Interview by Karen Jo Hart
The final Sesame Street/USO Tour Spotlight of 2015 focuses on military mom and Air Force Staff Sgt. Anita Bostic. Bostic and her family (her husband is also in the military) took in The Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families during a tour stop to Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan.
What made you decide to join the military? I wanted to further my education.
Do you have kids? Names and ages? Yes, two girls, Kryshna, 7, and London, 3.
How long have you been at your current station? We’ve been here at Kadena [Air Base] for two years.
What are some of the challenges you’ve had to deal with as military parents? Our work schedules are a challenge and [so is] being able to spend time with the girls like they deserve. We wake them up super early and by the time we pick them up to go home, we only have time for showers, dinner and homework most of the week. We spend our time over the weekend making up for it if we are not in training, etc.
London, 3, and Kryshna Bostic, 7, attended the Sesame Street/USO Experience for Military Families earlier this year.
The tour has tackled issues like deployment, moving and transitioning out of the military. How have you worked with your children when they go through some of the challenges of moving to a new place or leaving the military? We talk them through it and make it fun. Technology today allows us to see friends and family. Make new friends and keep the old.
Did you enjoy the show? Did you leave with any specific takeaways as it relates to talking to your kids about some of the challenges of moving and how they might be feeling? Yes, my kids loved it. I could see the look on my daughter’s face when she understood and could relate. She gets really sad when her friends move. We make sure we keep in touch though and remind her of memories and how to make new ones.
Who is your favorite character and why? Elmo. I love the teachings Sesame Street offers from Elmo.
Do your kids have a favorite character? Elmo, Cookie Monster and the one that speaks Spanish because she is learning to speak Spanish in school.
Is there anything you want to tell your family and friends back home? We love and miss you tons!
Every day, America’s service members selflessly put their lives on the line to keep us safe and free. Please take a moment to let our troops know how much we appreciate their service and sacrifice.
