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Red Light, Green Light: Gross Motor Development in Unstructured Settings

By Health and Well-Being

One of the times children grow and develop gross motor skills is during unstructured play times, such as playing with family or friends at home, in the community gym, at the park, or at school during outdoor play. These are times where children use their imagination to explore and acquire new gross motor skills without specific directions they must follow. Unstructured play times are beneficial for young children because they allow them to test their own limits and try new things when it comes to their gross motor development.

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A Band of Others – Strategies to Encourage Friendships Among Service Members

By Community Engagement

Earlier this summer, I accompanied my husband to a reunion of the South Dakota Army National Guard 740th Transportation Company. Current and past members celebrated the 70th anniversary of the unit as it was established in 1953; acknowledged the 32nd anniversary of the unit’s deployment during the Gulf War, and commemorated the 20th anniversary of their deployment during Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation Iraqi Freedom (OEF/OIF). 

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Using Family Stress Theory as a Tool to Better Understand and Manage Family Stress

By Health and Well-Being

Family stress is defined as any stressor that concerns one of more members of the family, or the whole system, at a defined time (Randall & Bodenmann, 2013). When families experience stress, it can reduce their capacity for providing a nurturing environment for their children, which in turn can impact their children’s mental health and development. In the short-term, unaddressed family stress can affect a child’s ability to regulate their emotions and behavior (Cohen & Roderick Stark, 2017).

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hands on calculator on top of IRS 1040 tax forms

Types of Taxable Income

By Community Engagement

Personal Finance Managers routinely answer questions from clients about income taxes. While January through April is considered “tax season,” May through December is time for tax planning. A key thing service members need to know is types of income and how they are taxed. 

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Disabled African American Male Soldier in a Wheelchair In Military Uniform and His Wife Enjoying One Another While Having Breakfast at Home. Homecoming, Reunion, Returning Home to Family. Food, Home, Couple and Happiness Concept

Rejuvenating the Caregiver: The Significance of Respite Care in Sustaining Well-being & Quality Care

By Health and Well-Being

Caregiving can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be physically and emotionally draining, leading to burnout and decreased well-being. A vital, but often overlooked, aspect of caregiving is respite: taking a break or having a temporary relief from caregiving responsibilities. Respite helps provide caregivers with much-needed physical, emotional, and mental relief from the demands of their caregiving responsibilities.

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