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T h e F l e e t & F a mi l y Support Center

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Th e Foc us

A Thankful & Generous Family

The Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC) on Facebook
It is a parents responsibility to teach their child how to be thankful. Parents are their childs first role models. So it is important that children experience their parents demonstrating examples of thankfulness and generosity. When a child witnesses their parents engaging in generous behavior such as community service, they will want to do the same. Even though Thanksgiving is a great time to talk about being thankful, we do not have to wait until the holidays to acknowledge what we appreciate in our lives.

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Children learn to be thankful when they understand that other people dont have all that they do. Parents can set good examples by helping others with donating clothing to a shelter or a church, helping in soup kitchens, or volunteering at a veterans association. Children should be taught to share and get along with others as well as learning to be considerate of others. Children should also be taught to be thankful for people and not just things. When children are taught to be thankful, they will be less likely to be self-absorbed.

Express to your child that you are proud of them when they show an act of kindness. Also teach them the important phrase thank you. Thank you can go a long way but true gratitude is shown through appreciation. Being thankful is an emotion that will help a person be compassionate and promote a cheerful lifestyle! For additional information, contact Deidra Mejia, FFSC New Parent Support Home Visitation Specialist, at 504-678-7569.

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IN THIS ISSUE
The Fleet & Family Support Center Naval Air Station JRB Bldg. 555 504.678.7569 Toll Free: 1.888.304.1939

A Thankful & Generous Family P.1 Stress, Depression, & the Holidays P.2 The Fleet & Family Support Center P.2 Your Credit Score, It Matters P.3

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New Orleans In November P.3 Whats Cooking Corner? Pecan Pie P.4 November 2012 FFSC Events P.4

The Fleet & Family Support Center

The FFSC is here to serve and support you. We offer programs and services on the following: Deployment support for service members and their families Personal and family wellness education and counseling Clinical Counseling Emergency preparedness and response Crisis intervention and response Financial education and counseling Spouse employment resources Relocation Assistance New Parent Support Home Visitation Transition Assistance Ombudsman Support Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Family Advocacy Victim Advocacy

Stress, Depression, & the Holidays

Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
We often avoid discussing stress and life's challenges until they begin to wear and tear us down. By recognizing when you or a colleague may need to talk about stressors and get help, you're not only being strong for yourself but for those around you. It is now Suicide Prevention Awareness Month and the FFSC Life Skills Educator would like to speak to you more about this very important issue. Please call 504-678-7569 or stop by to speak with someone.

Tips to prevent holiday stress and depression:

1. Acknowledge your feelings. If you can't be with loved ones, realize that it's normal to feel sadness and grief. It's OK to take time to cry or express your feelings. 2. Reach out. Volunteering your time to help others also is a good way to lift your spirits and broaden your friendships. 3. Be realistic. As families change and grow, traditions and rituals often change as well. Choose a few to hold on to, and be open to creating new ones. 4. Set aside differences. Accept family members and friends as they are, even if they don't live up to all of your expectations. 5. Stick to a budget. Before you go gift and food shopping, decide how much money you can afford to spend. Donate to a charity in someone's name, give homemade gifts or start a family gift exchange. 6. Plan ahead. Set aside specific days for shopping, baking, visiting friends and other activities. Plan your menus and then make your shopping list. 7. Learn to say no. Saying yes when you should say no can leave you feeling resentful and overwhelmed. 8. Don't abandon healthy habits. Have a healthy snack before holiday parties so that you don't go overboard on sweets, cheese or drinks. Continue to get plenty of sleep and physical activity. 9. Take a breather. Spending just 15 minutes alone, without distractions, may refresh you enough to handle everything you need to do. 10. Seek professional help if you need it. Despite your best efforts, you may find yourself feeling persistently sad or anxious, plagued by physical complaints, unable to sleep, irritable and hopeless, and unable to face routine chores. If these feelings last for awhile, talk to a counselor or enroll in an FFSC Life Skills Educational Class. 11. Take control of the holidays. Take steps to prevent stress and depression that can descend during the holidays. With a little planning and some positive thinking, you can find peace and joy during the holidays.

In addition to 1-on-1 services, there are a multitude of workshops and events held throughout the year to support active duty, reservists, retirees, and military family members. We pride ourselves on being your one-stopshop for information, referral and assistance. Contact us today to schedule a one-to-one or class at (504)678-7569. Were here for you!

