Episode 286 Nicole Thompson Caring for Military Children Transcript

This transcript is from episode 286 with guest Nicole Thompson.

Scott DeLuzio: [00:00:00] Thanks for tuning in to the Drive On Podcast where we are focused on giving hope and strength to the entire military community. Whether you’re a veteran, active duty, guard, reserve, or a family member, this podcast will share inspirational stories and resources that are useful to you. I’m your host, Scott DeLuzio, and now let’s get on with the show.

Hey, everybody. Welcome back to drive on today. My guest is Nicole Thompson. Nicole is an air force veteran and a military spouse. And she’s here today to discuss how military life impacts the lives of military children. Who unfortunately are an often times forgotten piece of the equation.

welcome to the show, uh, Nicole. Um, I’m really glad to have you here. What, for the listeners and the viewers who, uh, aren’t familiar with you, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Nicole Thompson: Hi Scott. Thanks for having me. So, I’m an author and retired school psychologist. I’m also the founder of Goat Educators, and that’s a business that focuses on professional developments to [00:01:00] uh, uh, provide.

Educators and teachers, trauma informed care. And I got here because of the trauma that I went through in my life as a child, I experienced a lot of trauma with it. Um, I would say ending, you know, the, the, the worst of it, ending with my mom actually dying of suicide when I was eight years old.

So I wanted to help children that look like me to get ’em through those types of ex types of experiences. Yes.

Scott DeLuzio: And that’s such a tragedy for any child to go through. Um, but you know, today we’re talking about the, the impact of military life on, uh, military children who are often overlooked in the, the big picture when it comes to, you know, veterans care and, and things like that.

So, uh, there there’s so many things that go on with the military, uh, children, uh, just in the dealing with military life, things like. The, the frequent moves that they have to go through. Um, on average they military children move about, uh, six to nine times [00:02:00] during their, uh, their education. And, uh, that can lead to all sorts of challenges.

It could be academic social challenges. Um, and in your, in your experience as an Air Force veteran, uh, what are some of the challenges that come along with some of these moves?

Nicole Thompson: So actually just the feeling of safety for the child. If you’re moving that many times they don’t feel safe because they, they don’t ever get grounded, if that makes sense.

Because as soon as they’re settling in and meeting friends, then they’re moving again. So it’s really important for the adults in their lives to really focus on providing that safety for them so they know that, you know, Even if they’re moving constantly, their parents are there and the ones that are most closest to them are there to provide them that safety net that they need so often because it’s really important in their development.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, absolutely. And having that, that [00:03:00] safety net and that that social network of, uh, not, not like a Facebook social network, but that network of people that they can rely on, that, that’s constant in their lives, their, their parents, their, their siblings. Those, those people who are in their lives when they’re, they’re moving around constantly is.

Super important to have because otherwise, uh, they’re, they probably feel like they’re all alone. And it, the problem compounds itself though. I, I would imagine when you, you have, uh, military children who not only are, are moving from place to place every couple of years, but they also, uh, they end up, they end up dealing with parents who get deployed and they end up, um, not having those people that you were just talking about who.

Are their, their foundation, the, the, the rock that they, uh, need to rely on. Uh, they may not have them for six months, a year even. You know, other times they may be away for training. It might be a way for several weeks or months at a time. Um, that just makes a, the problem even worse. So, [00:04:00] um, you know, what are ways that some children can, uh, Find some support during this time.

In what ways can, can the parents who are left behind during these deployments, wh where, how can they support them during this time?

Nicole Thompson: And I’m actually glad you said that because when I was married to my husband, he was in the Army, I was in the Air Force, and he was deployed every single year. So it was at one point, my daughter was so young and he was deployed for a year.

When he came back, she didn’t know who he was. So I had to be there as that support to say, no, you know, this is your dad. It’s okay to go to ’em because she was like, you know, who is this man? And that was before FaceTime and all. So I really do encourage like as, as much as possible, you keep in touch with your children on FaceTime, you let ’em know that you are there even though you’re far away.

