Parenting & Children

Wouldn’t it be great if children came with instructions? As a military parent, you have the next best thing to parenting instructions – a wealth of parenting resources, benefits and programs. Military OneSource is by your side through the journey of parenthood – through the early years and tricky teen years. Whether it’s finding quality child care, learning about adoption, helping your kids excel in school or connecting to resources, Military OneSource is here for you.

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Have questions? Give us a call: 800-342-9647.

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Parenting Youth and Teens - The Essentials

Child Care - The Essentials

Family sitting on couch with child hugging mother

Parenting Infants and Toddlers - The Essentials

Adoption - The Essentials

Parenting Through Deployment - The Essentials

Latest Content

JROTC cadets take part in military training day at Homestead ARB

Parenting and Teen Stress

June 16, 2020 @ 1:13 PM | 5 Min Read | 35298 Views

Teens juggle many things: fitting in at school, managing classwork and clubs, the daily tidal wave of hormones, and the ups and downs of high school romances.

12 Can’t-Miss Parenting Resources for Military Parents

June 15, 2020 @ 6:40 PM | 4 Min Read | 33511 Views

From new parent support assistance to newsletters packed with information, military parents have access to numerous resources to make your job of raising kids a little easier and a lot more fun.

Navigating Child Care Changes During COVID-19

May 21, 2020 @ 4:40 PM | 7 Min Read | 4940 Views

If you have questions about child care during the COVID-19 pandemic, Military OneSource is available 24/7 to help you find answers.

Service member holding hands with military spouse.

Deployment Resources for Families

April 24, 2020 @ 4:52 PM | 5 Min Read | 111635 Views

While military families know how to stand strong, the stresses of deployment can bring extra challenges. At Military OneSource, we're here to help — by connecting you to a wide array of programs and services designed for military families.

Supporting Your Military Children Through the Deployment Cycle

April 24, 2020 @ 3:14 PM | 5 Min Read | 80542 Views

As parents, we want to be good role models for our children. When word of a deployment comes, you’ll get a chance to show your kids what it takes to be a good guardian of your family.

Sesame Street for Military Families: Helping Kids Through Life’s Milestones

April 23, 2020 @ 6:01 PM | 6 Min Read | 38785 Views

For many years, colorful Sesame Street characters like Elmo and Big Bird have helped children learn while having fun. The Department of Defense has drawn on these familiar friends to help children ages 2-6 through the milestones of relocations, deployments, transitions and more.

Getting the Most from Military Kids Connect

April 23, 2020 @ 4:16 PM | 2 Min Read | 39237 Views

Military kids get to develop skill sets other kids never learn. As a parent, that’s your job — helping your kids cope in healthy ways to changing circumstances.

15 Tips for Helping Your Teenager Deal With Deployment

April 23, 2020 @ 3:32 PM | 4 Min Read | 30423 Views

Patience, communication and extra care can go a long way in comforting a teenager who is dealing with deployment. Knowing how to respond as a parent to the feelings associated with deployment will ensure a successful transition for everyone.

Deployed sailors hold up smartphones with pictures of their children

New Military Parents: Eight Ways to Keep Your Child Safe, Happy and Healthy

April 16, 2020 @ 5:03 PM | 4 Min Read | 25589 Views

Welcome to parenthood. Parenting can be the most rewarding and challenging job you’ll likely have. As a warrior, you’re trained to depend on a team and leave no service member behind.

MilParent Power Tips

April 13, 2020 @ 1:47 PM | 7 Min Read | 35298 Views

Parenting is a perfect example of family readiness and resilience – it’s an “always-on” job. Like a military mission, responsible parenting requires attention, smarts, skills and support. Here are 19 tips to help you step up your parenting and improve your childrearing skills. Everyone wins with responsible parenting.

How to Support Healthy Sexual Relationships for Your Military Teenager

April 9, 2020 @ 6:12 PM | 6 Min Read | 7426 Views

Military parents or guardians like you can maximize the chances of your teenager having happy and healthy relationships in high school and beyond by learning about the emotional and health problems that can arise from common unhealthy sexual behaviors, as well as what healthy teenage relationship behaviors are.

How to Communicate With Children From Birth to 5 Years

April 8, 2020 @ 2:49 PM | 3 Min Read | 34628 Views

The way your child communicates will change a lot between birth and the age of five, and children have a language of their own. Knowing what to expect can help you understand and respond to your child in meaningful ways.

