployment, consider adding a pet to your family or incorporating time with animals into your regular schedule.

Does your family have a pet? How does your pet help you or your children during a deployment?

The Do’s and Don’ts of the Tricare Nurse Advice Line

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We should always take our health seriously, but sometimes we’re on the fence about what to do. For example, what if it’s been a week and you can’t beat that terrible cough. Do you need to go to the doctor?

When and How to Use the Tricare Nurse Advice Line

Is this fever too high? Should I take her to the doctor?

For those that need more guidance, Tricare beneficiaries have the opportunity to reach out to a health care professional no matter what time of day on any day of the week with the Tricare Nurse Advice Line. To reach the Nurse Advice Line, call 1-800-TRICARE (874-2273) and press option 1.

The team of registered nurses at the other end of the line are ready to help families with whatever health concerns you have and can lead you in the right direction for self-care or assist you in scheduling an appointment at the correct medical facility.

The Tricare Nurse Advice Line supports a majority of Tricare beneficiaries, including Alaska and Hawaii. Eligible Tricare beneficiaries include:

  • Tricare Prime
  • Tricare Prime Remote (TPR)
  • Tricare Prime Remote for Active Duty Family Members (TPRADFM)
  • Tricare Standard
  • Tricare Extra
  • Tricare Reserve Select (TRS)
  • Tricare Retired Reserve (TRR)
  • Tricare Young Adult (TYA)
  • Tricare For Life (TFL)

Please keep in mind that those enrolled in the US Family Health Plan can’t utilize the Nurse Advice Line. Also, if you’re on Tricare Overseas Program (TOP) traveling to the United States, you can call the Nurse Advice Line for medical advice, but if in-person care is recommended, you need to call your TOP Regional Call Center first.

I can’t stress enough how important it is for you to keep your information updated in DEERS. That will help the staff of the Nurse Advice Line to either, make sure you qualify, give you sound medical advice and to direct you to the proper care at your current location.

My suggestion above is a great example on how the Tricare Nurse Advice Line can help guide you to care for yourself appropriately. I don’t know what it is, but I routinely acquire a cough at the change of seasons. Typically, it goes away after a handful of days, but every once in a while it evolves to a sinus infection. Before making the effort to schedule an appointment with my PCM, I can call the Advice Line to discuss my symptoms with a nurse.

How else can the Tricare Nurse Advice Line help you?

The Tricare Nurse Advice Line is not only wonderful for you to get the guidance for any ailments that come your way, you can call it to discuss any questions regarding your children’s health too. Children seem to come up with all kinds of different issues that parents may not know how to handle, especially if it’s never came up before.

For example, your toddler has lice and you have no idea what to do. The Nurse Advice Line can pass along the tools needed to combat this new and acute annoyance. If there is anything else bugging your little ones, the Nurse Advice Line can assist you.

It’s requested that your child be present at the time of the call. That will allow the nurse to get the most accurate information. Also, you can request the nurse to check in on your child to make sure things are progressing positively.

When shouldn’t you use the Tricare Nurse Advice Line?

If it’s really something that needs immediate attention, call 911 or get yourself or your family member to the emergency room at your nearest medical facility. Most of the time, those situations can be gauged at the moment.

For example, you believe your child broke a bone. Don’t pick up the phone, take them to the ER as soon as possible. Since the Nurse Advice Line is 24/7, they could also encourage you to head to the emergency room ASAP, but don’t hesitate.

Have you used the Tricare Nurse Line in the past? What was your experience with it?

Have a Good Shopping Experience at Commissary

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Do you shop at the commissary? Do you sometimes find yourself frustrated over the experience? Shopping at the commissary doesn’t have to be so frustrating for you. These tips can help you get organized and make the shopping trip more enjoyable.

Here are 5 tips to help you have a more positive shopping experience at your commissary.

1. Organize your coupons.

Using coupons at the commissary will save you money but only if you bring them with you. So many times I don’t think about my coupons beforehand and end up leaving them at home. Come up with a plan, carry a small coupon envelope in your purse and always plan to bring it with you when you go. Figure out what coupons you will be using ahead of time and hand them to the cashier when you check out.

Related: Commissary Rewards Card Helps Military Families Save Money

If you can, match some of your coupons to what is on sale for the month. You will be able to save more money that way.

2. Have cash ready for tipping your baggers.

At the commissary you will need to have a tip handy for the baggers. That is the only money that they get paid. I try to make sure that I have a few dollars with me before I get there. Having the money already in your purse or wallet is nice because you don’t have to think about it when you go to pay.

However, you are able to get cash back if you need to. Just ask the cashier for 5 one dollar bills. That shouldn’t be a problem since a lot of people do the same thing and the cashiers are used to people asking for small bills.

3. Make a shopping list.

When shopping at the commissary you need to have a good shopping list. Plan your meals and write down what you need to get. Do an inventory of what you have at home so you don’t buy something you already have enough of.

By making a shopping list you will save yourself money because you won’t just be grabbing everything you see when you are in the commissary. You will have a list you can stick to.

If you want to be even more organized, write down what you need to buy based on where things are located in the commissary. That will help speed up your shopping trip.

4. Plan your shopping days.

Don’t go to the commissary on payday if you can avoid it. The commissary will always be crowded on payday. If you have to go that day, go there early in the morning to avoid most of the crowds.

If you plan your days and budget right you can avoid having to go on the one day everyone else is getting paid too. I remember being there on a payday when I was pregnant on a hot summer day, the line was all the way to the back of the store. Not something I ever wanted to repeat.

5. Plan for your kids.

If you have to take your kids with you to the commissary, make sure you plan for that. You don’t want them to get bored or make your shopping trip impossible. Think about what will help keep them entertained while you are there.

You can also have them help you with your shopping. Give them their own list to take around or ask them questions about the types of foods you are going to be buying. Keeping them busy will make for an easier trip. If your child is young enough and you can find one, a car cart can help keep them busy and excited about the shopping trip.

What do you do in order to have a positive experience at the commissary?