I. And if they need you for anything, that you can be there for ’em in that way. And the parent that is caring for them also [00:05:00] have to be aware that their mayor, they may be behaviors that the, uh, the children may start to demonstrate like regressive behaviors. So if the child is, let’s say 11 years old, and then all of a sudden they’re bed again, the parent has to show that kid grace because it may be a way of their body coping with that level of stress because it is difficult for.

For adults. So, you know, you can imagine how difficult it is for children. So just to be there and always show them grace and let them know that you understand that, that they’re going through what they’re going through.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, absolutely. And I think even, uh, just, uh, another side of this whole equation here is like when I was deployed, I had a newborn.

He was only a couple months old when I deployed to Afghanistan and. When I came home, I had never been a father before. He was my first son and I didn’t know how to be a father. My, my wife had had, uh, like about nine months or so of parenting under her belt. So [00:06:00] she kind of figured out as she went along, as all parents do.

Um, and so, but for me it was, it was difficult and I felt like I was just being tossed in the deep end. And I can imagine how. Other parents who are coming back from a deployment, they miss a year of their child’s life. All the, the milestones and graduations and birthdays and holidays, all these other things that might take place during that time period.

Um, they may be coming back feeling like they don’t know really what to do with their child or how to act around their child or, or any of that type of stuff. And I, that could be a really difficult thing for them to do. Right.

Nicole Thompson: Yes, absolutely. And again, I would say just, um, being understanding on every level from the parents, because again, it’s hard being a military wife because you’re pretty much thrown into single parenthood whenever you know that dad moves away.

Um, and you can get really resentful, and I’m speaking for myself. You [00:07:00] could get really resentful for the parent not being there because you feel as though I’m doing it all on my own. But you have to remind yourself that although the father isn’t there at the time, they’re out defending the country and it’s a part of the job.

And, um, really if you find support groups, For the parents because there’s plenty of them out there, I believe that would get you through it. Um, but you have to constantly remind yourself of that, that they’re not just absent and don’t wanna be around. It’s part of the duty. And when they do come back just and.

And I, there’s really no other way of saying it, but sort of, kind of like spoon feed them the parent responsibilities because it can be overwhelming. And I know as the parent that’s being left behind, you just wanna say, here’s the kid, I need a brick. But you have to remember that that’s just not best practice.

So, you know, just ease the other parent into it. Like maybe you watch the kids. Five [00:08:00] minutes at a time and then slowly increase it until they get to a level where they’re actually feeling comfortable enough to be the parent.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. And I love how you, you put that, uh, because that’s exactly what my wife did, was she, when I got home, she just continued doing all the things that she was doing all the time that I was gone, and she allowed me to step into the, the parent role.

As I started getting comfortable with it, it, I was dealing with a lot of stuff when I came home and it, it was a lot to just be. You know, thrown in as, as a parent and, um, you know, so, so she kind of just showed me, kind of led by example. It showed me what I’m supposed to do, you know, even stuff like simple things like changing a diaper, feeding the baby, like it was just something I hadn’t done yet very often.

And so, um, it, it wasn’t stuff that I was familiar with and, um, you know, so. So, yeah, she, that’s exactly what, what ended up happening. But, um, you know, even, even dealing with, um, you know, older children, maybe in teenage years, they may be dealing with stuff at school that they didn’t deal [00:09:00] with before the parent deployed.

And it’s, it’s a difficult thing. Right. So, um, you know, I, I really do enjoy, uh, that, that, uh, Part that you, you just talked about there is, is, you know, allowing the parent to ease back into it. Um, just spoonfeed it or, you know, whatever way you want to think about it. It, it really does, uh, make a whole lot of sense to me that, um, that you would, you would slowly get them back into this after, um, you know, deployment or, or even just a long time away.

