BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES by Sarah Christensen A project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATION IN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION Weber State University Ogden, Utah July 23, 2019 APPROVED _______________________________ Stephanie Speicher, Ph.D. _______________________________ Dee Dee Mower, Ph.D. _______________________________ CPT Jeong Hinton BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 2 Acknowledgments I cannot express my emotions as I complete the final steps in finishing my master’s degree. I always had the desire to further my education, but I never imagined myself going back to school at this time in my life. With six children at home and a husband in the military, the prospect seemed untimely, but the Lord prompted my return, and with my husband’s career paying for most of the expenses (because of a three-year assignment at Weber State University ROTC), I could not deny that this was an opportune time. So first, I must thank the Lord. I thank him for helping my writing flow effortlessly at times, for sending ideas and thoughts to my mind, for enlightening me on the direction of this project, and for allowing me to grow in knowledge and character throughout the process. I thank my husband and children for the many hours they have spent cleaning, cooking, and babysitting on my behalf. For rarely complaining about my absence and supporting me in my endeavors. Especially for my daughter Ellie who I can always count on to take care of her younger brother Charlie (who was less than a year old when I started this program). Brooklynn for her artistic talent and abilities that are unmatched and for taking on the task of illustrating the book for me. My incredible husband who was my biggest advocate for furthering my education and for his love and support throughout this process. My mother for driving up weekly at times because she knew how difficult it was for me to leave my children. For my sister Sharlene. I don’t know how I could have got this degree without her. She helped me in my most difficult times, (My husband was gone for two summers in Morocco while I was attending school) almost intuitively offering to take my children on several occasions for days at a time. I cannot express the comfort it gave me to leave them with her, as I know how fun and loving she is to them all. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 3 A huge thank you to all my professors and especially to my chair, Stephanie Speicher. Thank you for your guidance and support. Your words of positivity have often encouraged me to push through. Thank you to my committee members and my sister Chantelle for taking the time to read through my thesis and provide me with feedback, to Alison Ratner for evaluating my book, and to all the participants in this study, for sharing some of your most trying experiences openly with me in hopes of creating better tools for resiliency for military children. Thank you all. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 4 Table of Contents NATURE OF THE PROBLEM.......................................................................................... 7 Literature Review.................................................................................................... 9 Military Life Events .................................................................................... 9 Deployment ..................................................................................... 9 Relocation ..................................................................................... 11 Reintegration ................................................................................. 13 Negative Effects on Military Children ...................................................... 15 Developmental complications ....................................................... 16 Maltreatment ................................................................................. 16 Psychological and emotional well-being ...................................... 17 Resilience .................................................................................................. 18 Comprehensive Soldier Fitness..................................................... 18 Families Over-Coming Under Stress ............................................ 19 Talk, Listen, Connect .................................................................... 20 Bibliotherapy............................................................................................. 21 Summary ............................................................................................................... 24 PURPOSE ......................................................................................................................... 26 METHODS ....................................................................................................................... 27 Participants ............................................................................................................ 27 Instruments ............................................................................................................ 28 Context .................................................................................................................. 29 Procedures ............................................................................................................. 30 BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 5 RESULTS ......................................................................................................................... 31 Problems Related to Separation ............................................................................ 31 Problems Related to Relocation ............................................................................ 33 Problems Encountered During Reintegration ....................................................... 34 Unexpected Extensions ......................................................................................... 36 Resilience .............................................................................................................. 36 Literature for Resilience ....................................................................................... 38 DISCUSSION ................................................................................................................... 40 Researcher’s Bias and Limitations ........................................................................ 43 Recommendation/Conclusion ............................................................................... 44 REFERENCES ................................................................................................................. 46 APPENDICES .................................................................................................................. 50 Appendix A ........................................................................................................... 50 Appendix B ........................................................................................................... 51 Appendix C ........................................................................................................... 52 Appendix D ........................................................................................................... 61 Appendix E ........................................................................................................... 62 BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 6 Abstract Military families are subject to difficult circumstances they encounter because of the military lifestyle. Deployment, relocation, and reintegration are a few aspects of military life that can take a toll on service members and their families. Many families experience negative impacts related to military life such as maltreatment, social and emotional struggles, developmental complications, marriage conflict, etc. Without forms of resilience, soldiers and their families are more likely to see negative impacts. For this purpose, several programs are accessible to soldiers and their families. Unfortunately, not all military families are aware of the resources available to them and not all programs are suitable for each families’ needs. Bibliotherapy is a form of therapy that could be used for resilience and is recommended for service members and their families in this article. Bibliotherapy uses literature for healing and has been shown to help children experiencing separation, death, stress, and other similar struggles that military families face. The focus of this project was to create a book for military children that could be used for bibliotherapy. In order to determine what topics would be most helpful for soldiers and their family members, qualitative research methods were used to interview a select number of military member’s spouses about the problems associated with deployment and other components of military life. The results indicated that these families experienced negative impacts and that they would have benefited from more forms of resilience such as bibliotherapy. The transcripts from the interviews were used to create a children’s book based on the findings. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 7 NATURE OF THE PROBLEM Children in military families face a great deal of stress related to deployments, relocation, reintegration, and other factors (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2013; Sories, Maier, Beer, & Thomas, 2015; Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). For these families who experience recurrent deployments, “early parent-child relationships are shaped and molded against a backdrop of separation, injury, or loss” (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012, p. 46). Osofsky and Chartrand (2013) found that the difficulties of military life can put increased stress on the attachment relationships between young children and their parents. Because young children depend upon their parents to take care of their most essential needs, it can be particularly stressful for them when they are separated from their caregiver (Osofsky and Chartrand, 2013). This can be potentially harmful for young children, putting them at risk emotionally and behaviorally (Sories et al., 2015). Williams and Mulrooney (2012) described the importance of the caregiver on a child’s development, “Early childhood is a period of tremendous opportunity and vulnerability, in which the mapping of the brain and nervous system is profoundly impacted by environmental factors, including the quality of the caregiving milieu” (p. 51). Thus, it is critical that parents and children have channels for managing the stresses that accompany military life, including all stages of deployment, relocation, and reintegration. If proper resources for managing stress are not utilized in military families to form resilience, then it is likely they will experience negative effects (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2013; Russo & Fallon, 2015; Sories et al., 2015; Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). Russo and Fallon described what can happen if military children are unable to form resilience, “when children fail to adjust and adapt to the changes in the military life, risk factors can increase, and mal-adaption may occur instead of resilience” (Russo & Fallon, 2015, p. 410). Similarly, Sories and colleagues BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 8 discussed several factors of military life and how those factors threaten military children’s psychological wellbeing. The research demonstrated how military deployments adversely affected children, sometimes causing mental health problems, emotional difficulties, and higher stress levels (Sories et al., 2015). Given the unpredictable demands of the military lifestyle, military families must seek coping mechanisms to help them maintain stability and build resilience (Shaw & Shaw, 2018). Creating resilience in military families is key to the success of the household. Many programs have been implemented for service members and their families to achieve resilience, build communication skills, mitigate stress, and improve emotional and psychological well-being. Although these programs have shown to be successful, some programs may be more suitable to specific personality types, matching personality types with treatment is shown to be beneficial (Smith, 2010). Another type of therapy that might benefit military families is bibliotherapy. Akgün and Belli (2019) described bibliotherapy as using books for healing. Bibliotherapy is founded on “the change in the behaviors and attitudes of people after being influenced by what they have read” (p. 101). Thus, bibliotherapy is a strategy that can be used to help children cope with stress, anxiety, and other emotions through reading. Although there is little to no research directly linking