YOUR CREDIT SCORE

It Matters
A good credit score will not only facilitate your ability to get financing to buy an automobile, a home and many other things at favorable interest rates, but could also help you get a job and obtain or keep your security clearance.

Whats Cooking Corner?

Pecan Pie Recipe

ingredients

The first step is to understand how your score is calculated. The three primary credit reporting bureaus, Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, use formulas that take into account five key factors: 1. Payment historywhether you pay all your bills on time 2. Amount owednot only the total, but also your debt-to-credit ratio, which compares how much you owe with the amount of credit available to you 3. Length of credithow long you have been using credit, including the average age of your accounts 4. Types of credit being usedyour mix of different categories of credit, including revolving accounts (such as a credit card or a retail account) and installment loans (such as a car loan or a home mortgage) 5. New credit inquiriesthe extent to which you recently have applied for new credit or taken on more debt.

3 eggs 2/3 cup sugar dash salt 1 cup dark corn syrup 1/3 cup butter, melted 1-2 cups pecan halves 1 unbaked pastry shell

directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Mix all ingredients together in large mixing bowl except pastry shell. 3. Pour pecan mixture into pie shell. Make sure all pecans are coated. 4. Cover edges of crust with tinfoil. 5. Bake 50 minutes or until the knife inserted halfway between the center and edge comes out clean. Cool.

To get your credit score, schedule a consultation with an FFSC Financial Counselor at 678-7569

New Orleans in November

November is winter in New Orleans. But, remember our winters are mild. It's a great time to get outside and enjoy some fun events. In fact, all of the fall season is great in New Orleans. NOLA NOVEMBER WEATHER AVERAGES High 68F/20C, Low 51F/11C, Rainfall 4.2" WHAT TO WEAR AROUND TOWN Comfortable Walking Shoes, Long Sleeve Shirt or Sweater, Bring an Umbrella, and a Jacket NOLA NOTABLE EVENTS 03 November, The Bywater Mirliton Festival 17 November, The Magazine Street Blues Festival 18 November, The Po-Boy Preservation Festival 23 November, begins Celebration in the Oaks at City Park 24 November, State Farm Bayou Classic

ENDS!!
At 0200 on Sunday, 4 November, clocks will be set back by one hour.

Contact or stop by the FFSC and speak with our Relocation Specialist, Deon Grissett, (504) 678-7569, for additional information and other great events around town.

NOVEMBER 2012 FFSC Events

All workshops and classes are held at the Naval Air Station, Joint Reserve Base, Fleet & Family Support Center (FFSC), Bldg. 555 unless otherwise noted. Pre-registration is required. To register or for additional information about workshops and other FFSC events, contact the FFSC at 504-678-7569. 01 November 2012 Budget for Baby (0800-1200) Get money saving ideas and receive Babys First Seabag filled with baby items. 01 November 2012 Resume/Job Search Workshop (0830-1230) Career Assessment, Job Search Strategies, Resume Writing, and Interview Techniques. 05 08 November 2012 (4 Days) Pre-Separation Transition Assistance Program (0800 - 1600) Information and training to make informed decisions as you transition out of the military. 06, 13, & 20 November 2012 Active Parenting (0830 - 1030) Healthy families arent born; theyre made one day at a time. 07 November 2012 Effective Communication (0900 - 1100) Develop skills to foster effective verbal and written communication skills. 08 November 2012 Exceptional Family Member Meeting (0900 - 1300) Is Your Child Really Learning? Find Out With Progress Monitoring! 14 November 2012 Stress Management (0900 - 1100) Stop by to determine what is stressing you out and the skills you need to handle it. 14 November 2012 Resume Writing Workshop (0900 - 1100) Retiring or separating? Come out and learn how to upgrade your resume. 14 & 28 November 2012 Mommy and Me @NAS JRB Chapel (1000 - 1130) Playgroup is for moms and kids who want to make good friends and have a good time. 15 & 16 November 2012 (2 Days) Newcomers Orientation & Tour (0800-1600) Everything you need to know about base services and the New Orleans community. 16 November 2012 Military Spouse Orientation (0900-1100) New Spouse or not, stop by to get great information and resources. 20 November 2012 Smooth Move (0900 - 1000) Get the answers and resources you need to complete a successful and stress-free move. 21 November 2012 Anger Management (0900 - 1100) Discover your own coping strengths and develop new anger management skills. 27 November 2012 Spouse Summit (1630-1730) Come out and share thoughts and ideas on a variety of military lifestyle topics.