Got Deployment? Got Activation? Help for Military Families From Sesame Street Workshop and Wal-Mart

In our family "The Big D" stands for "Deployment" and so I understand on a deeply personal level what thousands of families are experiencing as they cope with Active Duty, National Guard and/or Reserve deployments in their lives and those of their friends, co-workers and neighbors.

My husband has served 18 years (and counting!) as an active duty member of the military. I've spent many months flying solo as a parent during my husband's deployments. Maybe some day I'll write a book about our wild ride, but for now, let me tell you about a freebie for families being distributed by the Department of Defense in conjunction with two other partners.

Over the summer Sesame Street Workshop and Wal-mart,in a partnership, released two videos "Talk, Listen, Connect: Helping Families During Military Deployment", one for grownups to watch, and one to watch along with children ages 3-5. Both became available on August 1, 2006 and are FREE! The videos can either be watched in a video stream at the website or downloaded from the website onto a personal computer.

For those who would prefer a DVD copy,those can be obtained at Wal-mart as well as military installations and Department of Defense offices. Hard copy DVD's are also FREE! All of the materials are available in English and Spanish.

I've watched both videos. The video for grownups is excellent,and it goes thru the various emotions adults face before, during and beyond deployment. Particularly useful are the personal stories as told by those on the battlefield and by families and friends along the home front.

The video for the kids is also excellent, as it contains a great deal of information kids may need time to process, I would recommend watching it in installments. What is especially useful is the depiction of Elmo as the child of a military dad who is preparing for deployment. I like how concern about The Unknown is addressed and dealt with in a direct, yet sensitive manner. Pointers are given by families as to what they do to remain connected to one another prior and during a deployment, and then how they deal with life after the deployment ends.

Both videos also point out that dads AND moms are deploying. The videos make sure to cover married and single parent families from a variety of ethnic backgrounds too.

Props to Sesame Street Workshop and Wal-mart for partnering with the Department of Defense to help families, friends and loved ones. I know I could have used these videos years ago and am excited they are available now for families.