Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 22: Coping with Stress in a Crisis

Military families are no strangers to uncertainty, yet the coronavirus pandemic is adding a whole host of new challenges, including halted PCS moves and extended deployments. So, how do you cope with the added stress of COVID-19? And how do you talk to your kids about it? A military spouse mental health counselor offers some advice.

Podcast guest Richelle Futch is offering a free download of her parenting workbook to Spouse Angle listeners. Download it now at https://www.powerbackparenting.com/freepdf.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 21: How to Help Your Military Kids Survive the School Year

Military kids already face many education hurdles — and now they're all at home due to coronavirus fears. In this episode, a teacher and military homeschool mom shares best tips for surviving the rest of the school year, and an education expert highlights ways to help military kids succeed in school.

Take the Military Child Education Coalition survey at https://milkidsnoweducationsurvey.questionpro.com/.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 19: What a New Tenant Bill of Rights Means for Military Families

It’s been more than a year since horror stories of black mold, lead, rats and other terrifying realities in military base housing started making headlines. This week Natalie looks at the new Tenant Bill of Rights — what's included and what military families are still fighting for — with the military spouse and activist who helped make it happen.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 15: When There's No Child Care

Many parents have a checklist of nonnegotiables when finding a day care or interviewing nannies. But not all military families can be that selective — especially in remote areas or on bases without child development centers. In this episode, a Coast Guard couple shares their story of struggle and how building relationships in their local community has alleviated some of the problem.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 14: Helping to Solve the Spouse Unemployment Crisis — One Remote Job at a Time

It's no surprise that the constant changes of military life negatively impact spouse's employment opportunities. But what if spouses had jobs that moved with them? This episode explores the latest research on job portability, and an Army wife entrepreneur shares how her innovative company is connecting military spouses with remote work. 

The Institute for Veterans and Military Families report referenced in this episode is available at https://bit.ly/36TQpBi. Learn more about Instant Teams at https://www.instantteams.com/.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 12: No More 'Tax' on Military Widows

For decades, surviving military spouses haven't been receiving all the money they're owed after their service member dies. But 65,000 surviving spouses will be benefiting from a new law passed to fix the "widow's tax." On this episode, two survivors join Natalie to talk about their heroes and the law's impacts.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 11: As Iranian Threats Loom, Seasoned Spouses Offer Tips for Surviving Tough Times

As tension continues to mount between the U.S. and Iran, tightened security and rapid deployments have put the military community — and country — on edge. Two experienced military spouses join Natalie to discuss their fears, faith and advice for getting support in uncertain times.

Resources mentioned in this episode include:

https://www.facebook.com/MilspoCo/

https://strength4spouses.blog/2020/01/06/local-national-support-resources-for-fort-bragg-military-families/ 

https://www.cohenveteransnetwork.org/ 

https://www.uso.org/

https://northcarolina.uso.org/ 

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 10: Q&A With 'Women of the Military' Host Amanda Huffman

Natalie brings on fellow podcast host Amanda Huffman for a lighthearted Q&A to celebrate The Spouse Angle's 10th episode, answering listener questions about military family life, women in combat, podcasting for a military audience and more. Plus, some tips for supporting your spouse — even when it may be hard to support the mission.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 9: The New Rules You Need to Know for Shopping on Base in 2020

Changes to base access rules on Jan. 1 mean 4.1 million more people can now shop at commissaries and Exchanges on military installations across the country. Who’s allowed? Why the change? And how does this impact active-duty families already shopping on base? A DoD expert answers these questions and more.

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Natalie Gross Natalie Gross

Episode 3: How Russian Trolls Are Targeting the Military Community

Russian trolls are old news, but just how much they've been plaguing the military community has only recently come to light. On this episode, a conversation with a veteran who's been researching the problem and a military spouse who shares her story of being targeted. Both offer tips for staying safe online.

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