One may wonder the origin of the term "Army Brat". When a child of the military is introduced, it is almost always followed by the statement "he/she is an Army Brat". For generalization purposes, it is to mean simply the child of a soldier. Those in the military who have children however, know all too well what that term entails.
Army brats, have to deal with a lot at an early age. They cope with mom/dad in and out of their lives on a regular basis. It is nothing for a child to go 6 months to a year without seeing their parent. Then for 2 whole glorious weeks, its nothing but parental interaction. This can be confusing for our children. Our sons attempt to fulfill the father roles, only to have it taken away once their father returns home. Our daughters, get used to answering to mom only. So when daddy gets home, they may face a feeling of resentment.
The first time my husband deployed to Iraq, I was 8 months pregnant with our first child. A year went by, he was on his way home, only to be turned around after being notified of an extension. By the time he finally came home, and seen his child she was 15 months old.
I'll never forget that first night home. It was bedtime, she kisses me goodnight, takes Daddy's hand....and walks him to the front door. She was going to bed, so he needed to go home. She stood there at the front door with a bewildered look on her face as I attempted to explain that this stranger was going to be with us forever.
In just one evening, she went from being mommy's one and only, to sharing mommy and living with a virtual stranger.
Since this occurrence, she has had to repeat this cycle 2 more times all before the age of 6. People will say bad things about Army Brats, and maybe some of it is warranted. Our children may occassionally act out, and they may not be perfect all the time. However, I would like to see any child, deal with half of the issues an "Army Brat" deals with in a given week, and come out half as wonderful.
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And don't forget the "play time" sharing the kids get-used to participating in during the 'Daddy-Deployment' days. They interact with their friend companions either at play time in the neighborhood or through school interaction with the other kids. If all Mom's could hear the conversation that goes on between friends at this age, I will bet that we would never let our kids out of our sight any furter then 5 feet awy from us.
ReplyDeleteOur Army Brats have influences from other friends that reflect the relationship of parent(s') activities at home. Unfortunately, Army Brats get these exposure from their Mom or dad whether they want to be a part of the exposure. Armt Brats at this age don't have a choice but to be confused by the "virtual stranger." When school starts for selected age groups, the education they get can be a great asset to the entire family during times of deployment and seperation for families. The quality of education assists these Army Brats to understand that the term 'Army Brat" has its legend to live down. Education is not just arts and crafts, or singing for 2 sessioned hours, but it should be the begininng of the understanding of Army Family Life. Check with the school guidance counselor to see if their ciriculum suits your lifestyle, and if it doesn't there are other schools that will comply with proper education for the demands of Army families, without a doubt. During open house, meet the teacher, speak to them, and get the idea of their impact for educating your child.
Lastly, FMWR (Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) has a CYSS (Child, Youth & School Services) School Liaison Officer who can assist families with concerns regarding child education, regualtions, and challenges that arise between civilian and army schooling deficits.