5 Tips on How to Make Transitional Moves Go Smoothly for Kids Of America's Heroes our MilKids

Jun 2, 2016
3 min read

One of the main motivations behind Kids of America’s Heroes and MilKids Ed, is the need to help school aged military children.

These kiddos will move, on average, every three years while their parent(s) serve our great country. Every time MilKids move they leave behind friends, teachers, family, and communities

It is so important to help the MilKids in your community during these transitions. These are some ideas that might ease the move.

1.Memory Books

If your child was close to a MilKid, or if you were the teacher of a military child, consider creating a photo book or memory book. With online photo book websites galore, it couldn’t be easier! Or you could make a more traditional scrapbook. Either way, include lots of photos of the military connected child with his/her friends, classmates, teachers, and larger school community. Definitely consider having the other children and adults in the community (because this could work for a church group or homeschool collaborative too!) sign the book and/or share a special memory. At the new duty station, the MilKid can reconnect with wonderful memories from their last home. Knowing that he or she has supportive communities may help a military child begin to build a new community in the new location!

2. Mail Call

Before a MilKid moves, help to set up an email or snail mail pen pal system. Exchange email addresses (for young kids, use a parent’s email; older kids should still be monitored even for a personal account) or home addresses. Buy or make fun cards, pictures, postcards, and small tokens from your community to send. Or take pictures of their friends, church group, teachers, school, or town to email. You could even take it a step further and establish regular video chat times. By staying in contact with a military family who has moved away, you help to keep them connected to their last community. This provides support and help during what can be a tough time. MilKids can also maintain friendships through the years, simply by staying in contact and connected.

3. Keep It Normal

The last thing someone wants is to be reminded of a huge, possibly painful, change on a daily basis. Try not to constantly mention the “lasts” that are happening to a MilKid who is moving. It will likely create stress about the move, set up negative thoughts about the new location, or cause resentment towards the parent(s) who are “forcing” the child to move. Instead, just keep it casual. If your child has a weekly play date with a military connected kiddo, follow your usual routine. Maybe add a slightly more special snack or take a picture, but try not to mention the move unless the child talks about it. This can apply to any social situation: sports, school, scouts, church groups, or playgroups.

4. Offer Help

Do you know what can amplify a child’s stress? A stressed out parent!

Moving with the military is both routine and extremely disruptive. Parents are often working right up until the last minute before the movers arrive. Kids need to be occupied. Pets need to be corralled. Offer to help! Take the kids to your house, to a park, or for a sleepover. Or schedule a puppy playdate. Moving, packing, and coordinating with the movers goes so much more smoothly when there is no one underfoot.

If you can’t commit to watching children or animals, you could bring by a meal, arrange a pizza delivery, or even schedule a trip to your local ice cream shop. At this point, your military friends probably have next to nothing to eat in their house, and almost certainly nothing to cook with.

The family also might not have anything to sleep on at home. So unless they are staying in a hotel, dropping off an air mattress or two with sheets, blankets, and pillows would be a huge help!

5. Make It Special

Yes, you should be “normal” (see #3), but you should also mark the occasion somehow. It could be with a lunch out, a BBQ with all your neighbors, going to see a movie, taking a hike with friends, or having a beach day.

Whatever you and your children have enjoyed doing with your military friends, do it. Everyone will enjoy being together, doing something fun, one last time (even if you don’t mention the “last” part).

Your gathering would be a great time to gift your scrapbooks, exchange email or home addresses, and take a picture of the whole crew.

However you choose to help MilKids and military families in your community during their move will be amazing. And we would love to hear about it!