The Spouse Angle

Military families are no strangers to uncertainty, yet the coronavirus pandemic is adding a whole host of new challenges, including halted PCS moves and extended deployments. So, how do you cope with the added stress of COVID-19? And how do you talk to your kids about it? A military spouse mental health counselor offers some advice.

Podcast guest Richelle Futch is offering a free download of her parenting workbook to Spouse Angle listeners. Download it now at https://www.powerbackparenting.com/freepdf.

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Military kids already face many education hurdles — and now they're all at home due to coronavirus fears. In this episode, a teacher and military homeschool mom shares best tips for surviving the rest of the school year, and an education expert highlights ways to help military kids succeed in school.

Take the Military Child Education Coalition survey at https://milkidsnoweducationsurvey.questionpro.com/.

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The Space Force's first—and only—military spouse, Mollie Raymond, joins Natalie to share what it's like to help shape a new branch of the military.

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It’s been more than a year since horror stories of black mold, lead, rats and other terrifying realities in military base housing started making headlines. This week Natalie looks at the new Tenant Bill of Rights — what's included and what military families are still fighting for — with the military spouse and activist that helped make it happen.

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The coronavirus epidemic is shaking the world, and military families in Korea are near the center of it all. A reporter in Seoul and an Army spouse at Camp Humphreys explain how the health scare and its ripple effects have upended everyday life for thousands of military families.

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Family separations. Spouse unemployment. Child care. These are some of the top concerns for military families, according to a new survey of more than 11,000 service members, veterans and military spouses. A researcher joins Natalie to dissect the data — and what it means for your loved ones.

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Military spouses and mothers of children with special needs are asking Congress for help fixing a military program that's supposed to help families like theirs navigate medical care and education. They join Natalie to share what's at stake if nothing improves.

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Many parents have a checklist of nonnegotiables when finding a day care or interviewing nannies. But not all military families can be that selective — especially in remote areas or on bases without child development centers. In this episode, a Coast Guard couple shares their story of struggle and how building relationships in their local community has alleviated some of the problem.

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It's no surprise that the constant changes of military life negatively impact spouse's employment opportunities. But what if spouses had jobs that moved with them? This episode explores the latest research on job portability, and an Army wife entrepreneur shares how her innovative company is connecting military spouses with remote work.

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families report referenced in this episode is available at https://bit.ly/36TQpBi. Learn more about Instant Teams at https://www.instantteams.com/.

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Tardy shipments. Damaged goods. On the heels of a recent DoD audit of military moves, spouses call in with their best PCS horror stories.

The DoD OIG report referenced in the episode is available at https://bit.ly/38GYk6e.

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