Uh, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a deployment, but it could be, you know, going away to a school or going to some training that that takes, you know, couple months or whatever. Things do change rather quickly sometimes at home. Right.

Nicole Thompson: Yes it does. Um, and we always have to be there for our children to let ’em know, like, you know, our situation is just really unpredictable, you know, but it’s part of the job.

And again, just be there for ’em as much as we can, um, in terms of anxiety, because children from military families always have anxiety because they never really know when [00:10:00] things are going to change. I would definitely say as a parent to model, Being calm because they’re looking to the parent at all times, whether you’re aware of it or not.

So if the parent is anxious and you know, every day they’re having panic attacks or whatever the case, then you know, the child is gonna pick up on that. So I would say make it like a, a daily family thing where you come together and you say you know that you feel safe. You feel welcome and that everything is okay.

And just to constantly give yourself that daily reminder so you won’t let all those anxious thoughts take over. And then it, um, overcomes you. And I also say, uh, always be open to seeking therapy individual and, um, family therapy. Of course.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah. That’s a great, uh, point too, because. Sometimes when you’re sitting there and you’re feeling overwhelmed and you feel like you’re, you’re in over your head with all of this stuff, you might not even think about the therapy aspect of it because who has time [00:11:00] for it?

You have all these other things that you have to do and that, that’s just a, a difficult, uh, thing to squeeze into the schedule, but it may be necessary too. So yeah, definitely be open to that.

Nicole, there are some, unfortunately, some, um, maybe realities that come along with the military service that doesn’t necessarily come along with, uh, regular, typical family life.

Um, you know, military children have to, unfortunately, sometimes experience traumas that their, you know, their civilian family, uh, doesn’t necessarily always have to deal with, you know, things. Related to their parent service, injuries, disabilities, um, even unfortunately, deaths are, are occurring. Um, so what kind of approaches can help children deal with some of these experiences?

Nicole Thompson: I would say just to let the, the child know that you are there. A lot of times when we’re parents, we wanna come in and fix everything, but you have to think about the child and [00:12:00] cater you or, or how you approach the co the child to that. Specific child. So it may be that you have a child that wanna talk about everything that’s going on and feel very comfortable in doing so.

So if that’s the case, you just sit there and you listen to the child for as long as possible. But it also may be that the child doesn’t wanna talk and talking would just make them feel even worse. So you just have to let ’em know, sit down and talk. You know, the family is going through this, your dad or your mom is going.

For this amount of time, I’m here. If you need any extra support, I’m here. If you need more support, then I can actually provide, I’ll get you the help that you need. And we do have to think of therapy as not squeezing it in, but as a part of our daily routine or our weekly routine. Because when we think of it that way and make enough time for therapy, then we’re showing our children that.

Our mental health is important. It’s not an afterthought, especially in the military. [00:13:00] Your mental health has to be priority at all times because if not, your body is going to, you know, you are gonna demonstrate it through certain behaviors or you’ll develop different diseases that, and most of the diseases that occur, we don’t think that they’re related to trauma, but they actually are.

And some examples in children are asthma, uh, depression. Of course children can develop post-traumatic stress disorder as well. Anxiety, um, being a perfectionist. So it’s just so many things that we have to think about and be on the lookout for if we see these behaviors in our child, you know, bump up that support.

Scott DeLuzio: Absolutely. And when you’re dealing with these types of traumas, it could be a disability, a, you know, an injury or, or even unfortunately a death. All of these things that that happen, um, have, I mean, they have a, a profound impact on just everybody that, that has to deal with it. But, um, the, [00:14:00] the children who are still so young, figuring out life, figuring out the world around them, um, it.

It’s a lot to wrap your head around. And so that is something that like, like you were saying, definitely go get that support. Um, go get the, the mental health, uh, treatments. Go get whatever it is that you, you think that you need to be able to navigate through all of this difficult time. Um, and it, it doesn’t necessarily even.

