Creativity Helps Our Military Children Move Through Big Emotions

We know the impact woven deeply into the military lifestyle. We have witnessed the themes of grief and loss and seen their weight on the entire military family. We believe having a positive outlet for children to share their broad scope of personal experiences is essential. 

The Legacy Team felt that creative expression could help move young military kids through their emotions.

Creativity is a powerful outlet for children to understand their own feelings and uncover the truths about growing up in an unconventional lifestyle. 

Every move, every deployment still represents an opportunity to help guide our children to seek gratitude, hope, and self esteem. 

Use Coloring Pages to Spark Connection and Conversation with Your Military Kids

We know military life comes with its own set of challenges and losses. What if we can prepare our military kids mentally and emotionally to continue to hold onto the good with the bad.

This past month, Legacy Magazine and Legacy Kids collaborated with artist Aubrey to design two coloring pages for the parent and the kid(s).

 With some planning, set aside some time to create a peaceful environment to color and connect together.

Make coloring an opportunity to talk about the BIG FEELINGS with your military kids.

 Here are a few ideas we recommend using to start:

• Use the conversation starter: Rose-Thorn-Bud
• Rose: something that is going well for you, a success, a win, or a celebration
• Thorn: something that is not going well, something that is worrying you, or something you can use more support with
• Bud: something you feel grateful for or something you are looking forward to

• Describe how you feel by using a color or name a 'feeling' word.

• Discuss what GROW ON THE GO means to you.  

Meet the Military Spouse and Artist Behind the Coloring Pages 

 Aubrey Boyer is the creator of Breezy B Studio and the artist behind our collaborative coloring pages. 

 Aubrey is an illustrator, military spouse, and mom of three. During a deployment season, her husband mentioned that she needed to prioritize more of her needs. "So even though there's always something I 'should' be doing, I needed to really listen to myself and make those needs a priority. I needed to do things that gave me life, not just zone out." Aubrey found peace and inspiration in coloring within that shift from only surviving to finding the simple joys. 

 "I created Bloom and Brew: A Deployment Coloring Book as a practical tool to help manage my husband's frequent deployments and training. It's part journal, part coloring pages. Color your way through deployment, focus on what matters and find peace amidst the chaos."

The coloring pages are intentionally curated with scenarios and emotions specific to deployments. "Simply, find a page when you need it, spend some time coloring, know that you're not alone in feeling those negative things, and find some encouragement."

The coloring book is available on Amazon, Grab Your Copy of Bloom and Brew: A Deployment Coloring Book here. 

What tools, resources, or conversation starters are you using with your family? Let us know in the comments as we continue to dive deeper into the themes of leaving, grieving, and growing. Set your calendar reminders, Legacy Kids Volume III Pre-Orders launch in April!