Uncle Sam¿s Kids: When Duty Calls (Hardcover)

~ Angela Sportelli Rehak (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Deployment! Not just Daddy or Mommy going on a trip for six months to a year or longer, but rather an emotional cycle with various stages that can affect the military child.

Deployment carries stresses of its own evident in distinct stages that parents may not even be aware of. In fact, when a parent has to deploy to another country, children may experience anticipation of the loss which starts when they first hear the news. Active listening is crucial regardless of how old your children are so that you can help them express what they are thinking and feeling.

The next stage may show up as detachment and withdrawal

Then children may worry about if they will still remain a family and other "what ifs".

Recovery and routines are finally re-established after a few weeks and now the family functions as one together with friends, work, organized clubs, and school activities.

The excitement of homecoming is next and several weeks before the end of deployment anxiety builds again. At this time there is much preparation activity and high expectations.

Finally the reunion day is here and the family will reunite.

The author shows parents and caregivers alike how to address the stages of deployment like worry anger detachment sadness recovery and anticipation of a homecoming by:

using fun positive coping techniques which help children ease common stresses of deployment and or mobilization

listen and normalize common concerns of children who deploy often

involve your child in some decision making

support the deployment so that the child will have a clear perspective and learn at the same time

discover strength in family and community

promote duty honor and love of country

About the Author

Ms. Rehak has been a military wife for 20 years and has done extensive research on the stresses of deployment in the military via an internship with a degree in psychology from California State University and earned a Masters in Educational Leadership from Troy State University, AL. She has acted as a coordinator of the Key Wives Club during the 13the MEU for the Somolian Conflict, Restore Hope in aid to the Kurdish refugees, Operation Provide Comfort and currently supporting her spouse's activation in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Additionally, Ms. Rehak has been a career counselor, coordinator, and instructor of education and child psychology for the past 7 years at Ocean County College in Toms River, New Jersey. She has also founded Abidenme Books publishing. The author and publisher resides in Island Heights, New Jersey with her spouse Lt. Colonel Rehak(when he's not deployed),their own Uncle Sam's Kids, Nick, Breezy and Lil'M and their dog Daisy too!

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Abidenme Books Publishing (February 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0971451516
• ISBN-13: 978-0971451513
• Product Dimensions: 10.9 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #753,612 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing but still usable, March 8, 2005

By	Kristin Deluca "Army wife and mother to two" (NOVA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I would not encourage people to spend money on this book, but instead to borrow it from the library or someone who already owns it.
While the theme of separation from daddy is what I wanted, this book was pretty cheesy. The son gets a real name. "Nick" while the daughters are "Breezy" and "Lil M." The boy is shown on almost every page while we see the girls only a few times and often in profile or off to the side.
I also would have preferred a book that wasn't focused exclusively on the Navy.
My daughter kept asking where the little girl was in the book. I'm glad I have a few more months to locate books that better suit our specific needs.
I gave the kids the names of my daughter and her friends, and changed much of the wording while reading it out loud. Even for a children's book, the writing is mediocre at best.
I did like that the author showed the father saying goodbye to his children and giving them a way to stay connected with him. I also liked that she depicted the family working on a care package and making "Welcome Home" banners.
For Navy/Marine families with sons this would work well, but the rest of us will have to add some other books into the mix as we prepare our children for deployment.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars UncleSamsKidsin When Duty Calls, June 27, 2005

By	Nancy McDee (Ithaca, New York) - See all my reviews

The author did a terrific job offering helpful advice to reduce and deal with the many emotions that children and their parents are feeling when a deployment occurs. I could totally relate to the entire book and I highly recommend it to anyone getting ready to deploy. I also recommend her newest book Uncle Sam's Kids in Moving Again Mom. As a military family we move every three years and found this to be helpful.
I give it a two thumbs up!!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Uncle Sam's Kids in When Duty Calls, February 10, 2005

By	Mary Sweeney (Florida, USA) - See all my reviews

Uncle Sam's Books in When Duty Calls is a wonderful book for anyone who wants to use it as a tool to explain Daddy or Mommy being gone to serve.