Moms helping moms through services, friendship and military support

[The Patriot]

Moms helping moms through services, friendship and military support

11-13-2012 02:20 AM

Tags:
Europe
family
Health & Well-Being
Home and Family
Personal
Students
Welcome to Europe
women's health
Spotlight on You!



Moms helping moms through services, friendship and military support


by: Jeana Coleman
Stripes UK
published: November 13, 2012

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It goes unsaid how stressful an overseas permanent change of station (PCS) can be. Plus, if your family is expecting a baby or are seeking childcare services while in Europe, you will soon discover that a lack of off-base daycare facilities has created waiting lists for on-base facilities.

Learning how to navigate a new military community and its childcare or family support services can be daunting for new or young parents. However, you are never fully alone. There are many on-base programs available to you. Plus, the amazing and positive phenomenon of military moms helping other moms get settled, make friends and learn about proffered daycare and support services is rather astounding. We’ve compiled a list of on- and off-base programs and contacts to help you locate the services you need while discovering new friendships and lasting experiences for both you and your children.

On-base support programs

Family Readiness Centers, Family
Advocacy Centers, Force Support Squadrons and Family Support Centers located on your installation provide an array of programs and services for a variety of family needs. If you haven’t utilized their staff and services before, you should do so. They can help lead you in the right direction for many programs, including the following:
Spouse Orientation - Your installation’s Family Readiness Centers offer spouse orientation courses that can get you in touch with special needs programs, daycare and school age care programs. These orientation course are also great opportunities to meet other spouses and parents seeking the same services as you. Contact Family Readiness to find out orientation course times and locations.

The New Parent Support Group (NPSG)*
Expecting a baby or have children under 3 years of age? Then you qualify for the NPSG, part of either the Army or Marine Corp’s Community Services, or Navy and Air Force Family Advocacy Program (FAP) or Family Support Centers. Designed to help build strong, healthy military families, the*program includes:\

• Parent-led, NPSP-supervised playgroups – Meet other parents and similar-aged children. Activities include arts and crafts, free play, organized games, field trips and special events. Contact Family Advocacy for * * playgroup times and locations.
• Parenting classes – although classes vary based on local needs and interests, class topics include newborn baby care, positive parenting/behavior management, anger management, raising toddlers, stress management and family communication. Some classes may also be offered through your installation’s chaplain’s office, or through broader services of the FAP.
• Access to books, booklets, videos, DVDs and other written materials on parenting issues. In addition, program participants have access to trained staff that can answer their parenting questions, or refer them to other appropriate resources.

Online Support through Websites*and Social Media
Perhaps it’s because the road of the military family life can be hard, filled with many obstacles and moments of grief. But military spouses and moms try to help one another and hold each other up when the path gets rough.

Now the power of both the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook have increased the networking potential for military moms helping other military families. Wherever you are, if you have Internet access, you can make contact with spouses/moms/support and community groups that cover a variety of issues, interests, daycare and parenting topics, travel agendas, couponing, online shopping and more.

There are many extremely informative websites and blogs to help the average mom (including those in specific military communities) seek out each other and communicate. Two of those, called called http://militarymoms.stripes.com and www.circleofmoms.com, allow the use of forums where moms can find one another in military communities in Europe and stateside, to discuss issues they face as both mothers and military spouses.

There are also hundreds of Facebook pages, many specific to your installation and location. With the help of some individual websites and blogs, we have compiled a list of spouse support and moms/family issues pages for you to visit, join and start interacting. Meet other parents for play dates, sign up for daycare programs such as Moms of Preschoolers, Inc., learn about breastfeeding through Mom to Mom, and even discover, buy and sell supplies for your own cloth diapers through several groups. The topics and pages are virtually endless. In fact, our list is by no means complete. For a more complete list, visit these individual blogs, www.lifelessonsofamilitarywife.com and http://pcsitaly.wordpress.com. Both have compiled page listings for a variety of subjects and groups, including official installation, squadron and public affairs pages.

To help you start communicating, meet other moms, make new friends and seek out guidance to the many questions that come with a new PCS, visit these other useful websites for spouses and moms:
www.cinchouse.com
www.circleofmoms.com
http://militarymoms.stripes.com
http://spousebuzz.com
www.mildenhallocsc.org
http://www.raflecsc.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Milde...713362?fref=ts

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you like this article?* Find it insightful and helpful?
Please "Like" it. "Share" it. "Tweet" it.

Do you know of other great resources in your community that others should know about too?
Share it with the Community. Comment directly under the story as a comment or email us-we'll gladly add it to the directory list for all to see and share.

Want to see more great articles similar to this one?
Check out the digital version of "Stripes Welcome to Europe Guide" online: http://www.stripes.com/special-pubs/welcome-to-europe

Need your own copy of "Stripes Welcome to Europe Guide?”*
Order yours at the Stripes Store: http://www.stripesstore.com/welcometoeuropeguide.aspx


Tags: Europe, family, Health & Well-Being, Home and Family, Personal, RAF Alconbury, RAF Croughton, RAF Fairford, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Molesworth, Students, Welcome to Europe, women's health, Spotlight on You!
Related Content:





Moms helping moms through services, friendship and military support


by: Jeana Coleman
Stripes UK
published:

Share This:


Tweet

Comments
Email
Print


It goes unsaid how stressful an overseas permanent change of station (PCS) can be. Plus, if your family is expecting a baby or are seeking childcare services while in Europe, you will soon discover that a lack of off-base daycare facilities has created waiting lists for on-base facilities.

