From deployments to relocations, military life can present many challenges for families. Luckily, technology is being developed to help address some of these difficulties. These five mobile apps aim to make life easier for military families by providing valuable resources straight to their phones.
1. My Military Life
The National Military Family Association created the My Military Life app to give families credible information to help navigate a variety of relevant topics. According to the NMFA, these situations include deployment, moving, parenthood and transitioning out of the military, among others. When a user downloads the app, he or she answers a few preliminary questions to help the app determine which topics are applicable.
2. Sesame Street for Military Families
Who better to help young kids through the challenges of military life than their favorite characters from "Sesame Street"? This app has resources, videos and activities to help military families navigate difficult issues by encouraging kids to recognize and express their feelings. Topics that are covered include injuries, grief, homecomings, deployments and self-expression. The resources provided by the app are available in both English and Spanish.
3. My Base Guide
Families who relocate will find My Base Guide to be a useful resource for simplifying the process. The app provides information on base regulations, registration, education and schools, housing and more, which is perfect for a transition to a new location. The app contains this helpful information for more than 120 bases in the U.S.
4. Babies on the Homefront
Taking care of a baby is difficult under the best of circumstances, but being in the military brings additional challenges. The Babies on the Homefront app attempts to smooth the experience for military parents of children up to age 3 by providing tips to handle bad behavior, ideas for creative play time and suggestions for self-care, the app's website reported. The app, developed by ZERO TO THREE: The National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, allows parents to personalize their account with their baby's picture and age, and specify their situation using a variety of options such as "at home," "deployed" or "leaving soon."
5. FOCUS on the Go!
Created by the Families Overcoming Under Stress Project for Military Families, the FOCUS on the Go! app provides fun, educational games for families to play together. The games provide opportunities to practice solving problems and communicating while helping Buddy Bear through different challenges. Kids also learn relaxation tools and ways to identify their emotions.