My Story: Blogs by Four Military Teens, by Dr. Michelle Sherman and DeAnne Sherman, contains blogs of four fictional teenagers whose parents are in the military. I love the format because the blog entries are short but very telling. Issues addressed in the blogs include:
- pride in parent’s military service
- sadness, anger and confusion regarding deployment
- the excitement of homecoming
- challenges of reconnecting after deployment
- finding a “new normal”
- teen depression
- dealing with parent’s emotional and physical challenges (i.e. PTSD, substance abuse, injury)
- teen resilience and post-traumatic growth
At the end of each teen’s blog, there is a page with several bullet points of lessons that particular teen has learned from his/her journey. For example, “Mariah” learned “It helps to stay busy and stick to a regular schedule. Doing 5K runs and being in the school play were great and helped to pass the time until Mom got home.” Adam learned, “My dad has a lot to deal with from all he experienced in the war—I can see it in his face. This PTSD thing is REAL . . . just as real as a broken arm.”
There are also brief articles (called “Something to Think About”) between each teen’s blog which offers some more insights and guidance to teens who can relate to what they’ve just read.
My favorite part of the book is the final section, called “Now It’s Your Turn.” As you may have guessed, this is a guided journal space for your teen to use to share his/her own story. The prompts may look simple to us, but helping your teen to think about and express her feelings about these complicated issues goes a long way in helping her cope. There is also a glossary and a list of military youth Web sites.
About the authors:
Dr. Michelle Sherman is a clinical psychologist and the director of the Family Mental Health Program at the Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Medical Center. DeAnne Sherman, Michelle’s mother, is a teacher with more than 40 years of experience with teens.
To purchase the book, visit www.seedsofhopebooks.com.
{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
My oldest daughter would love this! She’s 17 now and was 6 months old when I came into the Army. She’s totally grown up in the military! And is one of the strongest young lady that I’ve ever met!
I live with two military teens. Surprisingly it is my youngest (the one we all think is so immature) who is perhaps the bravest/strongest. We recently went through a deployment and he was the best battle buddy ever!
Well my husband is deploying very soon and we just pcsed to our first duty station, my husband has been in for 7yrs but not with a family, so this is all new to us. My 13yr old daughter has been great she did not want to leave her hometown of 13yrs but she new it had to be done. She has been so helpful, right after we got here I had to also have surgery and she was still adjusting to the new state, house and school, and then helping with her younger brother and sister. She is very strong and brave in my eyes because through it all she still stays strong. Hopefully with this being our first deployment she will adjust great to that also and hopefully this book would help a little too. Thank you.
My 2 brothers (Todd-15 and Mike-13) are both incredible kids
They have moved all over the country (and the world) as the sons of a Marine. Through multiple deployments, they have remained stable and strong for my mom- and are a ready source of comic relief for everyone. My dad is about to go on another deployment in about a year- they know it is coming yet they still have excelled in school and extra curricular activities. They are definitely a couple of strong marine brats 
My sons were in 2nd and 5th grade during my husband’s 1st deploment. Now we are at the start of our 2nd and they are in 14 and just turned 17. My youngest is heading into 1st year of HS and my oldest will be a senior in the fall. They have both been through so much during their dad’s military career (national guard, no longer 1 weekend a month and 2 weeks a year) My husband and I are so proud of the fine young men they have become. I think they would enjoy this book, my youngest has been asked to write a teen page for our frg monthly newsletter.
The brave military teen in my life is my soon to be 15 year old daughter. Kaylee is a 9th grader and entered her 8th school last year. She’s been in school in 6 different states. Not only has she had to make new friends at each school, she’s had to overcome the differences of being educated in 6 different states. For example, she never has learned fractions in the classroom. We moved 3/4 of the way through her third grade year, missing fractions in Alaska. We were only in California for 15 months, where she missed fractions again. Then we moved to Alabama where we changed schools from a very behind public school to a very ahead private school. So, we ended up teaching her fractions at home.
Even with the challenges of different schools and lots of moves, Kaylee has continued to put herself out there and be a friend–especially when she’s helped welcome a new kid. Kaylee has been the new kid so many times that she has a real heart to make the transition easier for other.