Have to be, um, as extreme as what we’re talking about, just having the parent being away for a while could be enough of a stress to the child that they, they need that extra little bit of support. So you’re absolutely right. I, I do agree with what you’re saying there. And, um, yeah, making it part of the routine is, um, is definitely something that will help make it.

Uh, be able to fit into the schedule, um, as opposed to just being something that is, [00:15:00] um, you know, seen as a, this extra burden that you have to do. You know, it’s, it’s part of the schedule. It’s, you know, you wake up and it’s part of your routine and, and you do this thing, whether it’s once a week or however f frequently it is.

It’s just something that, that you end up doing, right? Yes. Yeah. So when you’re talking about a military family, There’s always, you know, this dynamic you gotta juggle, um, you know, family life, uh, you know, taking kids to school, uh, to sports and other activities that they may be involved in. Um, what are some of the ways that people can balance supporting military children during these times of stress?

I know, you know, being there for them is, is obviously one thing, but there’s, um, You know, there, there’s maybe more that they need. Um, you know, what, what are some ways that we can, we can support them, um, and, and help them out through some of these difficult times.

Nicole Thompson: I would definitely say like schedule in [00:16:00] a time where it is just you and the child where it’s quality time, you don’t have any phones, you’re not accepting any messages or anything, and really get out in nature.

Nature is a healer, and if we stay out in nature, maybe go around barefoot and ground ourselves. Make sure that they’re eating healthy and really keeping them moving and active. Because being active allows those, uh, um, stress hormones and everything to stay low. So, you know, if we’re ruminating in a house, just binge watching tv, then the stressors are gonna become worse.

Our diet is gonna become worse, and things are just gonna worsen all around. So I say just be active. Get out there, um, in nature as much as possible. Show your children different breathing techniques. Or meditation or other ways that you could come up to calm your nervous system. Because having a calm, nervous system is really key in helping the child cope with the, the parent being away.

Because [00:17:00] if their nervous system is in fight, flight, or freeze and they’re constantly in survival mode, then you’re gonna see it with the behaviors. They may be impulsive, they, you know, may be inattentive. And when you’re starting to notice some of those things, just remember, hey, it’s time to get outside.

Or think about are you letting them eat a whole bunch of comfort foods, because that’s human nature. You know, we get stressed out, we eat a whole bunch of comfort foods, and then the next thing you know, we’re feeling like crap. So keep nutritious foods in the refrigerator and you know, at hand at all

Scott DeLuzio: times.

And that it’s such a easy thing to do too, is uh, you know, if you. Are looking for a snack at home and you have a bowl of fruit on the counter, uh, you know, apples and bananas and other, you know, other good fruit, fruit foods and fruits. Um, Versus if you had, uh, you know, cookies and a cookie jar, um, you know you’re gonna go to the fruit if it’s available to you.

And if it’s sitting out in, in the open, uh, if you go [00:18:00] tuck it away in the refrigerator, some, somewhere, you’re gonna end up going to the thing that’s just more convenient. It’s in your face, it’s easier to see. So, you know, it’s just a real easy, uh, kind of. Mind trick to just keep stuff out in, in front of everybody.

Um, but yeah, definitely keeping active, um, is, is way better than just sitting on the couch watching tv, especially when you’re talking about, um, maybe a parents deployed overseas. Um, I don’t, my, my wife, when I was deployed, she did not watch the news hardly at all. Um, because she, she just didn’t want to deal with knowing what’s going on overseas when, um, you know, I was over there because there bad stuff happens.

She knew bad stuff happens. It’s part of war, and she didn’t want to be, uh, sitting there watching that worrying constantly about, uh, what was happening to me, where I was, what I was doing, all that kind of stuff. And, um, could you imagine what a child’s mind would be thinking about if they’re sitting there and they see the, the news on, [00:19:00] even if it’s just on in the background as you’re making dinner or.