Military Child Care Programs

April 3, 2020 @ 5:36 PM | 3 Min Read | 98442 Views

Choosing child care may be one of the most important decisions — and one of the first — you’ll make as a parent.

Children and Technology: 5 Tips for MilParents

March 16, 2020 @ 8:58 PM | 7 Min Read | 15969 Views

Parenting today means staying in the know and up to date on technology with all of its gadgets and apps – and being able to guide its use in your home.

Silas, one, son of Capt. Owen, 15th Reconnaissance Squadron pilot, receives a balloon monkey during a “Take Your Kid to Work Day” event April 23, 2015, at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada. Creech families honored the Month of the Military Child with food, face painting, and a magic show sponsored by the Las Vegas USO. In addition military vehicles and equipment were also on display and included the MQ-1 Predator and MQ-9 Reaper aircraft. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Christian Clausen/Released)

The Military Parenting Community: Enhancing Resilience One Family at a Time

February 20, 2020 @ 8:29 PM | 3 Min Read | 26288 Views

Raising a child can be the most exhilarating of adventures. It can also be exhausting, overwhelming or relentless — sometimes all at the same time.

U.S. Air Force Airman gets his face painted during a camouflage face painting activity

MilParent Power is Help for Parents

February 20, 2020 @ 5:10 PM | 12 Min Read | 27354 Views

MilParent Power offers helpful information and practical tools to help busy military parents build family togetherness, readiness and resilience.

Ways to Secure More Parenting Wins

February 18, 2020 @ 4:53 PM | 5 Min Read | 8467 Views

MilParent Power offers tools, tips and tactics to help keep children and families healthy, safe and strong.

Helping Your Child Find a Mentor

February 14, 2020 @ 7:10 PM | 5 Min Read | 32106 Views

Sometimes other adults have the special gift of helping our children see and use their strengths and talents. This is mentorship.

The New Parent Support Program

February 13, 2020 @ 9:18 PM | 5 Min Read | 51939 Views

The New Parent Support Program helps military parents, including expectant parents, transition successfully into parenthood and provides a nurturing environment for their children.

Becoming a New Father While You’re Deployed

February 13, 2020 @ 5:38 PM | 6 Min Read | 32574 Views

Don’t let the stress of deployment spoil the bliss you feel as an expectant father. Even if you won’t be there for the delivery, you can still experience the joys of new fatherhood.

father walks with student on first day of school

Plan Your Operation Back-to-School for Your Military Child

November 13, 2019 @ 11:56 AM | 2 Min Read | 2844 Views

Transition smoothly from summer to school by making a great game plan for the school year with your child. By doing so, you can help your child establish a sense of ownership in the plan to prepare them for – and perhaps even get excited about – going back to school.

Teacher in classroom with young children

Healthy Sexual Behaviors in Children

August 29, 2019 @ 4:10 PM | 9 Min Read | 8268 Views

The birds and the bees. It can be a tough conversation for any parent to have with their children. Rather than avoiding it, prepare early by understanding the childhood stages of healthy sexual growth. Understanding their development stages can better prepare you for “the conversation” and any questions they may ask you about gender, sexuality and relationships along the way.

Protect Your Children from Health Risks by Building Family Resilience

June 27, 2019 @ 10:08 AM | 5 Min Read | 32643 Views

As a parent, being aware of factors that can impact your child’s well-being – even into adulthood – is mission-critical. Research shows that when a child has a secure bond or attachment with their parent or caregiver, they can better manage stress.

USAR Soldiers leave lasting impression on Polish community

MilParent Power: Keeping Your Children Safe

June 24, 2019 @ 3:44 PM | 5 Min Read | 33406 Views

In many ways parenting is a lot like a military job: it’s a 24-hours-a-day, 365-days-a-year commitment.

Group of children sitting in a classroom.

Understanding Your Child’s Development: An Overview for Military Parents

June 24, 2019 @ 3:24 PM | 4 Min Read | 30284 Views

Children change quickly. Suddenly your sleeping infant is an independent 3-year-old. Before you know it, your kid is off to high school.

A dietician speaks to a parent during an event hosted by the New Parent Support Program.

Top Military OneSource Parenting Resources

June 6, 2019 @ 9:35 AM | 3 Min Read | 38960 Views

You have a busy life working, caring for the kids, cleaning the house, running carpool and making dinner. Military OneSource understands that and does your homework for you. We highlight the latest resources, information and advice on parenting so that you don’t have to spend hours at the computer on your downtime looking up services.