bibliotherapy to aiding military children, it seems plausible that bibliotherapy could be used as a strategy to help relieve stress in military families, as bibliotherapy has been shown as an effective tool for coping with similar stresses that military children are exposed to. These coping skills could be particularly helpful for military children who frequently experience feeling alone after a parent deploys. Haeseler, 2009, stated challenges of children who relocate frequently, “Literature specifically designed to help children positively BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 9 cope may be potentially very helpful as they struggle with their ecological challenges” (p. 113). Through bibliotherapy, children can relate to characters in a book who are going through similar life situations, which can be therapeutic for them (Akgün & Belli, 2019). Literature Review Military Life Events Military personnel serve the nation by giving time, talents, and sometimes even their lives to protect our country. These sacrifices not only affect them, but their families are subjected to the difficulties that accompany this lifestyle. Military families that have endured extensive and recurrent deployments, which have been so frequent since the attack that began on September 11, 2001, have also experienced higher levels of stress and behavioral health and wellbeing issues (Strong & Lee, 2017). Young children are adversely affected because of frequent deployments, relocations, and reintegration (Sories et al., 2015), and the following literature supports this claim. Deployment. Service members are not the only ones affected by deployment. For example, Williams and Mulrooney (2012) discussed the ramifications of the Operations Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom deployments on military families. Almost 90,000 parents were deployed during those operations, many of them leaving very young children at home (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). Families and often young children bear a great deal of burden as well (Strong & Lee, 2017). Further, Sories et al. (2015) state, “Deployment of a parent brings with it a distinctly intense and emotionally taxing set of stressors” (p. 211). Young children are significantly affected when a parent deploys. According to Osofsky and Chartrand (2013), “Separating young children from their parents can disrupt the attachment relationship and contribute to anxiety and behavioral problems” (p. 63). Williams and Mulrooney (2012) BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 10 agreed that young children were more susceptible to the stressors associated with deployment because of their dependence on caregivers and their inadequate coping skills. When children show changes in behavior, that is often a signal that they are feeling anxiety or stress (Shaw & Shaw, 2018). Managing the behavioral issues that children experience when a parent deploys can be difficult for at-home parents (AHP). Some of these behavioral and anxiety issues are discussed in a qualitative study by Strong and Lee in 2017. The researchers interviewed military families that had young children at home during deployment. Those interviews revealed that many AHPs experienced similar struggles with their young children while their spouses were deployed. Over half of the AHPs that were interviewed described having “difficulty managing the emotions and behaviors of their children” (Strong & Lee, 2017, p. 824). Some of the behavioral or anxiety problems that were described included, “being scared, bedwetting, hitting, running away, nightmares, tantrums, anxiety, difficulty listening, and defiance” (p. 824). These emotional behaviors can be trying for caregivers, especially when they are parenting alone. Osofsky and Chartrand (2013) concur that “Deployment not only means that one primary caregiver is absent, but also that the parent who remains at home may be inattentive and emotionally unavailable because of stress” (p. 67). Strong and Lee (2017) described how the AHP was often required to take on new household responsibilities and care for the children on their own at a time when they were often feeling exhausted and incapable of more responsibilities. If the AHP is unable to maintain regularity and maintain a stable environment for the child, stress and other behavioral issues will likely result. It is important for parents to maintain stability for their children. According to Osofsky and Chartrand (2013), children thrive when their schedules are predictable and routine. Children BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 11 rely upon their caregivers for nearly everything. For this reason, it is crucial for AHPs to care for their own health and wellbeing. “The ability of infants and young children to manage a parent’s deployment successfully is highly contingent on the available parent’s ability to cope with the additional stress and to negotiate changes in roles and responsibilities” (p. 65). A more recent study recommended that military spouses need more resources for mitigating the challenges of deployment (Strong & Lee, 2017). If parents do not have the resources for coping with the stresses of deployment, the children will likely need other support. Relocation. Relocation is an event that occurs frequently for families who are active military members. Moving every three to four years is not uncommon. According to the Department of Defense Education Activity (DEODA) (2018), Children in military families face unique challenges that are unparalleled in the general student population. As military families transition from one duty station to another, children often attend many different schools. In fact, the average child in a military family will move six to nine times during a school career. That's an average of three times more frequently than non-military families. (para. 6) For most military children, relocation almost always means transferring schools. Bradshaw, Sudhinaraset, Mmari, and Blum (2010) conducted research regarding school transitions among military adolescents. The researchers asked staff members to recruit for focus groups military parents, military students, and teachers, from eight installations across the country, representing all branches of the armed forces. The focus group findings revealed many fascinating truths about transitioning to schools for military members. Some of the most common stressors related to relocation reported by students included difficulty at home, adjusting to a new school, academic challenges, making new friends, and student/teacher relationships (Bradshaw et al., BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 12 2010). Thus, military children experience stress repeatedly when having to relocate regularly, which sometimes leads to psychological problems requiring treatment (Sories et al., 2015). According to Bradshaw et al. (2010) stressors specifically related to school transition include, “adjusting to the physical building, adapting to the culture and context of the school and the broader community, and learning the school's policies and procedures” (p. 91). Military students who move frequently are required to re-adjust constantly making relocation a very stressful process. Academic challenges also arise when students transition to a new school. Bradshaw et al. (2010) discussed how some students missed critical information or lessons “such as fractions, multiplication, and cursive handwriting,” putting them at a disadvantage, and sometimes requiring the students to repeat classes or lessons (p. 92). Constantly having to re-adjust to the curriculum calendar of a new school can be difficult for military students, especially when they are missing critical material. Friendships are an important aspect of children’s lives. Moving frequently can be problematic for children as they try to form and retain friendships, sometimes causing the children to become distant (Sories et al., 2015). It can also be difficult for military children who are required to relocate in the middle of the school year to form friendships because those bonds are already established (Bradshaw et al., 2010). One student explained, “People already have new little cliques, and whatever. It is hard to get people to invite you in and meet people” (Bradshaw et al., p. 91). Making friends is one aspect of relocation, but keeping friends is also difficult for military children who relocate repeatedly. Some military children recognize a change in the behavior of their friends when a move is imminent. “They described how their friends would ‘act different’ or pull away from them in preparation for an upcoming move” BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 13 (Bradshaw et al., p. 91). Losing friends is difficult for all children and can be a great cause of stress. Bradshaw et al. (2010) suggested a few ways to ease the transitions for students including increased communication between schools and with families and fostering connections among students. Some schools offer a liaison to help in the transition. Students also suggested pairing up new military students with other students to help navigate the school, class schedules, and to introduce them to other people. Reintegration. Reintegration is an important part of deployment, it is the final stage in the deployment cycle wherein the service member resumes daily life as it was prior to deployment; including work, household responsibilities and other everyday activities (Marek, Hollingsworth, D’Aniello, O’Rourke, Brock, Moore, & Wiles 2012). Many families experience smooth transitions when their service members return home, but it can be a difficult and drawn out process for others (Marek et al.). For many families reintegration can be more difficult than deployment, especially if the service member’s deployment was prolonged or if the service member had traumatic experiences (Black, 1993). In 2012, Marek et al. described the shift in family roles as one of the most difficult aspects of reintegration. When the service member is gone, there are responsibilities that must be redistributed among family members. When the service member returns there may be expectations that things will resume as they were before deployment, or there may be difficulty in giving up the current structure. “Lack of appropriate expectations and communication around this restructuring is a frequent source of conflict and stress for reintegrating families” (Marek et al., p. 1). BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 14 Another aspect of renegotiating roles within the family is letting go of the responsibilities that were assumed while the service member was deployed. Strong and Lee, 2017, reported that the most common stressor of reintegration for the AHP was letting go of control. One AHP described it this way, Letting him be a father and letting him make decisions for our son and letting him have a say in my son’s, or in our son’s day-to-day. Because it had been just me and our son for so long because of all the deployments ... actually the hardest part was letting go of the control that I had. (Strong & Lee, 2017, p. 825) In the same study, a service member’s spouse described her thoughts of how the reintegration process would be: I had this expectation that when he came home it was gonna magically be easier because at the time I had an 18 month old, and I was working on going back to school. And I had this idea ... that dinner was going to magically make itself one day. I wasn’t going to have to do it all by myself and that would happen just overnight. I mean that was truly my expectation, that I was gonna have another person here, and he was gonna jump right in ... and understand what I needed help with and he was going to be prepared to do that. And he wasn’t. It was a pretty unreasonable expectation. (p. 829) Having expectations that the service member will return home and life will resume as normal and or letting go of the independence that was assumed can be a large cause of stress in the family. Reconnecting is an aspect of reintegration that can be difficult for military families. Some children found it difficult to relate to their loved one after the service member’s deployment because of the psychological changes that occurred (Marek et al., 2012; Williams & Mulrooney, BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 15 2012). A service member may neglect to give their children attention because of the physical or psychological injuries, making it difficult to reconnect (Marek et al., 2012). Young children might become frightened when a parent reacts in an exaggerated way because of trauma experienced during a deployment. “Such changes may be particularly distressing to very young children who do not possess the cognitive abilities to understand their parent’s behavior in the way an older child might” (Mogil, Paley, Doud, Havens, Moore-Tyson, Beardslee, & Lester, 2010, p. 11). Some