Something like that, right? Like you start seeing bad stuff that’s happening overseas and it’s like, well, mom’s over there, dad’s over there. What’s happening to them? Is that where they are, you know, in the, their mind starts racing and that, that just makes things worse. So yeah, get outside and, um, it’s, it serves as a distraction.

Keep, keep you away from all that negativity, right?

Nicole Thompson: Yes, and I absolutely agree with not watching the news. Do not watch the seriously. I mean, when you think about it, that’s the reason that causes so much anxiety in general. For some reason, people are just obsessed with watching the news all the time. And consuming all of that bad news and negative energy.

And the more that you cannot watch the news and watch uplifting things because we become what we consume, whether that’s through TV eating or however it is we’re consuming. So we have to be mindful of that. And I definitely commend your wife because it [00:20:00] seems like she was doing a lot of things correctly.

Scott DeLuzio: And you know what, it’s, it’s one of those things where, Just like parenting. There’s no handbook that comes with how to be a military spouse or a military child and dealing with deployments. I mean, they, they had these class type things that we, we went, all went through before we deployed, and so they gave us some idea of what to expect, you know, how long we were gonna be gone, what happens, how do you get notified if something happens to us, or, you know, all those kind of things.

They, they told us all about those things, but you know, the day-to-day stuff, you know, Don’t constantly watch the news and dwell on that stuff. They didn’t go over all that stuff. It’s just stuff that you kind of figure out on your own along the way. And, um, you know, I, I think for the people out there especially who are dealing with a lot of stress when their, their loved ones are, are deployed or they’re, um, you know, away for extended periods of time, just cut that stuff out.

You don’t, you don’t need to be constantly watching the news and, um, being up to date [00:21:00] on every single. Thing that’s going on because it’s gonna drive you nuts. It, it, it’s just too much. And especially again, for, for the children, which is kind of like the, the core of what we’re talking about here. I know in my case, my, my son was so young that he wouldn’t have known the difference.

Uh, he didn’t even hardly even know me at that time cuz he was so young. But, um, but even still like, The, the children, they, they learn from watching the parents. And if the parent is constantly stressed out, um, then the children are gonna be constantly stressed out. And that’s, that’s just not helpful for anybody.

Nicole Thompson: Yeah, I, I, I really do encourage for the parents and the kids, of course, if the kids are old enough to just get some creative outlets as well, that could be journaling. Um, in many cases, I know my kids like to write creative stories, so just encourage your children to write creative stories. Let them escape from reality for a while, and just use their imagination.

Um, the coloring. Things of that sort. Really just providing them with different [00:22:00] activities, you know, to keep their mind off of their parents not being

Scott DeLuzio: there. Yeah. And I, I like what you were saying there too, as far as creative activities, things that mm-hmm. They’re, they’re creating things where it’s, uh, you know, writing a, a short story or a poem or, uh, coloring painting, those types of things.

Even if they are. Uh, into music. They picked up an instrument and, and played those things. Uh, all of those things are, are great outlets, uh, versus, uh, things like maybe that are a little bit easier, like a video game or things like that because, uh, those don’t really add any value. You know, you, you’re not, uh, you’re not exercising your mind necessarily.

You’re, you’re just, you’re doing these things, but it, it’s just. Not the best. Um, it’s not the best thing for your mental health, for your, your, um, you know, just your overall wellbeing. These, these things just don’t really help, especially if you’re dealing with, uh, you know, a Call of Duty type game that is, uh, [00:23:00] just gonna make you worry even more about what could be happening, uh, to mom or dad who’s, who’s deployed, right?

That that’s not the best outlet.

Nicole Thompson: Yeah. And I know I played Call of Duty once, and I just did, it triggered me. I was just like, you know, it was way too realistic. So I would definitely recommend staying away from games like Call of Duty, and of course, video games are out there. I don’t say don’t let your kids play video games, but just put a time limit on it.

