The Strong Families Strong Forces (SFSF) program is a FREE, 8-week program designed to help families navigate the stressors of deployments, Permanent Change of Station (PCS), Expiration – Term of Service (ETS), retirement and more.
The program aims to strengthen communication, connection and co-parenting skills. Designed for military families with children ages 0 to 17, SFSF is open to active-duty, reservist, national guard and veteran families.
Throughout the 8-week course, families will build on their strengths and resilience to prepare for challenges in the future. Classes schedules are flexible to meet the needs of busy military families and can be provided in groups, in-home or virtually.
Think of your family as a “system” or an intricate machine. Explore how each member’s individuality contributes to the smooth operation of your family “system.”
Activity: Craft a Family Collage
Each member brings their individual personal identity to the table, contributing to the family identity. Families approach with curiosity to recognize how your individual identity, experiences, and values shape your family’s unique identity.
Activity: Create a Family Flag
Everyone interprets information uniquely, leading to differing perspectives and emotional reactions to the same life event. As a team, reflect on a shared experience, work together to understand your partner’s viewpoint, and provide support, cultivating an understanding that facilitates effective communication about past, present, and future family experiences.
Activity: Event Timeline
Just as parents do, children form their own perceptions, emotions, and insights from the same life event. Establish a safe environment for your child to express their thoughts and experiences of your significant life events. Feeling heard, understood, and supported lays a foundation for continued effective communication within the family.
Activity: Child’s Event Timeline
Some seasons of life can induce stress, disrupt routines, and diminish quality family time, making it difficult to connect or reconnect. Discover areas for growth and new milestones in your child’s development, while devising strategies to re-establish connections and create positive family memories.
Activity: Connection Flowerpot or Google Mapping
Healthy relationships require effort and aren’t always easy. Collaborate with your partner on a strategy or a plan to strengthen your bond, identify areas to grow and provide a solid foundation for your family. Practice caring for yourself, caring for your partner and caring for your children.
Activity: Date Night
Parenting can be challenging with no “one-size-fits-all” approach. Reflect on parenting styles and experiences from your own childhood and explore various parenting strategies. Collaborate with your partner to develop a co-parenting plan grounded in your collective experiences, shaping a shared vision for your family’s future.
Activity: Co-Parenting Plan
No one knows better than service-member families that goodbyes can be hard. As the program comes to a close, it’s time to celebrate graduation day, cherish the time we spent getting to know each other and recognize the progress the family has made together.
Activity: Certificate of Completion
For class dates and locations, email us at SFSF@unitedwaysatx.org.
Or call us at 210-352-7059 or 210-352-7052.
Learn about our work supporting service members, veterans and their families.