families never have the opportunity for a joyful homecoming. Military members are unprotected from the consequences of war. As a result of military service, some children are forced to experience the death of a loved one, whether their service member was killed in combat, or committed suicide as a result of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Sories et al. (2015) emphasized how children are the most exposed to the effects of such occurrences, “Although these traumatic events and the disequilibrium they introduce to the family system touch every member, the potential for significant and lasting deleterious effect is greatest in the most vulnerable among them, the children” (p. 211). Young children have a difficult time understanding death. Studies done in the past about children’s conceptualization of death reveal that young children often believe that death is reversible and temporary (Mercurio & McNamee, 2006). “Since children are unable to comprehend the loss of a loved one, they will often look to adults for guidance” (Lowe, 2009, p. 2). If they are unable to provide stability, interventions must available for these children. Negative Effects on Military Children If proper interventions are not available to ensure resilience for military families who experience frequent deployments and relocations, then negative effects can occur. Some of the BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 16 problems that are experienced by military families are discussed, including: developmental complications, maltreatment, and psychological and emotional well-being issues. Developmental complications. The developmental stages of young children are significant and can be compromised when their primary caregivers are either absent emotionally or physically (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2013; Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). Betzalel and Shechtman (2017) agreed that parental presence is crucial and that anything that disrupts the bond between parent and child can create difficulties for the child’s development. Children are extremely “sensitive to the moods and responses of their primary caregivers” (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012, p. 81). Thus, it is crucial that the at-home parent maintains as much normality and stability as possible while the service member is deployed (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2013). Young children need to feel protection and security to explore their environment and develop properly (Trautmann, Alhusen, & Gross, 2015; Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). If they are unable to do so, it can cause “lasting implications, affecting how that child will navigate ongoing relationships and experiences across his developmental lifespan” (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012, p. 81). Maltreatment. Child maltreatment is another concern for military members. Studies have shown a rise in marital conflicts and domestic violence since the Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom lengthy deployments, putting young children at risk for maltreatment (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2012). Children ages three to five are particularly at risk for maltreatment during periods of deployment (Alfano, Lau, Balders, Bunnell, & Beidel, 2016; Osofsky & Chartrand, 2012; Trautmann et al., 2015). Because of their limited coping skills, children in this age group are vulnerable (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012), commonly using behavior as a way to show their worry and anxiety (Shaw & Shaw, 2018). Children ages three to BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 17 five are more likely to have behavioral problems and experience higher rates of aggression and sadness during the deployment cycle (Alfano et al., 2016; Osofsky & Chartrand, 2012), which often causes parental stress. Elevated levels of stress due to deployment have been reported to be twice as high as those of non-deployed personnel (Alfano et al., 2016). Parental stress, which stands as a trigger for maltreatment, could also be attributed to other factors that at-home parents endure such as marital conflict, single parenting, decreased social support, and increased responsibilities (Alfano et al., 2016). These stresses are similar to those encountered by divorced parents and other populations. Although numerous studies have shown an increased report of maltreatment associated with deployment, children in military families normally do not exceed those of the general population (Alfano et al., 2016). Psychological and emotional well-being. Mental and emotional health are often affected during stages of deployment. Trautmann and colleagues (2015) reviewed 42 studies on the effects of deployment on military families and discovered that military children were significantly more likely to experience psychological problems such as anxiety and depression. Some of those studies also reported that children were more likely to visit a specialist for behavioral and mental health problems during deployment (Trautmann et al., 2015). A child’s emotional well-being is highly linked to the AHP’s mental state and is at greater risk when the AHP is experiencing depression, anxiety, and stress (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2012), all of which are frequent emotions faced by an AHP during the deployment cycle. The heightened stress of the deployment cycle on the AHP could explain the increase in behavioral and mental health visits for young children. Because a child’s overall mental and emotional health is closely related to the parent’s mental and emotional wellness, it is possible that post-deployment psychological injury could also put young children at risk for psychological difficulties (Williams & BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 18 Mulrooney, 2012). Post-traumatic stress disorder and depression symptoms are significantly higher among returned veterans in comparison to the general population; and veterans with PTSD have been shown to negatively influence the social-emotional health and development of young children (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). Thus, the psychological and emotional wellbeing of young children depend upon resilience. Resilience Resilience is the ability to recover despite adversity. It helps individuals mend from traumatic situations and allows them to continue functioning under stress (Easterbrooks, Ginsburg, & Lerner, 2013). Instead of viewing resilience as a trait that is possessed by certain people, researchers Meredith et al., 2011, considered it a process that individuals were capable of obtaining. It is formed when the individual’s abilities are joined with the resources available to them from their surrounding environment (Easterbrooks et al., 2013). “Resilience is commonly defined as positive or protective processes that reduce maladaptive outcomes under conditions of risk” (Russo & Fallon, 2014, p. 408). Because military families encounter adversity often, it is imperative for families to build resilience. Some individuals learn to build resilience by coping with the stress that comes over extended periods of time throughout the deployment cycles and relocations, but other individuals need assistance from communities and other supportive networks to cope with the stress brought on by the military lifestyle (Russo & Fallon, 2014). The military has many programs in place to help build resilience. This paper will discuss three programs that are currently in place for military members and their families to build resilience, strengthen family bonds, and prevent problems that can arise because of deployment. The programs that are outlined include: Comprehensive Soldier Fitness (CFS), Families Over- Coming Under Stress (FOCUS), and Sesame Street’s: Talk, Listen, Connect (TLC). BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 19 Comprehensive Soldier Fitness. The Comprehensive Soldier Fitness program was a proactive approach created by the Army to build resilience for soldiers and their families and to ensure psychological well-being. The army has always had strict requirements for physical fitness, but it wasn’t until recently that the importance of psychological fitness became apparent (Cornum, Matthews, & Seligman, 2011). “In contrast to traditional psychology, which emphasizes the repair of pathology, positive psychology is the science of understanding and promoting behavioral, cognitive, and emotional health” (Cornum et al., 2011, p. 5), thus a preventative method. Rather than waiting to correct the psychological effects after they have taken a toll on the soldier and family, this approach aims to aid soldiers and family members before problems arise (Cornum et al., 2011). The first step in the CSF program uses a Global Assessment Tool (GAT) that each military member is required to take at enlistment and annually to assess their mental and emotional health, accordingly the GAT tracks the psychological fitness of every solider (Cornum et al., 2011). The second step in CSF is required training for all soldiers enlisting to help improve resilience for themselves and their family members. Step three is individualized according to the results of the GAT. Training to strengthen different aspects of the soldier’s psychological needs are provided, such as: emotional, social, family, or spiritual (Cornum et al., 2011). CSF is a long-term program for all military members that continues throughout their career. It begins with assessment and resilience training and continues to build as each soldier is re-assessed periodically and trainings are implemented as needed. Cornum et al., explained the importance of building psychological fitness over time, “Just as physical fitness is not achieved by a single visit to the gym, psychological strength is not achieved by a single class or lecture” (2011, p. 6). BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 20 Families Over-Coming Under Stress (FOCUS). This is a resiliency training program created at UCLA and Harvard Medical School, for at risk military families to help build resilience (Mogil et al., 2010). The program was initially created for the United States Marine Corps (USMC), but has since been implemented in all branches of the military. It is available to all active duty military members at installations. The FOCUS program requires an initial assessment followed by eight 90-minute sessions monitored by professionals holding graduate degrees in mental health services (Lester et al., 2011). The program is constantly monitored to ensure quality care and effectiveness and “helps parents to assist their children in navigating the developmental tasks of early childhood in the face of parental deployment during wartime” (Mogil et al., 2010, p. 10). The program uses a narrative timeline to help parent and child understand past and future events and how those events impact feelings and emotions, the narrative also encourages communication, family understanding, and cohesion (Lester et al., 2011). “In jointly creating a narrative timeline, parents begin to develop a shared understanding of how historical and current challenges have affected their family” (Mogil et al., 2010, p. 12). The program also emphasizes and provides education about stress reactions, family perceptions and communication, how to use family strengths in new situations, and guidance about child development (Lester et al., 2011). The FOCUS program is a promising practice that has been shown to be an effective tool for mitigating parental stress and building resilience in young children (Mogil et al., 2010). Talk, Listen, Connect. The Talk, Listen, Connect initiative was established by the Sesame Street Workshop and largely funded by Wal-Mart to create a program aimed at helping parents communicate with young children ages 3-5 about the stages of deployment, reconnecting, and understanding injury and death (Desens & Hughes, 2013). TLC used videos to BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 21 help young children relate to a familiar character (Elmo) and the feelings that he experienced throughout the deployment cycle. In the videos, Elmo’s dad was a military service member who had to leave for frequent military assignments. The videos used Elmo and his Dad’s communication about deployment as examples of healthy ways military families can talk about difficult topics with their children (Desens & Hughes, 2013). The videos used real personal experiences of military members which were featured in the films. The program also supplied supplemental reading materials for parents that offered ways of explaining to their children what to expect during deployment and ideas for staying connected with their deployed parent (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2013). The program was evaluated and the children who viewed the materials were shown to