Making the Move Easier for Military Kids

June 5, 2019 @ 1:30 PM | 1 Min Read | 25693 Views

Moving with kids can be a little like assembling a jigsaw puzzle. A little perspective and patience is needed for you to fit all the pieces together.

How Military Parents Can Create Safe Sleeping Environments for Infants

April 26, 2019 @ 5:23 PM | 3 Min Read | 3572 Views

One of the easiest ways for military parents to keep your children safe – and avoid the possibility of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, or SIDS – is to arrange for a safe sleep place before your infant comes home from the hospital.

How to Teach Your Military Child About Healthy Boundaries

April 26, 2019 @ 2:49 PM | 4 Min Read | 4261 Views

The best way for military families to show children healthy boundaries is to model it yourself – both with them and with other adults. Here’s a list of some common ways you can help your children learn to build this resilient skill in everyday family life.

Mother and daughter sitting on a bench with arms around each other.

Tools for Parenting After a Suicide

March 4, 2019 @ 5:16 PM | 4 Min Read | 28450 Views

You do not have to handle the grief of a suicide all by yourself. Help is available to you.

Ways to Support Your Kids in Grade School

January 31, 2019 @ 2:36 PM | 2 Min Read | 32155 Views

As the guardian of your family, you want to both protect your children and help them be their best. Helping them to learn and grow is a big way to achieve both goals.

Helping Your Children Change Schools

January 10, 2019 @ 1:08 PM | 2 Min Read | 33019 Views

Frequent moving to new duty stations is fact of military life. Be prepared to help your school-age children with changing schools—it can go a long way to helping them adjust in healthy ways to some of the routines of military life.

Service member embraces his wife and son.

6 Tips to Harness Your MilParent Power

December 12, 2018 @ 2:36 PM | 4 Min Read | 31458 Views

As a service member, spouse or survivor you know the importance of being a good guardian — of country, community and family. Responsibility is nothing new.

Elementary School children draw out their emotions during a therapy session

Bullying: How to Identify and Address Peer Aggression

December 12, 2018 @ 2:36 PM | 3 Min Read | 27595 Views

Bullying, or peer aggression, is more common than you think. It consists of any behavior – verbal or physical – directed at peers and intended to cause harm.

Tips for Disciplining Your Child

December 12, 2018 @ 2:36 PM | 5 Min Read | 26889 Views

Misbehavior is a natural part of growing up. However, dealing with it as a parent requires lots of deep breathing, patience and strategies for discipline.

Potential Signs of Postpartum Depression

December 12, 2018 @ 2:36 PM | 2 Min Read | 26968 Views

While the "baby blues" are common for many women after giving birth, some women face a more prolonged and serious period of depression. If your feelings of sadness or anxiety do not go away, you may be suffering from postpartum depression.

Child Counseling Helps Kids Develop Healthy Habits

December 12, 2018 @ 2:36 PM | 3 Min Read | 64364 Views

As a parent of a military youth, you can help your children learn how to develop healthy ways to deal with stress and life’s curveballs.

Child and his mom holding a drawn house with family

5 Adoption Options

March 15, 2018 @ 9:51 AM | 2 Min Read | 34749 Views

Military life is no longer a barrier to adoption as it once was. However, the adoption process can be a complicated journey and goes more smoothly with a little guidance and information.

7 Tips for Teaching Teens Money Management

March 15, 2018 @ 9:50 AM | 3 Min Read | 30268 Views

It’s never too early to start teaching your kids about money. Encourage them to collect their allowance in a piggy bank whenever they start earning one.

How to Create and Maintain Routines

March 15, 2018 @ 9:50 AM | 2 Min Read | 24990 Views

Most children thrive with routine. Little people crave a sense of control, especially with regard to sleeping and eating Routines are especially important for children who have difficulty with transitions.

Talking to Your Teen About Substance Abuse

March 15, 2018 @ 9:50 AM | 3 Min Read | 22001 Views

Substance abuse happens everywhere, including on and off military installations.

How to Talk to a Child About a Parent’s Severe Injury

March 15, 2018 @ 9:50 AM | 5 Min Read | 20443 Views

Telling your child about a parent's severe injury is a delicate issue that often requires some preparation and guidance.

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