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Camp for Military Kids

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While we enjoy beautiful weather year-round in Monterey, there’s something special about the start of Spring. Maybe it’s the idea of fresh beginnings, but I always find myself walking with a new pep in my step. There are a lot of opportunities for military families to be excited about in the Monterey area this Spring.

Camp Corral provides the opportunity for the children of military members to attend camp for free at one of many host camps around the country. Partner camp YMCA Camp Loma Mar is in the redwood forests of Loma Mar, California from August 5 -11. Applications are currently open and will be available until one month before camp or until all the spots have been filled.

If you mix Army green, Marine Corps red, and blue from the Coast Guard, Air Force, and Navy, you get the perfect shade of purple. The National Military Family Association’s Operation Purple Camp believes that bringing these kids together for summer camp creates a truly magical experience.

Operation Purple Camps are provided free of charge in partnership with participating camps around the United States. Special consideration is given to those kids who have a parent who was wounded, ill, or injured during their service or will be deployed before, during, or shortly after the camp season. Registration for the summer 2018 camps opens on March 5th. It’s an opportunity to send your military kid for a camp experience they will never forget.

For our older kids, the start of Spring means getting prepared for college, including scholarship deadlines. The Monterey Bay Officer Spouse’s Club awards numerous scholarships each year to area students. Eligible applicants include members of MBOSC, their families, and family members of Active Duty, retired, or deceased military members in the Monterey Bay area, as well as families of all Naval Postgraduate School students and alumni. 

Camp Corral information can be found at www.campcorral.org. For more information on the Operation Purple camp and to see where your kids can connect with other military kids, visit www.militaryfamily.org. To apply for the MBOSC scholarship or buy tickets to the Sip the Peninsula fundraiser, visit wwww.mbosc.net.

Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse. 

Military Mom: Staying Fit

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There’s nothing like a new year to motivate and inspire. If improved health and wellness are on your list for 2018, look no further than Monterey military spouses to lead the way. When I first moved to Monterey, pregnant with our older son, I was so excited to learn about all the ways I could stay fit, be a part of a community, and support fellow military spouses in their own journeys.

Stroller Strong Moms love to Sweat Like A Mother, or SLAM! Founded by a military spouse who is also the SLAMBoss of the Monterey group, Stroller Strong Moms now has 16 affiliates open for anyone to join. SLAM mamas can participate in daily workouts, accompanied by their strollers, in the fresh air at Lover’s Point or Toro Park. Workouts vary and include weight training, cardio, and yoga. SLAM creates a community of moms who love to sweat together, support each other, and be role models for their kids.

Stroller Warriors is a free running club for military spouses and family members with over 40 chapters in the U.S. and abroad. Meeting every Tuesday and Thursday, Stroller Warriors bond through running and community. Runners of all paces and ability levels are welcome.

Hike It Baby is a community of parents and caregivers who love the great outdoors and want to bring that love to their growing families. Led by a military spouse, the Monterey Hike It Baby chapter meets weekly to explore the beautiful Central Coast. Hikes range from easy strolls to more challenging treks but all are child-friendly. Hike It Baby has branches in all 50 states and 19 international regions, perfect for those military moves. 

Fitness centers are another great way to stay active in the new year. The Monterey Bay Athletic Club at the Naval Postgraduate School and Price Fitness Center at the Presidio offer free access to state-of-the-art facilities and equipment for active-duty military and dependents. Not quite sure where to start? Both gyms have excellent personal trainers on staff and group classes available. 

Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse. 

Holiday Travel Tips From Military Mom

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‘Tis the season to go to the airport! Whether you are traveling via plane, train, or automobile, adding children to the itinerary makes everything more exciting. Military families are often separated from extended family and our Monterey military community is no exception. The benefit that many service members have here is additional time away from the job to make travel back home easier. 

Here are a few tips to make your trip an enjoyable part of your vacation.

Road Trips

If you are gearing up for a road trip with your kids, start by planning on a longer trip time. Build in plenty of stops, including scheduled stops for food and stretching, as well as as-needed restroom visits. Since you have to make all of those stops anyway, consider finding fun things to see along the way. If you go into your trip having made peace with the frequent stopping that comes with kids in the car, you’ll be able to stay relaxed and enjoy the journey.