Yeah. And make sure that they’re not playing the games that are going to make them feel worse or make them worry even more. Um, you know, because video games are one way that kids communicate with each other online, they’re able to talk to each other and all. So I, I do say let them have video games every now and again, but definitely keep a time limit on it because that could become an addiction.

Video game addiction is real, and once you get that, it is really hard to break out of. So yeah, I say allow it, but. Just keep [00:24:00] some time limits on it.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, that’s true. And, and we, we even have like a, uh, one of those egg timers. The, the thing that you just kind of crank it, set the time and you know, when it goes off the game’s off and, and that, that’s it.

So you, you have your time or you have your limit that’s, that’s, uh, you know, all it is, and, and when it’s not an addictive type thing, then it, it’s really easy. But once when you cross that line and the, the kids are addicted to it, then. Yeah, it becomes a little bit harder to pull ’em away from it.

One of the things I wanted to talk about was just addressing the emotional needs of military children and how, um, they may be dealing with things like, uh, isolation, feeling lonely, um, and disconnected.

For a variety of reasons. The, the frequent moves, uh, not having a stable, uh, friend base that they can rely on. Um, you know, so what are ways that educators, uh, you know, their, their teachers in school, uh, especially the ones on military bases or who serve a military community, um, or their parents and [00:25:00] people around them can support those emotional needs of, of the military children who are going through there.

Are there any. Programs or counseling and things like that, that that might be available.

Nicole Thompson: There’s local support groups for sure, but for the educators, I would say definitely focusing on relationships. When we focus on building relationships, then no matter really how long, you know the person you feel comfortable with opening up to ’em, and once you get that bond, that relationship, then that makes.

The, again, going back to safety that makes the children feel safe and safe enough to learn. Because if they don’t feel safe enough to learn their prefrontal cortex, which is up here in the front of the brain, actually shuts down and it doesn’t allow them to learn. So I think for educators, that’s number one.

Priority. Relationships with the parents, I would say just always stepping outta your comfort zone. Sometimes when we’re moving so much, we’re like, okay, we’ll only be here for six months. I don’t really. Need to know anybody because we’ll [00:26:00] be in and out, but don’t think that constantly get out into the community and look for those support groups, like I said, where you can surround yourself with like-minded people and people that are going through the same exact thing that you are, because then they’re understanding of your needs and your emotional support and all that you need.

Because a lot of times what we as humans and kids need, It’s just the love of someone to be there for us and to understand what we’re going through so we won’t feel isolated. Because when you think about when you’re going through something difficult, if someone that you’re talking to on the phone say, oh my gosh, I just went through that like last week, it makes you feel better immediately.

Right. So when your children are around other children that are going through it and they’re able to share stories and different things, it makes ’em feel more welcome in, in the community. Yeah,

Scott DeLuzio: absolutely. And that community support is a, a big piece. So when I moved into the neighborhood that I live in [00:27:00] now, it’s, it’s near an Air Force base.

And, uh, there was a military family there. They move every two years. And, uh, they were there, I think they were already there for a year when we moved in. And, um, But we got to know them and uh, they made it a point they said every time they moved to a new place to get to know the neighbors in the neighborhood, uh, even though they know that they’re only gonna be there for a short period of time, get to know people and mm-hmm.

You know, they had young children that are about, uh, my kid’s age a little bit older and, um, But not by much. And they, they were able to meet up at the parks near our house and, and play together and ride bikes and do all the things that kids normally do. You know, go outside. Mm-hmm. Get dirty, have fun, all that kind of stuff.

Um, even though they knew that they were gonna be gone a year, uh, after that, they’re gonna be moving off to the next. Duty station that they’re, they’re gonna be stationed at. But they did that anyways and they made those relationships. They didn’t just stay stick to themselves. What’s the point of making these relationships?

We’re just gonna move, you know, but that kind of [00:28:00] mindset didn’t, didn’t fly with them. Um, they, they were out there making the relationships and, uh, seeking them out because if they just. Stuck in their house, which I know other people in our neighborhood who did exactly that. And they, they came and they gone, they left.