have better coping skills, fewer behavioral problems, and better social competence. Adults involved in the program agreed that the materials were very useful for helping communicate with their children about difficult topics (Osofsky & Chartrand, 2013). These three programs and others not discussed have been influential in creating resilience in the military. One form of resilience that has been explored for children, but not specifically for military children, as a successful avenue for alleviating stress and anxiety, is bibliotherapy. As the TLC program used characters from videos to help children relate and cope with situations they experienced, bibliotherapy uses characters in the same way, but with literature. Bibliotherapy Bibliotherapy is a form of therapy used to help cope with stress and other mental and emotional health problems by means of books (Betzalel & Shechtman, 2017). This can be potentially helpful for military children who are facing stressful situations. Bibliotherapy works by reading stories to children about characters who have positively overcome similar adversities and helps children to visualize positive outcomes for themselves (Haeseler, 2009; Heath, Sheen, BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 22 Leavy, Young & Money, 2005; Tubbs, Young, Heath, & Dyches, 2019). Bibliotherapy is emerging as a tool for healing, but the use of literature as a form of healing is not new. Researchers Heath et al. (2005) described how the ancient Greeks inscribed the words, “Healing Place of the Soul” above an ancient library. In modern day, the word bibliotherapy was first coined by Samuel Crothers in 1916, using the word to describe the prescriptive use of books for therapeutic purposes (Heath et al., 2005). Spufford (2003) described the way reading can transform a child at impressionable times: “We can remember readings that acted like transformations. There were times when a particular book, like a seed crystal, dropped into our minds when they were exactly ready for it, like a supersaturated solution, and suddenly we changed” (2003, p. 9). Using stories that will build positive change is what bibliotherapy is about. Bibliotherapy typically is divided into five stages. The primary stage is involvement. The child begins to show an interest in the book and gets enveloped in the story line (Heath et al., 2005). The second stage is identification, this is when the child begins to identify with the main character in the book (Heath et al., 2005; Rozalski, Stewart, & Miller, 2010). It is important to choose a book specific to the child’s needs, with characters that are comparable in age and characters who are enduring the same difficulties (Heath et al., 2005). The third stage, catharsis, often refers to, “the emotional release that occurs when the reader revisits feelings that previously were repressed” (Rozalski et al., 2010, p.34), relating with the character indirectly in a way that helps the child process their own emotions (Heath et al., 2005). During the fourth stage, insight, the child begins to believe that resolving their problems is attainable, and they become driven to make change (Heath et al., 2005; Rozalski et al., 2010). In the final stage, universalization, children begin to recognize that they are not the only ones encountering BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 23 challenges and that others have experienced similar problems who can relate to their pain (Heath et al., 2005). They come out “in a better position to access personal resources and coping skills” (Heath et al., 2005, p. 568). Betzel and Shechtman described why bibliotherapy could be such an effective tool: Stories are an indirect method of intervention, perceived by children and adolescents as less threatening than more direct approaches. Moreover, literary texts provide an opportunity for children to identify with human situations that are similar to their own personal situations. Looking at these situations from a distance enables participants to identify and admit to their own difficulties. (2017, p. 485) Bibliotherapy is a constructive tool that if used properly can be effective for children who are experiencing parental absence or death. Bibliotherapy has been shown to be effective for children who are experiencing parental absence (Betzel & Shechtman, 2017). Research by Betzel and Shechtman used groups of foster children in two different locations with 190 participants who were experiencing parental absence. The intervention lasted for ten weeks and included eight 50-minute sessions using bibliotherapy and focused on material with parental loss, fear, and anxiety. The results showed that those children who received the intervention exhibited a reduction in behavioral problems that were sustained even after the treatment ended. The research was not done specifically for military children, but can be applied to them, as any military families experience parental absence during periods of deployment and trainings. Bibliotherapy has also been shown to help children who are coping with death and bereavement (Broadway, 2008; Heath et al., 2005). Military children who experience the death of a loved one due to the dangerous aspect of combat and exposure to unsafe warzones could BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 24 benefit from this type of therapy. Broadway, 2008, believed that using books as a therapeutic tool for children who are coping with death and grief was beneficial. She wrote that using literature to assist children through bereavement was valuable and could “provide understanding of the grieving process and offer constructive ways for young people to cope with grief” (Broadway, 2008, p. 46). Other researchers such as Mercurio & McNamee, 2006, asserted that books could be a powerful instrument to help children grasp the concept of death and heal from loss. Bibliotherapy can be used to help children who have gone through traumatic experiences (such as the death of a loved one) to more fully comprehend their circumstances, understand their emotions, and encourage healing (Akgün & Belli, 2019). As shown in the research, bibliotherapy can be used to help children through grief while experiencing the death of a loved one or parental absence, two common events that affect military families. For children in military families who struggle with unpredictable circumstances, reading about characters in books who are going through similar life situations and how they learned to overcome difficulties, may empower and help them to cope with their circumstances. “Most readers . . . feel more at ease when they learn that they are not the ‘only ones’ dealing with this particular life crisis” (Lowe, 2009, p. 1). Research has not been done specifically using bibliotherapy for military families, but the prospect of using bibliotherapy as a form of resilience seem promising. Summary This literature review covered several topics about the military lifestyle, including deployment, relocation, reintegration, and the problems associated with each of these phases. Negative impacts because of the military lifestyle often effect families. Some difficulties that military families experience include developmental complications, maltreatment, and BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 25 psychological and emotional problems. These problems can often be avoided if resilience is built in military families. Three programs offered for military members that build resilience are spotlighted, including: Comprehensive Soldier Fitness, Families Over-Coming Under Stress, and Talk, Listen, Connect. These three programs are great resources for military families, but more can be done for military families. There is a great need for a variety of resources to help build resilience in military families. A form of therapy, called bibliotherapy, is detailed, and suggested for use in military families. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 26 PURPOSE Military families experience a great deal of stress because of the military lifestyle that requires frequent deployments and relocation (Strong & Lee, 2017). Because of the lengthy and repetitive missions that have been so common since the Global War on Terror, many service men and their families have experienced psychological and emotional problems. These issues are more apparent if resilience is not created (Williams & Mulrooney, 2012). The military offers several programs that help service members and their families build resilience. One form of resilience that has been shown to help children cope with similar problems that military families face, but has not been researched specifically for military families, is bibliotherapy. The purpose of this project was to examine the issues that military families faced throughout the deployment cycle and create a therapeutic book that would help young children cope with one of these problems. Interviews were conducted with service member’s spouses who had experienced deployment and other military life events to find common themes that could be addressed in the book. The book was written based on the findings and included a character that military children would be able to resonate with and would leave the child with a hopeful message. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 27 METHODS This case study was designed using qualitative research methods. Knowledge can be acquired in many ways, including through the “intensive study of a case” (Glesne, 2011, p. 22). This case study used interviews to examine the difficulties and challenges associated with military life. Interviews were central to this project and used “conversation as a learning tool” (Leavy, 2017, p. 139) to discover the challenges and obstacles that are so common among AHPs and children of service members who deploy. These interviews were transcribed and compiled to determine common themes and patterns that military families faced and that could be addressed in a book written for young children’s literature, wherein a child would be able to process his/her emotions through relating to the main character in the book, also known as bibliotherapy. Participants Participants were purposefully selected by looking for military families who had young children through the deployment cycle and who had experienced other military life events. Participants included members of the Air Force, Reserves, National Guard, and Army. Participants included both male and female AHPs. The participants were predominately Caucasian with one Korean service member. All participants had two to three children. The soldier’s years of service ranged from 12-27 years, with an average of 3 deployments ranging from 7-16 months in length. All service members served a mission in Afghanistan, three soldiers served in Iraq, two served in South Korea, one served in Kuwait, one served in Japan, and one in United Arab Emirates. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 28 Participant’s Background Information At Home Parent (AHP) AHP 1 AHP 2 AHP 3 AHP 4 Years of Service 20 12 27 20 Branch of Service Army Air Force/Air Force Reserves Utah National Guard Army Ethnicity of AHP Caucasian Caucasian Caucasian Caucasian Ethnicity of Service Member Korean Caucasian Caucasian Caucasian Gender of AHP Male Female Female Female Number of Children 2 3 3 2 Number of Deployments 3 4 2 3 Location/Length of Deployments or unaccompanied tours Afghanistan: 14 months Iraq: 9 months Kuwait: 9 months Afghanistan: 7 months Japan: 7 months United Arab Emirates: 7 months South Korea: 12 months Iraq: 15 months Afghanistan: 12 months South Korea: 12 months Iraq: 16 months Afghanistan: 12 months Instruments Upon approval (see Appendix A) from Weber State University, research was conducted to gain insight into common experiences that military families and their children faced during deployment. A questionnaire was developed (see Appendix B) to determine what topics would be most vital in addressing the needs of military families. The questionnaire was used to gain BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 29 background knowledge about the participants, along with essential questions about deployment, and inquiries regarding the use of books for previous military related challenges. The interviews were semi-structured and ranged from 25-45 minutes in length. The interviews were conducted using Zoom, a video-conference application. A field journal was used during the interviews to make note of any visual information that could not be distinguished in the transcription process. A Biblio-therapeutic Evaluation Tool (see Appendix C) that was created at Oregon State University by researchers Pehrsson & McMillen was used by Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, Alison Ratner, a child therapist who uses bibliotherapy in her practice, to evaluate the effectiveness of the book for use as a biblio-therapeutic children’s book. Context The context for the book is specific to military families who have experienced deployment, or an aspect related to military life. The book was written with a target audience of children aged five to seven. The book has significant elements that are important for bibliotherapy use such as, a character that the child can relate with, possible solutions to the problems presented in the book, text that promotes discussion and explores problems. In an article published in 2006, Holmes outlined aspects that should be considered when writing a book for bibliotherapy. She emphasized the importance of creating a book that encourages communication between the caregiver and the child “giving voice to a child’s fears or concerns is often enough to allow the child to talk about his or her feelings” (Holmes, p. 41). It is also imperative that the book contains a hopeful or helpful message. These aspects were implemented in the creation of the book. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 30 Procedures Military spouses who had young children home during military life events were purposefully sampled. An email was sent with an informational letter (see Appendix D) and consent form to gain permission for the study. Once consent was given, the participants were interviewed to discuss the difficulties encountered by their children and families during the deployment cycle and military life experiences. These interviews took place online using the Zoom application tool where video conferencing could be utilized. All recordings were saved on password protected electronic devices. Upon completion of the interviews, the recordings were transcribed using a laptop, while listening to the video recordings. The transcription and field notes were used to look for common themes and struggles that military families faced throughout the deployment cycle to address in a children’s book. The book was written and contained a hopeful message about courage for young children to help them understand that sharing their feelings with a trusted adult is important and necessary when dealing with difficult challenges. Also, that all family members are part of the sacrifice and service that is involved in having a military member in the family. After writing the book, the book was illustrated by Brooklynn Christensen. The book was then sent to professional therapist, Alison Ratner. The therapist used a Biblio-therapeutic Evaluation Tool to evaluate the effectiveness of the book for use as a biblio-therapeutic children’s book (see Appendix E). This evaluation was then used as feedback for creating the final draft of the book. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 31 RESULTS There are many reasons families choose to join the Armed Forces. For these families, some joined because their current skill sets were not marketable, others joined for the family legacy, feelings of value and honor in serving their country, and the opportunity to travel and experience the world. All were willing to serve despite the cost and sacrifice required by their family members. The difficulties they encountered were all related to experiences imposed by a profession in the military. Among all four families the stressors related to military life ultimately impacted their children. Some of the common themes and stressors among these families included: problems related to separation, relocation issues, problems encountered during reintegration, difficulty coping with uncertainty, and unexpected extensions. How these families formed resilience and the use of literature for resilience will also be discussed. Problems Related to Separation Separation is an inevitable aspect of deployment, and although some families do better at communication over Skype or other video conferencing, it doesn’t replace having the family member around for support, comfort, and dependability. All four AHP’s expressed challenges related to separation, many of which stemmed around not having the extra support at home. When asked to give the years and length of her service member’s deployment, AHP 3 stated, “They are ingrained in the brain.” It is such a life changing event that many suffer emotionally leading up to the deployment. In fact, AHP 3 learned of their second deployment a year in advance, which ended up causing a lot of anxiety and depression just knowing that the separation was looming. “(It) was just hell…we knew a year in advance…so for me…depression set (in). I cried for a year and went on anti-depressants… just because I couldn’t pull myself out of it. I just knew what we were in for.” BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 32 Participant 2 expressed how difficult it was for her service member to be gone while she was trying to parent and juggle a job on her own. She explained that her children were affected more during the last two deployments because she was working, so it was nearly impossible to keep the children on a schedule. “I didn’t have a backup person to help take them to gymnastics and get them ready for school, or you know, help them with homework, so I was spread a lot thinner.” All participants expressed feeling overwhelmed at times because of the separation; AHP 3 explained, “It felt more like doggy paddling, just trying to…keep your head above water and trying to keep the family running.” It takes a lot of physical, mental, and emotional capacity to be the one in charge of all the everyday jobs and responsibilities, and eventually it took a toll on her children as well. She lamented how her son was not coping well with his dad being gone and was unable to open up about his feelings. “It was just really hard (for her children) to communicate and be open about what was going on…the oldest one…started cutting himself…because he didn’t know how to deal with his emotions.” Several AHPs mentioned difficulty understanding their children’s emotions. During AHP 1’s first deployment experience, his daughters were young, and it was tough for them to have their mom gone. They had a different relationship with their mother than they did with their father and not having that extra time with their mother was trying for his daughters. “They were young, so they couldn’t articulate their feelings about it.” Because they were unable to communicate their feelings through language, their behavior was the only way of expressing themselves. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 33 Social troubles can occur because of relocation but can also stem from lack of support from an absent parent. Participant 2 revealed how her son was the only boy in the family and not having his Dad around for support made it challenging at school. I feel like my son really struggled this year in school…He is just in that awkward age with friends and trying to fit in and be cool and he didn’t have his dad there to help him along with that. Sorry, I am going to cry. He really struggled…not having that male role model here during this …crucial time for him. I didn’t know how badly that was going to affect him. Often the effects are unpredictable for parents, which makes it difficult to know how to prepare. Problems Related to Relocation Three of the four families experienced relocation. Of those three, all expressed concerns and difficulties subsequently related to relocation such as making and sustaining meaningful relationships, disadvantages related to academics, and other stresses related to the responsibilities required during the moving process. Participant 1 believed that relocating was difficult not only for obvious reasons, but also because his daughters were inter-racial, and their parent’s roles were shifted from the norm, with the mother being the primary provider. He explained, “They never got super close to anyone.” He also expressed how one daughter struggled not only socially, but also academically all through middle and high school because of continuous relocations; the other daughter kept good grades but had to work hard and homework and grades were a constant stress. Relocation affected AHP 4’s son’s social and academic experiences. “Moving was devastating for him…because he had made really good friends and he was building a life there…He invested a lot of time and energy into his academics there, and when he got here, it BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 34 was all for nothing.” She detailed how her son shared his feelings with her about why he would never join the military, “I just don’t want to have my children endure what I did.” She also mentioned that with their most recent move, her sons did not have access to the same advanced courses that were available previously. This could ultimately effect fulfillment of their future careers. Just after being relocated, AHP 2’s husband was deployed. At the time they still did not have a house and were in the middle of trying to move to the new location. I had to get a house by myself, put the kids in school, make new friends, go to church, do all those things without my husband, and so when he got back, I had this whole new life, and he had no part of it. This not only added stress to her life, but in effect added stress to the entire family and made the reintegration process even more difficult. Problems Encountered During Reintegration Reintegration was particularly difficult for two of the four families. Both families spoke about how reintegration isn’t portrayed accurately, and that there should be more information for families about how to cope with reintegration because it can be a difficult process. Participant 1 relayed: I feel that a soldier’s return is somewhat romanticized in movies, on news clips where a soldier surprises their child at school, etc. I’m not saying it is bad to be excited that the soldier is returning and don’t think the hope and joy of that should be downplayed, but then after that moment of return, real work at home begins. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 35 He shared how his spouse would become, “impatient, and…easily hurt when the kids didn’t take to her again right away.” He also felt obligated to make the transition successful. He described it this way: I really felt responsible and felt pressure to make the reintegration smooth and successful, like I had to be strong for (my spouse) and the kids, but was not allowed to have my own feelings or frustrations about the process, like I always had to be the bigger person in any situation and work hard to make peace and get everyone through the transition. He spoke about the difficulty for his children in navigating the shift in responsibility from one parent to the other. The children were unsure of who to go to for certain things. Similarly, AHP 2 communicated how reintegration isn’t always as it seems to be. “I feel like every deployment, there is always this really fun reunited phase, like the first week is just bliss and everything is great, but…then reality sets in…and soon it’s like, well I still have my life.” She expressed how trying to allow her spouse back into their routine can be a struggle. She said this of their most difficult reintegration: There was a lot of fighting. A lot of just…hard time. As far as parenting and things go, it was like, you haven’t been here. You don’t know what is going on. You can’t discipline the children. You can’t get upset with them. You don’t understand. Or opposite…I can get upset because I have been dealing with this for six months. There is a lot of that that goes on when they are gone for such a long period of time. Both participants expressed a transition into normalcy over time. And how they had to mentally prepare themselves for the reintegration, because they knew it wasn’t going to be easy. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 36 Unexpected Extensions Two AHPs spoke about how their service member’s deployments were extended unexpectedly. Both were readily looking forward to a reunion with their service member before finding out the news and having to share it with their children. Participant 4 said of the extension: My overall feelings were shock and fear…I was sad that my husband would not be returning and worried for his safety due to the relocation of the brigade, it was a more volatile area-of-operations. Little information was given to the soldiers/families and combined with the new location it was a scary and confusing time. Participant 4 was days away from her service member returning home and she had just announced to her toddler that his father was coming home when the rumors started coming in. “Telling (my son) was the hardest part of this situation.” The government shut down of all military movement because of the COVID-19 pandemic made a 3-month deployment twice as long for APH 2 and her family. It was, “Delay, delay, delay, (which) was a struggle this time around that we weren’t prepared for. It wasn’t any longer than any other deployment…but we weren’t expecting it to be twice as long.” This made it especially trying for her children who were already struggling with their dad’s absence. Both AHPs worried for their children’s reactions to the extension as it would inevitably affect the entire family. Resilience Three themes emerged about ways these families formed resilience: some utilized resources available to them through the military, most expressed keeping an open line of communication with their service member over Skype and other forms, and lastly persevering. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 37 Participant 1 expressed how he believed utilizing the resources available and being aware of those resources was key. He would take his children to the youth centers on post for classes and activities. Participant 4 spoke about the benefits of being involved with the Army Community Service (ACS), which provided trips, seminars, activities for kids, etc., for military families to build resilience. Several resources became available through the military and community after AHP 4’s husband’s unexpected extension. “I participated in every opportunity provided. This participation kept us somewhat busy and socially-connected.” Participant 3 mentioned participating in Family Readiness Group activities such as swimming, crafts, bonding, etc. Most families felt these resources were beneficial to their children and families throughout the deployment cycle. Two of the families spoke about the benefits their families received through communication with their service member. Participant 2 stated, “Luckily, my husband has always been in a place where we can almost talk to him any day. We can video chat with him…if we needed to. And that is a huge blessing…to just get that connection.” She felt like even though it was a struggle for her kids to have their dad gone, communication was one thing that made it a little easier. Participant 3 mentioned how she and her children would write letters and send packages. “We would just try to do things that would make the kids think of him and what he would like.” She also spoke about how during the first deployment they were only able to use the phone to communicate with their service member, but the second one they were able to utilize Skype. “I think it was so much better to have Skype because we could actually see his face and talk to him real time essentially.” Both families felt the benefits for their children when using these communication tools to remain connected with their soldier. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 38 All four AHPs agreed that you have to preserver, by looking for the positive in the thick of it all, creating memories, and being there for your children. Participant 2 explained how she preservers, “Just knowing that it is not a permanent situation. There is an end to it.” She also felt the importance of validating her children’s feelings by letting them know, If you are sad, and you need to talk about it, just come talk to me, you know, we will cry together it’s okay, it’s okay to miss Daddy, it’s okay that you are sad that he is not here to see your game or take you to the park or do whatever it is that you wanted him to do. She mentioned telling them that you know it is hard, but encouraging them “We’ve got this, we’re strong, we can do this.” Participant 3 encouraged her kids to “keep on keepin’ on.” One of her children had an accident at school because his teacher wouldn’t allow him to use the restroom when he requested. She was so upset about it because it was already a difficult time for him with his father being gone, she spoke with the principal about it. She said it was important for her kids to know that she would “go to bat for them, whatever it was, whatever was hard for them, whatever they were dealing with. Mom had their back.” Participant 1 emphasized the importance of routine and making fun memories during the difficult times, so the children had something good to remember. Participant 4 said that sometimes you just have to force that attitude. “Sometimes it’s like well yeah, this isn’t great, but you know what, we are going to find something good in it, I don’t know what it is yet, but we are going to find something good in it.” Literature for Resilience Most AHPs never considered using literature as a resource for resilience. Participant 4 was the only AHP who recalled using books given to her from the military about deployment to assist her children with military life events. Participant 1 recollected using the Talk, Listen, Connect program with Elmo and watching some of the videos with his daughters, but could not BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 39 recall using books. The videos were supportive in helping his daughters understand some of the aspects of deployment. When asked if literature was ever used to help her children with struggles, AHP 3 said she was just so overwhelmed that she didn’t even think to look for resources that could potentially help, “I didn’t really think about that.” Similarly, AHP 2 said, I never really looked into it. If someone provided me a book that let kids know that kids weren’t alone in their feelings coming from someone other than their mom, that would be really great, but I never really thought to look for that. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 40 DISCUSSION This thesis was written with the intent to eventually write a children’s book to be used as a resiliency tool for military children. Equally important was discovering the challenges and struggles faced by military families to know what topic to address. In interviewing four military spouses, two major themes emerged. The first was that every single member of the family unit was largely impacted by the soldier’s absence, and the second was that there needs to be a better way for children to communicate with their parents about their feelings. These two themes are what ultimately guided the creation of the book along with the consideration of articles in the literature review and advice from the child therapist. After transcribing the interviews, something that I already knew struck me: military life was a family endeavor, a sacrifice for the whole family. I realized that the children had struggles, the AHP had struggles, and the soldiers had struggles, it was a family effort. Strong and Lee (2017) conferred how service members are not the only ones who sacrifice, children and AHPs also bear the burden. The results showed that this burden and sacrifice caused difficulties within the family structures that impacted them negatively. Some of these difficulties included depression, anxiety, social and emotional struggles, marital contention, academic complications, self-harm, regression, and stress. Many of these outcomes were similarly shown in the literature review for families who experienced deployment, relocation, or reintegration. Thus, it was significant that the book contained a message about difficulties faced by the entire family, not just one member. Incorporated in the book are the experiences of Penny, her brother Calvin, and their mom as their service member is deployed. They each encounter moments when the deployment is affecting them individually and causing emotional stress in their lives. These characters are based off of the interview from AHP 2’s deployment experiences and were used BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 41 with permission from the AHP. Although the story is fictional, the characters in the book have similar experiences as those experienced by AHP 2’s children. Penny for instance, doesn’t want her dad to miss out on her gymnastics event, this was true for AHP 2’s daughter. In the book, Calvin is having a difficult time at school making friends and wishes his Dad were around to help. This was also based off of AHP 2’s interview. At the end of the book the mother finds out that her husband’s deployment will be extended. This was also true of APH 2’s experience. The other main theme that emerged from the interviews was that parents voiced a desire for their children to feel comfortable sharing their feelings with them, so incorporated into the book is the idea that children need to express their feelings. At two points in the children’s book, the concept that sharing your feelings with a trusted adult is demonstrated. Just after a difficult conversation with her peers about why her dad cannot attend the upcoming performance, Penny confided in her mother and stated, “I knew Mom would understand.” Later in the book Calvin was struggling making friends at school. He came home upset and relayed the story to his mother, after which she said, “I am glad you told me how you feel.” Later, taking their mother’s advice proved to be helpful for both. Other aspects were considered while creating the book. Research from the literature review including the article by Rozalski et al., 2010, which outlined aspects needed when reviewing a book for bibliotherapeutic use, was considered. Rozalski et al., 2010, suggested offering strategies for children to cope with life situations. As a strategy, in the book, Penny wished her dad were there to watch the performance, so she imagined him there with her. In another scene, Calvin wanted to play soccer with peers at school, but didn’t dare ask. His mom encouraged him to be brave and have the courage to ask. When he did, he was accepted willingly. Both of these scenarios offer simple solutions to a problem. More guidance detailed in BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 42 Akgün and Belli’s 2019 article on bibliotherapy was considered, such as whether the story was simple and repetitive. In the book, the story is repetitive in nature: there is a problem, then a suggested solution, another problem, another solution, etc. The other repetitive notion in the book is a phrase that Penny and Calvin’s mom used, “You can be brave and do hard things, it just takes a little courage.” At the end of the book, when the mom found out that her spouse’s deployment would be extended, Penny and Calvin comforted her and repeated the phrase to her. “You can be brave and do hard things, it just takes a little courage.” In each scenario, they said, “I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I decided I would try.” Repetition is an important aspect in bibliotherapy and was included in this book. Several researchers (Akgün & Belli, 2019; Haeseler, 2009; Heath et al., 2005; Rozalski et al., 2010) emphasized the importance of including people of diverse ethnicities and backgrounds in bibliotherapy books. The images in this book, although not fully finished, express cultural diversity by showing images of children with diverse ethnical backgrounds. Lastly, an extensive Biblio-therapeutic Evaluation Tool (BET), that was created by researchers Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson and Paula McMillen at Oregon State University, was used by Amy Ratner, professional child therapist, to evaluate the effectiveness of the book for bibliotherapy. The book was not complete when the evaluation was requested, so that adjustments could be made upon recommendation from the therapist. The therapist agreed that the book was well-written, contained a cohesive plot, and the characters were well-developed. She approved that the content promoted discussion, facilitated client growth, explored problems that needed to be introduced to adolescents, and enhanced the child’s desire to draw or create more related to the story. She further specified that this book would be applicable to military families and is of enduring interest. She recommended using this book for children ages five to BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 43 ten, which included my target group of ages five to seven. The therapist proposed adding more illustrations, which we plan to do. She also suggested that the book did not contain enough aspects of diversity. Currently there are six illustrations (with more in the works) and two of them include people of races other than Caucasian, but in the ensuing drawings and possibly in a change to the storyline, we plan to include more diversity. She rated the interest of the subject matter a five on a scale from one to five, and when rating “How engaging is the story? the therapist gave a rating of four-five. The most concerning of the recommendations was that she said of the ending, “I’m not quite sure about the kids comforting the mom at the end…I don’t encourage kids taking on caretaking rolls and comforting parents or adults.” Although her overall impression and evaluations were positive, it made me consider a possible change to the ending of the story. Researcher’s Bias and Limitations As with most qualitative studies, researcher’s bias must be considered. At the forefront of this research is a lifestyle that is dear to me and my family. My husband has been in the military for almost ten years and he has been away for months at a time on trainings and assignments across the world. Not only do I feel empathy for those who were