Audiobooks are a great option for long car trips with older children. With a library card, you can even download books from the library’s Hoopla database. Check out their selection of movies, TV shows, and music to keep your road trip going. Snacks are also your best friend. Have some on hand that are easy to eat in the car and some that require you to stop for a break. An impromptu family picnic may just end up being a special memory for years to come.

Airplane Travel 

Trips by airplane come with their own challenges. It can be especially stressful to travel with young children on a plane, as they can be impacted by delays, confined quarters on the plane, and changes in pressure during the flight. Nursing or bottle feeding during take off and landing can help them deal with changes in pressure. If you are still in the diaper stage, try to board each flight with a fresh diaper to minimize the chance that you will have to use the tiny airplane bathroom. If you do have to do a mid-flight diaper or outfit change, know that you have now joined an elite club of super moms and dads. Trust me, it will be a funny story very soon.

For older children, embrace the technology available to you. Involve your child in choosing a movie or show to watch together on the flight. If there is ever a time to extend your child’s allowable screen time, a long flight is it. Pick up a cheap headphones splitter to allow you both to listen to the audio while bonding over a new movie.

If you’re staying in town . . . 

If you are unable to be with family and friends this holiday season, join your military community and participate in the fun events happening on base this month. Highlights include the Annual Tree Lighting at NPS, Corks & Forks wine tasting, Teddy Bear Tea, and Christmas Dinner Buffet. 

Happy holidays and happy travels!

Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse. Katie is an advertising sales executive for Monterey Bay Parent Magazine. She is the mother of a 1 year-old son and expecting her second child this month.

How Your Family Can Thank A Veteran

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Veterans Day is Saturday, November 11. This year, why not consider ways your family can honor veterans all year rather than on just one day? Here are some suggestions to get you started:

  1. According to the Obama White House archives, the easiest option to convey gratitude when you see a veteran or military personnel is to “shake their hand and simply say ‘thank you.’ This simple act of kindness will brighten up a veteran’s day and make him or her feel appreciated. “

  2. If you’re also an employer or manager, host a special luncheon for all of your veterans. Recognize their service to your company and your country.

  3. Reach out to a neighbor. Almost 40 percent of the veteran population is 65 or older and many have no family living nearby.  If a veteran lives in your neighborhood, make a special effort to get to know them and offer fresh baked goodies or to do a household chore. Ask if they have holiday plans and include them in yours when possible. 

  4. Visit a local nursing home or VA Hospital. Most nursing homes have a few veterans as residents. Ask the manager of the facility if it’s ok for your family to visit and listen to their stories.

  5. Volunteer. There are a variety of Monterey Bay organizations that support veterans that need your help. Check http://mbv.org/join-us/volunteers/ for information on a group that works to integrate the physically challenged community into normal daily activities and recreation.

  6. Make a financial donation. Organizations like The Wounded Warrior Project (https://www.woundedwarriorproject.org) do amazing work and they rely on donations. Talk to your family about what they do and encourage your children to donate a bit of their allowance. Or, perhaps the kids can set up a lemonade stand and have a neighborhood fundraiser? 

  7. Attend the 7th Annual Veterans Day Parade on November 11, from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM in downtown Salinas. The Opening Ceremony begins at 1:20 PM and the parade kicks off at 2 PM. The parade route is on South Main Street between Central Avenue and Chestnut Street. Leon Panetta is this year’s parade Grand Marshal. The parade is sponsored by The American Legion, Women’s Auxiliary, Sons of American Legion,  and The American Legion Riders.

  8. Take a veteran to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Admission is free over Veterans Day weekend (Nov. 10-12) for veterans, active-duty military, reservists and retirees with a valid military ID. Discount tickets for family members can be purchased in advance at participating bases. http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/visit/special-events/veterans-day-weekend

Military Mom: Think Twice Before Offering Advice

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My son has always struggled with daytime napping and mostly prefers to sleep in my lap. Sweet, right? Yes, but with a new baby coming in a couple of months, it was time to officially give him his eviction notice from napping in my lap. After trying numerous methods, we ultimately decided to try sleep training. We put him in his crib for an afternoon nap and left the room. After an hour of crying, both him and me, I heard a knock on my door. It was a neighbor who decided to give me some unsolicited advice. She didn’t think that letting him cry like that was healthy.

