Web site offers help for families in transition

WASHINGTON — Sixteen-year-old Robyn Lutzkanin loves the military.

As a military child, she said she has moved often and enjoys seeing new places and meeting new people.

“It really opens your eyes up to the world,” Lutzkanin added.

But she admited to dreading the transition of moving to that new place and having to make new friends.

“Moving is a really big stress, especially on teenagers. Because when you move to a new school, it’s like all of these kids, (and you) don’t know them,” Lutzkanin said.

Three national associations joined forces Sept. 30 to publish a Web site that offers help to military families going through those transitions.

The site, http://www.TimeToTalk.org/military is a joint effort by the National Military Family Association, the Partnership for a Drug Free America, and the National Association of School Nurses. Among other tools, the site offers a guide for military parents on how to talk to their children during transitions such as a move or a deployment of a parent.

Talking during that time is critical, Lutzkanin said, addressing a crowd gathered at the U.S. Capitol Sept. 30 to announce the site’s launch.

“The only way to solve a problem is to talk about it. If you let it sit there in the back of your mind, it’s going to start festering in your brain and be like all on you,” she said. “You’ve just got to let it out.”

The site also contains information for parents on talking about substance abuse with the children. And it has information on how to educate members of the civilian sector, such as teachers, who are not used to dealing with problems unique to military families.

But mostly, the site simply helps to initiate conversations that can help parents address difficult topics during difficult times.

“The premise is, ‘Let’s start that conversation between parent and child, and here are ways to help that parent start that conversation,’” she said.