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This Week's Q & A:
Question:My nephew is a Naval Officer who has been on deployment for 6 month periods several times over the past several years. He is currently in the Middle East. I looked at the resources you have packaged for returning military and was wondering what packages you might put together for the issues of re-entry into family- for the family.
Mike's wife and three children (ages 6, 4, 1) have been managing pretty well, but I imagine re-entry, which will be followed quickly by the family moving to a new home and state, present special issues. Any suggestion for the family?
Answer:
My hat is off to Mike’s wife and three kids for managing pretty well, not to mention Mike, of course. And to you for being sensitive to the family’s re-adjustment, made tougher by the anticipated move.
The Relieve Stress CD might be just the ticket for Mike’s wife, because it has 4 different exercises and some, like the Affirmations track, might be especially well suited for someone whose life is subject to constant interruption from those little squeezers; and the Walking Meditation might be particularly calming when she can get a few moments out of the house. If she holds or rocks the baby at the same time that she listens to the Peaceful Perspective track, she’ll be able to calm two for the price of one.
For the 6 and 4 yr old kids, we have all kinds of great stuff. I’d recommend experimenting with Betty Mehling’s Magic Island or perhaps Charlotte Reznick’s Discovering Your Special Place - they have very different speaking styles, so it’s hard to guess which one would appeal to each child. The Sleep Fairy is great if they have any difficulties with falling asleep or night fears; and any number of Dr. Rox’s titles would be perfect for those ages.
Even if the kids are not having much trouble, if they can use these resources to learn the priceless skill of self-regulation and self-soothing, you will be making a priceless investment in their future resilience. These tools will stand them in good stead for a lifetime and help them handle future stressors at school, at home and at play.
I hope this helps.
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