I know her advice came from a place of wanting to help. But rather than feeling helped, I immediately felt defeated. Maybe I didn’t have this motherhood thing down. Maybe I was failing as a parent. A lot of emotions filled my head—anger, shame, frustration. But the one that stuck with me was self-doubt. All because of some advice.

Why is it so bad to give advice? After all, you’re just trying to provide the benefit of experience to a new mom or dad. Advice isn’t necessarily bad but consider what you may be taking away from the person you are trying to help. New parents work hard to build up their confidence. A simple comment can fill a parent’s head with that dreaded self-doubt. That is especially true when the parent isn’t asking for advice. Chances are they are struggling with something, which is why you want to offer advice in the first place. The key is to wait to be asked for your insight. 

If a new parent asks for advice, feel free to give it. Make sure that it comes with some encouragement that they are doing a great job, whether they choose to follow your advice or try another approach. When you see a parent struggling, don’t immediately jump in with advice. If you want to help, simply ask how you can do so. If the parent declines, smile and let it go. Respect the boundaries that they set.

If you have been the recipient of unsolicited advice try to take it as it comes. It can be difficult to contain your frustration when people make comments about your parenting. If it does escape, don’t feel bad. Just try to stay calm and positive for you and your baby. That may mean sharing the rationale behind your decision, making some sort of polite, or simply exiting the conversation. You know your child and your family, which makes you the best person to decide what will work. 

Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse. Katie is an advertising sales executive for Monterey Bay Parent Magazine. She is the mother of an 11-month old son.

Read more of Katie’s Military Mom articles: (click on the title to be taken to the article.)

Support For New Military Parents in Monterey

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New moms and dads have it rough. It is a huge transition to go from just having to worry about yourself to keeping a tiny, fragile human alive. When you’re a new military parent, the distance from family and familiarity adds a new level of challenges and adjustment. So where do you turn when you need help navigating this new role? Enter the Fleet and Family Support Center, Army Community Services, and Child and Youth Services.

When I first became a mom, I was new to the Monterey area, far from any family. My pediatrician recommended that I contact Tricia Williams, the lactation consultant on staff at Fleet and Family, to gain more confidence with nursing. I found a whole host of new opportunities open to me as a military mom. Infant massage classes, newborn care, first foods classes—the education that I gained during those first few months was priceless.

If you are an expecting or new parent, reach out to Fleet and Family, located in the La Mesa Housing community, or Army Community Services, located at the Stilwell Community Center in Fort Ord. The New Parent Support Program, including home visits, can do wonders to help you learn to be the best parent possible for your new family. As you become a more experienced parent, the education opportunities include toddler developmental milestones, planning for a sound financial future, and individualized counseling support. Postpartum depression and anxiety are also priorities for the staff. The military recognizes that service members and their families are particularly vulnerable to experiencing increased hardship as new parents, due to an increased sense of isolation or job-related stress. These support organizations provide training, create a sense of community, and help encourage those suffering to reach out for help.

New parents are not the only ones who need support in the military community. Parents with school-age children should know about the School Liaison Officer, Elaine Vrolyks, located at Fort Ord. Her job is to assist military families as well as local school faculty and staff with addressing the unique needs of military students. Frequent moves, often to new states or countries, mean that parents must quickly acclimate to new enrollment requirements, deadlines, and options. The School Liaison Officer is there to educate incoming families about what’s available here on the Peninsula, as well as assist outgoing families with the transition to their next duty station. She also spends time training school officials on how they can further support military students, such as staffing military liaisons or accessing federal Department of Defense Education Activity grants.

New parent? Veteran parent? Contact your military support organizations to find out how they can help your family thrive. Visit www.navymwrmonterey.com to see what Fleet and Family has to offer. Visit https://presidio.armymwr.com for the latest information from Army Community Services. Follow them on Facebook at Fleet & Family Support Center Monterey and Presidio of Monterey to stay up-to-date on what is happening around the Peninsula and on base.

Katie Begley is a Navy veteran and military spouse. Katie is the advertising sales executive for the Salinas region for Monterey Bay Parent Magazine. She is the mother of an 8-month old son.

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