MSU Extension 4-H Military Family Programs

Llama Llama Misses Mama 

• Title: Llama Llama Misses Mama 
• Author: Anna Dewdney
• Illustrator: Anna Dewdney 
• Publisher: Viking Juvenile 
• Date of Publication: 2009 
• Audience Age: 2 years and up 

Summary 

Llama Llama is attending preschool for the first time! Learn about how Llama Llama feels when he misses his mama during the school day.

Pre-Deployment Activities 

Think about your family’s daily routine. What will be different when your service member leaves for deployment? Who helps get kids up and dressed for the day? Who makes breakfast? Who takes kids to school or gets them on the bus? Think through what will need to change and then talk about those changes as a family. Llama Llama has a special stuffed animal he takes to school to help comfort him. Have family members choose a special item to remind them of their service member. This could be something that fits in their pocket or school bag or something they have with them at bedtime. 

During-Deployment Activities 

As a family do some of the activities listed in the book. Build a castle out of blocks, make a rocket from a box, pretend that you are on a train, read a favorite story together. Take pictures and write your own family story about doing the activity and then send it to your service member. Make a snack together. Choose foods that are healthy and fun for kids to make like ants on a log (celery sticks with peanut butter and raisins) or fruit caterpillars (grapes on a toothpick). Take pictures while making and eating the snack. Put together a photo story using the pictures and descriptions. Pick out some of your service members favorite snacks and send them along with your photo story.

Post-Deployment Activities 

Make a welcome back sign for your service member. Use colorful markers, crayons and craft supplies to decorate your sign. Post the sign in a window or take it with you to the homecoming ceremony to welcome back your service member. Go to a park as a family and try some of the activities that were in the story. Play tag, hide and seek, jump rope or play on a play structure.

Supporting Military Families During Deployment with Books & Activities

Deployment involves moving an individual or military unit within the country or to another country. A mission or task might include training, supporting communities during times of disaster, helping foreign countries or fighting in a war. The many changes happening with each departure and return create difficulties for both service members and their families.

Michigan State University (MSU) Extension and Michigan 4-H are committed to supporting the more than 20,000 Michigan military children and youth, and their families, through programming and community education. 

Programs for Military Families Include: 

• 4-H clubs on installations and in communities
• "4-H 101" and "4-H 201" training for military staff
• Operation: Military Kids (OMK) - supporting children of deployed soldiers
• Speak Out for Military Kids (SOMK) - preparing teens to speak on military life and deployment 
• Hero Packs - saying thank you to military children and youth
• Military 4-H Club Grants - supporting 4-H clubs for military youth and integrating them into county 4-H programs
• Community Awareness Training - educating the public on issues facing military families experiencing a deployment
• Special recognition events during Month of the Military Child and Month of the Military Family 
• Educational and recreational events and opportunities for military families 

4-H Military Family Book Sheets

The 4-H Military Family Book Sheets help parents and guardians find books and activities to help their children during various stages of their service members’ deployments. Each book sheet contains a summary of the book, author and publication details, and activities that they can use with their children pre-, during or post-deployment to extend the message of the book. To find each book, check with your local library, bookstore or online retailer. 

• Before reading: Show your child the front and back cover of the book. Ask him or her to guess what the book is about. 
• While reading: Stop at any time if something comes up that you or your child would like to talk about. 
• After reading: Spend time talking about the story. 

Learn More! 

Connect with us on Facebook: Search "Michigan Operation: Military Kids" and "Michigan 4-H." 

For more information on supporting military families, visit the following websites: 

• MSU Extension: (msue.anr.msu.edu)
• Michigan 4-H Youth Development: (www.4-hmilitarypartnerships.org)
• Operation: Military Kids: (http://www.operationmilitarykids.org)