We talk a lot about the resilience of military kids, especially during April, Month of the Military Child. And while it’s true that military children can handle the challenges regularly thrown their way, it’s also true that a PCS move can be difficult for even the most adaptable kid. After all, their entire world changes and they’re forced to start over in every possible way: New home, new location, new schools, new friends, and more.
military kids
Ultimate List of Military Kid Resources
One of the hardest areas to navigate in our rapidly changing lifestyle is how to help our children “brat like a boss.” But, all you need it a great list of Military Kid resources to help guide you.
According to the Military Child and Education Coalition, most military children attend six to nine different schools from kindergarten to 12th grade, and (on average) a military student transfers more than twice during high school. This can put tremendous pressure on parents who try to make the transition as smooth as possible.
From Hooah to Hope
I’ve been an Army spouse for almost 22 years, and I’ve been an Army mom for a little more than 22 hours at the time of this writing.
At least that’s how long it’s been since I left my daughter to be transported from the Houston MEPS station to basic training.
The Doctors Said It Was Just ADHD
In 2016, we learned that my husband would be sent to Korea for a year. I battled back and forth with different options, but ultimately decided to stay with my parents while he was gone. By February 2017, we were living with my parents and began the process of settling in. Three of our four children began school the same day we registered them, but our youngest son, Isaiah, would not be as fortunate.
5 Books to Help Kids With Deployment
Deployment is hard for most family members, but especially your kids. Military life comes with many challenges: changing schools, moving from place to place, saying goodbye to everyone they know, and starting over. These make being a military kid harder to deal with. It isn’t something they decided for themselves—it was chosen for them. As the parent, we have to teach our children how to deal with this type of stress. But the most stressful and hardest moment for most family members is deployment—especially for children. Fortunately, there are many books great for reading to children that can help with understanding and coping with deployment.
Not All Rainbows and Unicorns
I stood there, helpless and sad. I watched, almost as an outsider, as my son clung to his grandmother in the middle of the airport parking lot and sobbed tears of a young boy missing his family.
Show #672: Second Lady Karen Pence
Our very special guest tonight is Second Lady of the United States, Karen Pence, who serves as an encourager to military service members and their families. In September 2018, Mrs. Pence launched an awareness campaign to elevate and encourage our nation’s military spouses. As part of the campaign, Mrs. Pence educates military spouses about the available resources and opportunities to support spouses and their families.
Show #670: BRAT and the Kids of Warriors
Debuting a new book series for tweens and teens, author and U.S. Army veteran Michael Joseph Lyons is borrowing scenes from his own military family upbringing to craft the adventurous escapades of the McMasters children in “BRAT and the Kids of Warriors.”
Family Night, Movie Night
When we were stationed at Fort Drum about five years ago I had this gnawing sadness about my kids.
We were there for a total of three years, and between training exercises, deployments, schools, and selections, our family unit only spent nine months together. And that’s not nine months consecutively, but nine months hodge-podge total.
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