And we never even got to meet them because they just stuck to themselves. And, um, if they did that, they, they wouldn’t have that community support. And, you know, God forbid something was to happen to, uh, you know, one of them, they wouldn’t have people nearby who were able to help them. They were from all over the country.

And, um, you know, they. They wouldn’t have had that support. So yeah, definitely getting out there and, um, making those connections and, uh, getting that, that support within the community I think is, is super important too. Yeah.

Nicole Thompson: And I just think that we have to remember at all times that we’re social beings, and when we isolate ourself, that’s when we tend to get depressed and have other mental health issues.

So if you’re constantly out [00:29:00] and communicating with everyone and focused on building the community, that really does help a lot.

Scott DeLuzio: Yeah, for sure. And making that, um, that network, that community of people, um, it, it just, Makes it so much better because like you were saying, you know, we’re, we’re social people.

We need to have that community. We need to have those people in our lives. Um, and we rely on that when. Uh, things are, things are good, things are bad. We, we rely on having those people there to, uh, get us through those, those times that may be difficult. Um, you know, and, and when things are good, we want people there to celebrate them with us as well.

So, yeah, just, you know, having those people around. Uh, I, I know social media makes it a little bit easier to. Isolate yourself from physically being with people. Um, you know, you can, you can just, uh, FaceTime people or you can, uh, you know, just send them a message and, and that type of stuff. But [00:30:00] it’s not the same as when you are together and you can sit down and have dinner together or, you know, you can get outside and go for a walk together, ride your bikes and do, do all that kind of stuff that, that people do.

So it, it’s definitely, um, you know, a, you know, a great thing to have is, is in that community. Mm-hmm. I agree. So, uh, Nicole, before we, uh, wrap up here, uh, can you let people know where they can go to find out more about you? Uh, I know you, you said you’ve, uh, you’re an author and, and you talked a little bit about your business in the, uh, beginning of this episode.

But tell people a little bit more about, um, you know, where they can go to find your book, uh, what the, the books are and, uh, and your business.

Nicole Thompson: Yeah, so my book reached to teach seven simple trauma informed steps to help urban students engage, improve grades, and decrease disruptive behaviors overnight that can be found on Amazon, and it talks about building relationships and really [00:31:00] prioritizing a student’s mental health.

To get the best, uh, academic performance from ’em. Again, that’s on Amazon. My website is goat educators.com. That’s G O A T educators.com. And in terms of social media, I’m on pretty much every platform, but I’m most. Active on Instagram as Go Educators.

Scott DeLuzio: And so, uh, on the, uh, the, the show notes for this episode, we’ll, we’ll try to put all those, uh, links in there as well.

Um, Nicole, I think it, uh, this episode is especially important because, uh, you know, we. We don’t often think about the, the children when we’re talking about caring for veterans, when we’re talking about, um, you know, helping the, the military out, oftentimes the the children are, are forgotten. And so that’s something I, I definitely don’t want to do.

I think that’s an important piece of the equation. They’re part of the family just as much as anybody else. And I, I think. Caring for them and, and taking care of their needs [00:32:00] is going to be something that we, uh, we definitely need to do a better job at. And in this, um, the, the advice that you gave in this episode, I think, uh, is, is super important.

And so I really thank you and appreciate you taking the time to come on and join us. Absolutely.

Nicole Thompson: Thanks for having me, Scott. And whenever we’re talking about kids, I’m there for you. Excellent.

Scott DeLuzio: Thanks so much.

Nicole Thompson: You’re welcome.

Scott DeLuzio: Thanks for listening to the Drive On Podcast. If you want to support the show, please check out Scott’s book, Surviving Son on Amazon. All of the sales from that book go directly back into this podcast and work to help veterans in need. You can also follow the Drive On Podcast on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and wherever you listen to podcasts.