interviewed, but my feelings are poignant about the strain that separation can have on the family. This could be a possible limitation in evaluating the data from the interviews. Many of the participants had connections with me or my husband. When trying to select participants, I reached out to the Senior Family Readiness Support Assistant for the Utah National Guard and asked her to post a request for volunteers on the Family Readiness Group pages. This proved to be unsuccessful, so I looked internally to friends and acquaintances for referrals. One participant was my spouse’s former boss’s wife, another was a neighbor, one was BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 44 my husband’s co-worker’s spouse, and the last was a prior connection from my youth. Although we were connected with these people, I did not feel that they were any less sincere in their responses to the questions in the interview, but this could be considered a limitation as they may have withheld information that they felt uncomfortable exposing. Many qualitative case studies have small sample sizes due to the extensive processes of transcribing and synthesizing; this project was no different. A sample size of four AHP’s was used in this study to analyze the effects of deployment and military life experiences on children and families. Small sample size could be considered a limitation as it does not give a broad perspective of the population as a whole, and some question the reliability of this type of research. Lastly, AHP 1 was interviewed using the Zoom application. Prior to his interview the power glitched for a moment and so I quickly switched from my computer to my phone for the interview, which caused me to lose the recording entirely. This was very disappointing as I felt that the data from this interview was especially pertinent. Fortunately for me, I took extensive field notes during the interview and upon realizing the meeting did not record at the conclusion of the interview, I immediately went back and wrote everything I could remember. I also emailed AHP 1 and AHP 4 for clarification on a few interview questions, which was helpful, but could be considered a limitation as the interviewees had time to think about the questions and respond accordingly. Recommendations and Conclusions The results from this study provide evidence that more forms of resilience should be considered for military families who are experiencing difficulties related to military life events. Although the sample size was limited, we can confer that many families have similar struggles BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 45 that need to be addressed. Bibliotherapy is one form of resilience that should be considered by families in the military to assist their children in difficult times. The creation of this project and book is just one small step towards more biblio-therapeutic books for military families. When contemplating the many resiliency resources available to military families, literature is not often thought of as a primary resource. The fact that most AHPs had never considered using books for therapy leads me to believe that more needs to be done to get resources such as these into the hands of military members and their families. There seems to be a plethora of military books about Dad being the hero, and not enough about other family members and their experiences, for children to resonate with the main character. In this study, two AHP’s expressed a desire for there to be more literature specifically geared toward teenagers, there is a need and a desire for children in this age group to benefit from bibliotherapy as well. More should be done to make biblio-therapeutic books available to the military and their children of all ages. When the book is published, I plan to make it accessible to military families through many avenues, including granting access online through Family Readiness Group Facebook pages, Military OneSource, and other military websites. Also, making it available to large companies such as Amazon, taking copies to local libraries and military installations, and giving copies to those who have helped participate in the creation of this project, in hopes of making this resiliency tool more accessible to military families. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 46 REFERENCES Akgün, E., & Belli, G. K. (2019). Bibliotherapy with preschool children: A case study. Current Approaches in Psychiatry / Psikiyatride Guncel Yaklasimlar, 11(1), 100–112. doi:10.18863/pgy.392346 Alfano, C. A., Lau, S., Balderas, J., Bunnell, B. E., & Beidel, D. C. (2016). The impact of military deployment on children: Placing developmental risk in context. Clinical Psychology Review, 43, 17–29. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2015.11.003 Betzalel, N., & Shechtman, Z. (2017). The impact of bibliotherapy superheroes on youth who experience parental absence. School Psychology International, 38(5), 473–490. doi:10.1177/0143034317719943 Black Jr., W. G. (1993). Military-induced family separation: A stress reduction intervention. Social Work, 38(3), 273–280. Broadway, M. D. (2008). Dealing with death: Books to help young people cope with grief. Teacher Librarian, 35(5), 44. Bradshaw, C. P., Sudhinaraset, M., Mmari, K., & Blum, R. W. (2010). School transitions among military adolescents: A qualitative study of stress and coping. School Psychology Review, 39(1), 84–105. Cornum, R., Matthews, M. D., & Seligman, M. E. (2011). Comprehensive soldier fitness: Building resilience in a challenging institutional context. American Psychologist, 66(1), 4. doi:10.1037/a0021420 Department of Defense. (2018). All About DoDEA Educational Partnership. Alexandria, VA: Department of Defense Education Activity. Retrieved from: https://www.dodea.edu/Partnership/about.cfm BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 47 Desens, L. C., & Hughes, L. (2013). Entertainment-education and strategic communication: A case study of Sesame Workshop's “Talk, Listen, Connect” initiative for military families. International Journal of Strategic Communication, 7(4), 292-309. Easterbrooks, M. A., Ginsburg, K., & Lerner, R. M. (2013). Resilience among military youth. The Future of Children, 23(2), 99-120. doi:10.1353/foc.2013.0014 Glesne, C. (2011). Becoming qualitative researchers: An introduction 4th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson. Haeseler, L. A. (2009). Biblio-therapeutic book creations by pre-service student teachers: Helping elementary school children cope. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 36(2), 113–118. Heath, M. A., Sheen, D., Leavy, D., Young, E., & Money, K. (2005). Bibliotherapy: A resource to facilitate emotional healing and growth. School Psychology International, 26(5), 563- 580. doi:10.1177/0143034305060792 Holmes, M. M. (2004). Writing bibliotherapy books for young children. Journal of Poetry Therapy, 17(1), 39-44. doi:10.1080/08893670410001698532 Lester, P., Mogil, C., Saltzman, W., Woodward, K., Nash, W., Leskin, G., ... & Beardslee, W. (2011). Families overcoming under stress: Implementing family-centered prevention for military families facing wartime deployments and combat operational stress. Military Medicine, 176(1), 19-25. doi:10.7205/MILMED-D-10-00122 Leavy, P. (2017). Research design: Quantitative, qualitative, mixed methods, arts-based, and community-based participatory research approaches. New York, NY: The Guilford Press. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 48 Lewis, K. M., Amatya, K., Coffman, M. F., & Ollendick, T. H. (2015). Treating nighttime fears in young children with bibliotherapy: Evaluating anxiety symptoms and monitoring behavior change. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 30, 103-112. doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2014.12.004 Lowe, D. F. (2009). Helping children cope through literature. 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Military children from birth to five years. Future of Children, 23(2), 61–77. doi:10.1353/foc.2013.0011 Rozalski, M., Stewart, A., & Miller, J., (2010). Bibliotherapy: Helping children cope with life’s challenges. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(1), 33-37. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 49 Russo, T.J. & Fallon, M. A. (2015). Coping with stress supporting the needs of military families and their children. Early Childhood Education Journal, 43(5), 407–416. doi:10.1007s10643-014-0665-2 Shaw, A. & Shaw, R. (2018). Helping parents in military families to decrease stress and anxiety. Exceptional Parent 48(2), 56–60. Smith, John. (2010). Different therapy approaches may help different personality types. Retrieved from: https://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/therapy-personality/ Sories, F., Maier, C., Beer, A., & Thomas, V. (2015). Addressing the needs of military children through family-based play therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy: An International Journal, 37(3), 209–220. doi:10.1007/s10591-015-9342-x Spufford, F. (2003). The child that books built: A life in reading. New York, NY: Macmillan. Strong, J., & Lee, J. J. (2017). Exploring the deployment and reintegration experiences of active duty military families with young children. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 27(8), 817–834. doi:10.1080/10911359.2017.1339653 Trautmann, J., Alhusen, J., & Gross, D. (2015). Impact of deployment on military families with young children: A systematic review. Nursing Outlook, 63(6), 656-679. Tubbs, A., Young, E. L., Heath, M. A., & Dyches, T. T. (2019). Military deployment in a family: Children’s literature as a basis for counseling support. Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts, 58(1), 5. Williams, D. S., & Mulrooney, K. (2012). Research and resilience: creating a research agenda for supporting military families with young children. Zero to Three, 32(4), 46-56. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 50 Appendix A Approval Letter BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 51 Appendix B Interview Questions Can you tell me a little bit about your family and when and why your service member chose to join the armed forces? How many times has your service member deployed? What was the most difficult and rewarding part of deployment for your children? What struggles or triumphs did your family encounter during the reintegration process? What impact did relocating have on your children and their academics or their ability to form and sustain friendships? What did your family do to build resilience and were there any programs that were especially helpful for you or your children? Did you read to your children while your family was experiencing challenges related to military life? Did you ever search for books specifically related to a topic your family was struggling with? What topics do you (or did you) wish were more readily available in children’s literature for military families? Can you think of any of your own experiences that might inspire other military children to get through tough times? BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 52 Appendix C Biblio-therapeutic Evaluation Tool © Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson and Paula McMillen Name of book evaluator: ______________________________________ Date of evaluation: ___________________________________________ Name of book: _______________________________________________ Author: ____________________________________________________ Additional Author: ___________________________________________ Illustrator: _________________________________________________ Additional Illustrator: _________________________________________ General Format/ Structure • What is the format of the book being evaluated? [can choose more than 1] _____ Big book _____ Board book _____ Workbook _____ Electronic text _____ Chapter book _____ CD _____ Easy reader _____ Audiotape _____ Large-print book _____ Braille book _____ Videotape _____ Coloring book _____ DVD _____ Picture book (no story) _____ Poems _____ Pictures tell story (no words) BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 53 • Can major aspects of this story be applied to different situations? Y N N/A • Is the plot cohesive? Y N N/A • Are the characters well-developed? Y N N/A • Is the book well-written? Y N N/A • Is factual information presented accurately? Y N N/A • Is factual information presented objectively? Y N N/A • Are the fictional situations realistically depicted? Y N N/A Subject Matter • Select the main themes of the material (choose all that apply) _____ Abuse _____ Alcohol/ Drug Use _____ Anger management _____ Bullying _____ Careers _____ Communication _____ Conflict _____ Developmental stages _____ Families _____ Families – Non-traditional _____ Feelings _____ Friends _____ Grief/Loss _____ Multi-culturalism/ Diversity _____ Pets and animals _____ Relationships _____ Religion _____ Safety _____ School _____ Self-esteem BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 54 _____ Sex and Sexuality _____ Social Skills _____ Suicide _____ Therapy _____ Trust • Are the themes of the book applicable to certain groups or populations? Y N N/A Specify which group(s): _________________________________________ • Is the subject matter of enduring interest? Y N N/A • Is the subject matter outdated? Y N N/A • Does the story offer possible solutions to problems presented? Y N N/A • How interesting is the subject matter? 