April is all about our military children across the nation.
Back in 1986, Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberge declared April as Month of the Military Child to applaud the sacrifices of military kids.
The Pentagon and other military support organizations and agencies use the month to recognize military kids for their sacrifice and bravery on the homefront and give thanks.
Here at Sandboxx, we appreciate what military kids tackle when they have a parent who serves.
That’s why we’ve rounded up our favorite traits of military kids in this photo story — to give recognition to the military’s most precious homefront support.
Here’s why we love our military kids:
They’re Helpful
When you come from a military family, you learn the meaning of helping out and serving others. Kids mimic what they see, after all.
They’re Prepared
When you never know when PCS orders are coming, you learn to prepare yourself for anything. Military children develop the ability to prepare for all scenarios. Throw anything their way and they’ll come through it fine.
They’re Resilient
The military likes to keep its families on its toes. When you deal with your parent deploying on a regular basis and constant moves, you adapt to situations even faster.
They’re Determined
Military children learn the definition of determination every day. Military communities are full of determined individuals ready to tackle any challenge.
They’re Cultured
One of the best parts of being a military child is the opportunity to experience new cultures. By moving to new areas every few years, military kiddos get to embrace new parts of the world they might not otherwise see.
They’re Kind
Military children know what it’s like to be the new kid. They can easily empathize with other kids who need a friend.
They’re Strong
The military is full of strong individuals and military kids get to see that on a daily basis. From tackling deployments to passing extraneous PT, it all rubs off — in the best way possible.
They’re Patient
It’s not always easy, but patience is a virtue that military kids have to learn. They know that their parents work long hours and go on even longer deployments. With each military experience, they develop patience.
They’re Fun
Military life is serious, but there’s always room for fun. Kids who survive military life know they’ve also got to live a life with some zest, too.
They’re Patriotic
While most Americans consider themselves patriotic, military kids take it to a whole new level. They really get the meaning behind the red, white, and blue. Military life means a patriotic life.
They’re Heroes
Whether they realize it or not, military kids are heroes, too. It takes strength and grit to be a part of a military family.
Military Children Serve Our Country, Too
While military kids may not wear a uniform, they serve our country, too. It’s on a smaller scale, but just like their uniformed parent, kids make sacrifices when they’re a part of a military family unit.
Most military kids won’t graduate with the same group of friends they went to elementary school with — it’s just a fact of military life. Their military parent will also have to skip a lot of life events. Children often miss their deployed parent like crazy.
That’s a big sacrifice when you’re a kid.
That’s why honoring your military child — no matter what age they are — can help them feel special, included, and seen.
During this month dedicated to them, take the time to ask them about their military child experience so far. You may be surprised to find out what matters to them and some of their favorite memories.
Looking for ways to honor your military child this month? Check out these 11 Ways to Celebrate Month of the Military Child!
Feature image courtesy of U.S. Air Force. Photo by Staff Sgt. Cambria Lynn Ferguson