We face another challenge next year when we will not only move for her junior year of high school but we’ll also move just before she is able to get her driver’s licence in our current state. These things may seem rather unimportant to an adult but to a teen they are difficult. Although she doesn’t always look at the military life as a great thing, she does look at it that way the majority of the time. I think any kid who can go through that many changes in their life is worthy of being considered a brave military teen! Actually, I think all military kids are deserving of an honor! Military kids serve too!!!!
I really loved what you said about the teens in the military life. My son is almost 14 and my husband just deployed december2009. He doesn’t fully understand what is going on, but they always know more then we think they do. We may be looking at PCS when my husband returns December of this year. I hate the thought of leaving my family, but I deep inside he hates the thought of leaving his grandmother. Much to my knowledge, he holds strongs and tells that he is ready to go where we have too. Today’s teen face so much more challenges then they did when I was a teen. I have to tell them the same as you, they are all honored in my book. I too agree, they are serving in the military too.
I have four kids, two teenage girls 15 and 13 and two boys 10 and 6. This book is much needed, hope I win, thanks!
We are mid-deployment, our first, and I have a teen and preteen who would both enjoy this book <3
We currently have 2 teens in the house, both of which are amazing kids. My husband is getting ready to deploy to Iraq, and I’m sure reading this book would be helpful for them in coping with their dad being gone for a year.
I would love to get this book. I have 4 children and my oldest just turned 13. She does have a hard time with deployments like the one dad is on now. She won’t show it often but I know it wears on her being the oldest.
My son was born into the military lifestyle. That was almost 14 years ago. I have remarried and his step-father and him were getting real close when he had to deploy. He just not fully understand what he is doing in another county, but he tries to be strong for me. He has almost assumed the role as “man of the house” since my husband has been gone. It was a real change. especially since he left on his birthday. Maybe a book that he can read where other children are going through the same will help him understand deployment a little better.
I have a 16 year old that has gone thru 2 deployments in 3 years and it can get tough. I would love for him to have something to read on his own.
My son is 16 and Military life is new to him… He jumped into this lifestyle due to the recession so our kids mostly our son is having a heck of a time and we are getting ready to do deployment #1.
We have 4 children, 1 of whom is approaching the teen years. We can already see how this military lifestyle is affecting him. Dad is coming off of a 1 year deployment soon. This book could really help us now and in the future.
My military is my 14 yr. old daughter Tricia. She is the oldest of three, and her father has left 6 times in the past 8 years. Currently her father is in Greenland on an unaccompanied remote tour for 1 year. She has always been strong, but as it would affect anyone, she has had her hard times when her father is gone. She tries her best to stay strong, and help me out when I am having a hard time myself. She was a huge help when her little brother was born during her fathers last deployment. Her other brother was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3. She has always been sensitive to anyone making fun of her brother. Tricia has a good combination of her father and I. I am very proud of her, and how she has done her best to be strong when her father is gone. She will be having a Sweet 16 next year- godwilling her father does not have to leave for a deployment. It surprises my husband and I how fast she has grown. We cannot believe she will be going to college in 3 years. We both feel that being a military child has prepared her for her future. We love our daughter Tricia so much. I think this book would be a huge benefit to her, so that she may have that extra push to keep going.
My husband is on another 1 year tour in Afghanistan and we have 3 teens who are currently experiencing yet another deployment. My 3 oldest kids ar 16, 14 & 13. Although they handle the deployments each in their own way and each day is different than the prieious, they are exceptionally strong young men and women and I am so very proud of them and how they manage the sacrifices they make each day as a military child. No one can even remotely understand what a military child goes through during a deployment, which is why I hope I win this book! My kids need to see that other kids also cope with the same emotional difficulties they do!
I have 2 military teens, both girls, 16 and 14. They are both very supportive of their father and we are so very proud of them for all they do to help the entire family through this deployment. They are always there for the 3 younger children, no matter what. They would truely appreciate reading this book.
Two of my 4 girls are teens. My husband is deployed. Because he is in the reserves and we live hours away from a military post, Kerry and Seren don’t have friends who are experiencing a parent’s deployment. Perhaps they would benefit from this book.