Some websites to help you survive deployment

  • Published
  • By Sarina Houston
  • 3rd Flying Training Squadron key spouse
VANCE AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. --  When a military spouse is deployed, there is always stress on a family. The following websites may provide some help dealing with that stress.

Militarykidsconnect.org - A website that allows kids from ages 6 to 17 to access age-appropriate resources about deployments and separations.

Kids can personalize a homepage by choosing the country that their deployed parent is located. Widgets on the homepage show the current weather and local time in that country.

Your child earns stamps as he learns things like local languages and customs of Afghanistan and Iraq. Teens can participate in message boards and interact with other military kids, watch videos and read the Deployment Daily, which features articles for children on deployment-related topics.

Tutor.com -- An online tutoring company that offers virtual tutors and homework help to everyone from early elementary students to adult learners. And it is free for military families.

I wasn't all that interested in Tutor.com until I learned that it's not just a tutoring service. In addition to online tutoring help 24/7, Tutor.com offers SAT/ACT test prep, assistance with GED and college entrance exams, and -- my personal favorite -- educational games and worksheets for the children.

So if your child's grades are falling during a deployment or you're unable to help with their calculus homework, you might find this website useful.

Afterdeployment.org - A website that offers an abundance of resources for families, geared toward those returning from deployment, with a big emphasis on post-traumatic stress disorder and mental health.

But there are other valuable insights you can gain from this website, even if your spouse doesn't have PTSD. For instance, you can take one of the numerous self-assessment quizzes to find out your anxiety level, what your parenting confidence level is or how resilient you are.

Resources include articles, videos and assessments on topics like post-traumatic stress, brain injuries, depression, alcohol abuse, parenting, family and friendship, financial advice and general wellness.

Familiesnearandfar.org - A Sesame Street program designed to help children deal with difficult times. The website covers the topics of deployments, homecomings, changes and grief by allowing kids to express themselves through art and music.

What's really cool about this program is the ability for families to communicate with each other through the website. A family can create a single shared website together where you can log in to share photos, messages, art projects and music.

School age children can change their "mood icon" to let others know when they feel sad or worried and write their feelings in their journal. Parents can help their preschooler record a favorite song or a message to the deployed parent.

NOTE: Exercise caution with these websites as you would when exploring any new site on the Internet.

Sarina is the Key Spouse for the 3rd Flying Training Squadron and is married to Capt. Jacob Houston in the 3rd FTS at Vance AFB.