Holding Down the Fort: U.S. Army Base Provides Legacy Parenting Company's "Total Transformation Program" to Military Families

Westbrook, ME (PRWEB) August 30, 2007 -- As U.S. soldiers' deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan are extended repeatedly, stress for military families has reached an all-time high. According to the American Psychological Association, currently there are 700,000 children in the U.S. who have at least one deployed parent, and many have experienced a second, or even a third deployment. At Ft. Drum in Watertown, N.Y., Chaplain Keith Kilgore is attempting to help the military families under his care deal with child behavior problems more effectively by providing them with The Total Transformation Program. The chaplain is using this step-by-step multimedia program developed by noted behavioral therapist James Lehman to help stay-behind parents manage the challenging behaviors of their children and teens.

"James Lehman's teaching is helping my families a great deal," said Chaplain Kilgore. "It gives parents something to fall back on, and stops them from being a drill sergeant for their kids. It gives them true parenting skills." Initially, Kilgore ordered the program because "a lot of times you have single and dual army parents. When mom and dad are both deployed, children are left with relatives and caretakers that are much more lenient than their parents. Then, when parents come back, the kids are mad that they left them for so long, and they've also developed bad habits living with the other caretaker who may have been softer on them."

Jennifer Watkins is a stay-behind parent of two boys, aged 15 and 10. She and her sons live in off-base housing near Ft. Dix in New Jersey. "After a visit from my husband, it takes at least a month for our family to readjust," she said. "The kids get used to having us both there, and resent it when it's just mom telling them what to do again. It's almost impossible for me to restore order once my husband is gone."

Compounding the problem, according to Kilgore, is the fact that when parents do come home, their children's behavior can be less than desirable. "Basically, when mom and dad come back from war, there are problems. There's a honeymoon period, then a lot of friction when parents have to reestablish discipline and hold kids' feet to the fire. Sometimes the adjustment is not easy. The Total Transformation Program was the answer to that."

Steve Anderson, founder of Legacy Parenting Company, said, "We're very pleased to be working with Chaplain Kilgore and the families at Fort Drum, NY. We hope our program can provide a better quality of life for military families, especially those deployed in the Middle East. Our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families."

So far, Kilgore says, "The feedback on the program has been tremendous. Everyone I've asked has said it's been very helpful." Additionally, "One female soldier here in a command position not only uses the Total Transformation concepts at home, but also is using the strategies with some of her younger soldiers and it's working very well," said Kilgore, who plans to order more programs for the families under his care.

The Total Transformation Program is available through Legacy Parenting Company, at TheTotalTransformation.com (http://www.thetotaltransformation.com/?utm_medium=webprart&utm_source=pr&utm_campaign=drum&dsource=pr).

Over 87,000 units of the TTP have been sold to date with about 1,000 currently being sold per week. In August 2006, the National Association of Social Workers approved the Total Transformation Program for 6 continuing education units under the long-distance learning for social workers guidelines.

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Headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, Legacy Parenting Company is the world's premier producer and publisher of behavior management products (http://www.thetotaltransformation.com/?utm_medium=webprart&utm_source=pr&utm_campaign=drum&dsource=pr) and child behavior programs (http://www.thetotaltransformation.com/?utm_medium=webprart&utm_source=pr&utm_campaign=drum&dsource=pr) for families. With an annual growth rate of 41% in 2006, Legacy puts the knowledge of America's most respected psychologists in the hands of parents to give them practical tools they can learn and apply quickly in their families. The company's web site is http://www.LegacyParenting.com

If you'd like more information on Legacy Parenting, The Total Transformation Program or would like to schedule an interview, please contact Cheryl Kepner, Vice President of Marketing, at 207-856-5600x3009. Or visit the website at TheTotalTransformation.com (http://www.thetotaltransformation.com/?utm_medium=webprart&utm_source=pr&utm_campaign=drum&dsource=pr).

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