Learning how to navigate a new military community and its childcare or family support services can be daunting for new or young parents. However, you are never fully alone. There are many on-base programs available to you. Plus, the amazing and positive phenomenon of military moms helping other moms get settled, make friends and learn about proffered daycare and support services is rather astounding. We’ve compiled a list of on- and off-base programs and contacts to help you locate the services you need while discovering new friendships and lasting experiences for both you and your children.

On-base support programs

Family Readiness Centers, Family
Advocacy Centers, Force Support Squadrons and Family Support Centers located on your installation provide an array of programs and services for a variety of family needs. If you haven’t utilized their staff and services before, you should do so. They can help lead you in the right direction for many programs, including the following:
Spouse Orientation - Your installation’s Family Readiness Centers offer spouse orientation courses that can get you in touch with special needs programs, daycare and school age care programs. These orientation course are also great opportunities to meet other spouses and parents seeking the same services as you. Contact Family Readiness to find out orientation course times and locations.

The New Parent Support Group (NPSG)*
Expecting a baby or have children under 3 years of age? Then you qualify for the NPSG, part of either the Army or Marine Corp’s Community Services, or Navy and Air Force Family Advocacy Program (FAP) or Family Support Centers. Designed to help build strong, healthy military families, the*program includes:\

• Parent-led, NPSP-supervised playgroups – Meet other parents and similar-aged children. Activities include arts and crafts, free play, organized games, field trips and special events. Contact Family Advocacy for * * playgroup times and locations.
• Parenting classes – although classes vary based on local needs and interests, class topics include newborn baby care, positive parenting/behavior management, anger management, raising toddlers, stress management and family communication. Some classes may also be offered through your installation’s chaplain’s office, or through broader services of the FAP.
• Access to books, booklets, videos, DVDs and other written materials on parenting issues. In addition, program participants have access to trained staff that can answer their parenting questions, or refer them to other appropriate resources.

Online Support through Websites*and Social Media
Perhaps it’s because the road of the military family life can be hard, filled with many obstacles and moments of grief. But military spouses and moms try to help one another and hold each other up when the path gets rough.

Now the power of both the Internet and social media sites such as Facebook have increased the networking potential for military moms helping other military families. Wherever you are, if you have Internet access, you can make contact with spouses/moms/support and community groups that cover a variety of issues, interests, daycare and parenting topics, travel agendas, couponing, online shopping and more.

There are many extremely informative websites and blogs to help the average mom (including those in specific military communities) seek out each other and communicate. Two of those, called called http://militarymoms.stripes.com and www.circleofmoms.com, allow the use of forums where moms can find one another in military communities in Europe and stateside, to discuss issues they face as both mothers and military spouses.

There are also hundreds of Facebook pages, many specific to your installation and location. With the help of some individual websites and blogs, we have compiled a list of spouse support and moms/family issues pages for you to visit, join and start interacting. Meet other parents for play dates, sign up for daycare programs such as Moms of Preschoolers, Inc., learn about breastfeeding through Mom to Mom, and even discover, buy and sell supplies for your own cloth diapers through several groups. The topics and pages are virtually endless. In fact, our list is by no means complete. For a more complete list, visit these individual blogs, www.lifelessonsofamilitarywife.com and http://pcsitaly.wordpress.com. Both have compiled page listings for a variety of subjects and groups, including official installation, squadron and public affairs pages.

To help you start communicating, meet other moms, make new friends and seek out guidance to the many questions that come with a new PCS, visit these other useful websites for spouses and moms:
www.cinchouse.com
www.circleofmoms.com
http://militarymoms.stripes.com
http://spousebuzz.com
www.mildenhallocsc.org
http://www.raflecsc.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Milde...713362?fref=ts

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Did you like this article?* Find it insightful and helpful?
Please "Like" it. "Share" it. "Tweet" it.

Do you know of other great resources in your community that others should know about too?
Share it with the Community. Comment directly under the story as a comment or email us-we'll gladly add it to the directory list for all to see and share.

Want to see more great articles similar to this one?
Check out the digital version of "Stripes Welcome to Europe Guide" online: http://www.stripes.com/special-pubs/welcome-to-europe

Need your own copy of "Stripes Welcome to Europe Guide?”*
Order yours at the Stripes Store: http://www.stripesstore.com/welcometoeuropeguide.aspx


Tags: Europe, family, Health & Well-Being, Home and Family, Personal, RAF Alconbury, RAF Croughton, RAF Fairford, RAF Lakenheath, RAF Mildenhall, RAF Molesworth, Students, Welcome to Europe, women's health, Spotlight on You!
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