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Every parent wishes for a happy, healthy, confident child. One very important part of being happy, healthy, and confident is learning how to understand and express feelings and have positive, loving relationships. The Kimochis Activity Kit for Defence Families is a tool you can use to help each other express thoughts and feelings that otherwise may be very difficult to share.

Defence families know all too well that feelings can run high before, during, and after a family member leaves home for service. When families prepare for the predictable emotions that can arise during separation, the family is better prepared to:

• Manage emotions and challenges in a way that helps each family member feel understood

• Be supportive, understanding, and compassionate toward one another’s emotional needs

• Strengthen parent-child and parent-parent connections

• Stay unified during separations

• Celebrate and reintegrate the service member back home in a way that both honours and guides a positive transition

And, the activities in the Kimochis Activity Kit for Defence Families aren’t just for times of separation. The activities in each section can be used anytime to enhance family communication and parent-child bonding or whenever your children wish to share their feelings.

Note for Educators & Other Professionals:
This activity book has been written directly for defence families, but we know that other professionals will also find the content useful. This book has been intentionally directed to families, knowing that professionals will be able to adapt the activities as needed for their own practice.

THE KIMOCHIS ACTIVITY KIT FOR MILITARY FAMILIES INCLUDES:

Kimochis Hero - 13 inch plush character
Hero is a service dog and the natural leader in the Kimochis pack. He is protective, loyal, a bit aggressive, and always up for an adventure. Like many dogs, Hero gets distracted by certain smells, excited by noises, and overly protective when he senses danger. When Hero gets a little nervous and impatient, he tends to bark out commands that usually startle his friends. Hero needs to learn that even though his bark might be worse than his bite, finding a gentler tone of voice will always guide him where he wants to go a lot faster with his friends and family. Hero's favourite colour is blue and his favourite number is 1.

Kimochis Nesting Heart - One plush heart nestled inside another plush heart.
During service, training, or deployment, or even regular day-to-day separations the service member parent can take the inner heart with them while the family keeps the outer heart at home. The hearts are a physical symbol that says, “Even though we are apart, we are always in each other’s hearts.”

Two Mixed Bags of Mini Feelings - 15 feelings included in each bag: Nervous, Happy, Sad, Mad, Loved, Scared, Excited, Brave, Proud, Sorry, Grateful, Frustrated, Kind, Left Out, and Cranky. One bag of Feelings can go with the service member parent when they are away on duty and the other bag can stay at home. Mini Feelings can be clipped to the carabiner key chain and attached to a backpack, purse, lunchbox or belt loop as a way to express your true feelings.

Hero's Big Adventure - In this 32-page hard cover picture book, Hero is heading out on a big adventure! Saying good-bye to his friends isn't easy. And when Hero returns, he doesn't seem quite like he's ready to be home. Hero's Big Adventure was written for any family faced with times of separation, especially defence families. An additional note for caregivers from communication expert Ellen Pritchard Dodge, M. Ed. CCC-SLP includes helpful tips for guiding children through challenging emotional moments.

Kimochis Activity Book for Defence Families - This 80 page book includes eight chapters worth of fun and memorable family activities that help build connection and keep the lines of communication open during the different stages of separation that military families experience. 

Click here to see excerpts from the Activity Book.