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Boring Interesting • How engaging is the story? 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Flat Very Engaging Reading Level/ Suitability • Language of the book (indicate more than 1 if text is bilingual) _____ English _____ German _____ ASL _____ Japanese _____ Chinese _____ French _____ Other (specify) _____________________________ • For what grade level is the vocabulary of this book appropriate? [Can choose more than one if necessary, but must choose at least one] _____ Preschool/ 0-5 years _____ Kindergarten/ 4-6 years _____ Grade 1-2/ 5-8 years _____ Grade 3-4/ 8-10 years BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 55 _____ Grade 5-6/ 10-12 years _____ Grade 7-10/ 12-15 years _____ Grade 11-12/ 15-18 years _____ 18-24 years _____ 25-49 years _____ 50+ years • Is this book fun to read aloud? Y N N/A • Is the vocabulary of the book appropriate for the reading level of the target audience? Y N N/A Book Length • Estimate how long it would take to read this book aloud: _____ 15 minutes or less _____ 15-30 minutes _____ 30-45 minutes _____ 45 minutes to 1 hour _____ more than 1 hour • Is the book set up in a chapter format that lends itself to serial or ongoing use? Y N N/A • Is the book’s length appropriate for the reading level of the target audience? Y N N/A • Does the book length allow for use with clients with special attentional needs? Y N N/A Text and Pictures • Does the font match the story content and tone? Y N N/A • Is the text too dense for read-aloud or read-together activities? Y N N/A • Evaluate the size of the text: 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Too small Just right Too Large • Illustrations are: _____ Color _____ Black and White _____ No illustrations (skip to next section) • Are the pictures developmentally appropriate? Y N N/A • Is the emotional tone of the illustrations appropriate to the story? Y N N/A • Are the pictures attractive? Y N N/A BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 56 • Is there permission to reprint? Y N N/A • Is the layout of the illustrations appropriate to the text? Y N N/A • Do the pictures enhance the story? Y N N/A • Are the illustrations well-done? Y N N/A • Rate the style of the illustration: 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Abstract Realistic • How engaging are the pictures? 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Flat Very Engaging • Evaluate the number of pictures: 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Too few Enough Too Many Developmental Level • For what reading level would this book be appropriate? [Can choose more than one if necessary, but must choose at least one] _____ Preschool/ 0-5 years _____ Kindergarten/ 4-6 years _____ Grade 1-2/ 5-8 years _____ Grade 3-4/ 8-10 years _____ Grade 5-6/ 10-12 years _____ Grade 7-10/ 12-15 years _____ Grade 11-12/ 15-18 years _____ 18-24 years _____ 25-49 years _____ 50+ years • What is the age of the main character? [Can choose more than one if necessary, but must choose at least one] _____ Preschool/ 0-5 years _____ Kindergarten/ 4-6 years _____ Grade 1-2/ 5-8 years BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 57 _____ Grade 3-4/ 8-10 years _____ Grade 5-6/ 10-12 years _____ Grade 7-10/ 12-15 years _____ Grade 11-12/ 15-18 years _____ 18-24 years _____ 25-49 years _____ 50+ years _____ Not sure/ not specified • Do the themes match the developmental level of the target audience? Y N N/A • Can this book be used with clients at a variety of developmental levels? Y N N/A Diversity Factors • Are there aspects of this book that reflect or suggest diversity? Y N N/A If yes, specify (check as many as apply): [required only if answers Y above] _____ Age _____ Nationality _____ Culture _____ Sexual orientation _____ Gender _____ Socio-economic status _____ Lifestyle • What is the gender of the main character? _____ Female _____ Male _____ Unspecified • Does the book convey respect for all groups referred to in the reading? Y N N/A • Does the book avoid stereotypes? Y N N/A Context/Environment or Situation/Use • In what settings do you plan to use this book: [can choose more than 1] _____ Home/family _____ healthcare BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 58 _____ Mental health _____ education _____ Library _____ social service agency _____ Other (specify)_________________________________ • Is this a book that a counselor would enjoy using multiple times? Y N N/A • Is it a good value for the money? Y N N/A • Is the book reproducible? Y N N/A • Did peers or professional contacts recommend this book? Y N N/A • Does the content of the book warrant requesting permission to use in your particular setting? Y N N/A • Evaluate how specialized the content of this book is: 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Highly specialized Very versatile Therapeutic Use • Indicate uses for which this book would be appropriate: [can choose more than 1] _____ Choral reading _____ Reading to the client _____ Silent reading _____ Client reading _____ Reading together _____ Reading for enactment _____ Other (specify) _________________________________________ • Does the content promote discussion? Y N N/A • Does the content facilitate client growth? Y N N/A • Does the book explore problems that need to be introduced to children? Y N N/A • Does the book explore problems that need to be introduced to adolescents? Y N N/A • Are there pictures that ask for a response from the reader? Y N N/A • Do the pictures enhance the child’s desire to draw or create more related to the story? Y N N/A Additional evaluation considerations: BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 59 • Describe the values/ benefits of this book in a therapeutic setting? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ • Describe the drawbacks to the use of this book in a therapeutic setting? ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ • Describe any content in this book that could cause political difficulties? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ • Describe any content in this book that could cause emotional trauma? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ • Describe any content in this book that may be inappropriate for certain populations or settings? ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ • How comfortable would you be reading or giving this book to a client? 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Very comfortable Not at all comfortable • Overall impression of the therapeutic value of the book and recommendation to other counselors: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 60 • Suggested use with clients/ Client reactions observed: ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ • After completing this evaluation, do you feel better prepared to use this book in a therapeutic setting? 1-------------------2-------------------3-------------------4-------------------5 Less prepared Same More prepared RANKING OF THIS BOOK 1 Not appropriate 2 Poor, or usable with modifications 3 Fair 4 Very Useful 5 Excellent Choice BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 61 Appendix D Informational Letter to Participants Dear Participant, I am currently a student at Weber State University in the Master of Education program. I am conducting research involving military families for my final project. My main objective for this research is to create a children’s book that will help military children who are experiencing deployment. You have been selected as a candidate because I am interested in interviewing military spouses who have experienced multiple or prolonged deployment cycles with young children at home. My desire with the interview process is to find common themes and issues that military children faced during deployment, how and if they were resolved, inspirational stories that might encourage others facing similar circumstances, etc. I will use this information from several families in order to create a therapeutic book for young military children who are undergoing these challenges. The interviews will be approximately 30-45 minutes in length and will take place online with the Zoom app. The questions asked in the interviews will relate to previous deployment experiences and if at any time the discussion becomes too painful, you are not required to answer the questions or complete the interview. The interviews will be recorded, transcribed, and kept on a password protected computer. Your identity will not be revealed to anyone indirectly involved in conducting this research, nor will your identity be revealed in any publication, document, or computer database. To include the results and input from this study, we must obtain your written consent. If you are willing to participate in this research project, please sign a copy of the enclosed Consent Form from Weber State University. I sincerely appreciate your consideration for this project, as it will benefit many military children and their families in the future. Thank you, Sarah Christensen BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 62 Appendix E Book Draft My name is Penelope, but you can call me Penny. My best friend is my dad. He is a soldier in the military. Right now, he is away serving our country. I don’t really know what that means, but Mom says it is his job and he helps keep me and my friends safe while he is gone. He has been gone a long time though, and I wish he could be home, especially on days like today. Next week I have a gymnastics showcase. It is the epic event when we get to show off all the new tricks we have learned for our parents. All my friends were talking about how their parents wouldn’t miss it. Janie said to me, “That’s too bad your dad can’t be there.” I tried to hold back the tears in my eyes and didn’t answer. When Mom picked me up, I came out crying. “What is wrong Penny?” I didn't want to answer, but I knew Mom would understand. I told her about what happened at gymnastics and how I wished Dad could be there to watch. “I just don’t know if I can do my best without him.” Mom said, “Even though Dad can’t be there this time, you can imagine him there with you, and then we can show him the video later. Sharing Daddy means that you are serving our country too. It takes sacrifice from everyone in the family.” She said, “You can be brave and do hard things, it just takes a little courage.” I knew it wouldn’t be easy, but I decided I would try. A little later, my brother Calvin burst inside. He slammed the door and threw his soccer ball at the ground. Mom said, “Calvin what is wrong?” “I wanted to play soccer at recess, but nobody invited me.” “I know making new friends is hard, especially with Dad gone. I am glad you told me how you feel.” Mom said, “Try to be brave and ask to play soccer next time. Even though Dad can’t be there, you can tell him all about it next time we talk with him.” Sharing Daddy means that you are serving our country too. It takes sacrifice from everyone in the family.” She said, “You can be brave and do hard things, it just takes a little courage.” He knew it wouldn’t be easy, but he decided he would try. At my competition I remembered what Mom said about having courage. I tried to picture Dad there with me. I was really nervous, but I landed my cartwheel perfectly on the beam! Mom and Calvin were cheering in the crowd and even though Daddy couldn’t come, I knew he would have been proud of me. The next day Calvin came home with a smile on his face. “Guess What?” “I remembered what Mom said about having courage and I asked if I could join the soccer game.” They said, “Yes! We need an extra player.” They asked me to join again tomorrow!” “I can’t wait to tell Dad all about it!” Suddenly the phone rang. Mom looked concerned. She was taking FOREVER! Finally, she got off the phone. “I am sorry kids, but I have some bad news. Daddy needs to stay a few months longer than we thought.” Mom started to cry. Mom doesn’t usually cry. Mom, I said, “remember what you told me and Calvin. It takes sacrifice from everyone in the family, not just Dad. You can be brave and do hard things too, it just takes a little courage.” Mom smiled, and even though we knew it wouldn’t be easy, we were all sacrificing so Daddy could serve our country. BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 63 BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 64 BIBLIOTHERAPY FOR MILITARY FAMILIES 65