Genus military child is a complex species of the human order. Found in almost every climate and many countries worldwide, scientists marvel at their resiliency, adaptability and overall good nature. The proper care and keeping of the military child has been the subject of great debate among experts and amateurs alike but one thing is indisputable – the vast majority thrive regardless.
With all the advice, pamphlets and well wishing mental health folks available, do you ever feel like your military kid is like an animal in a zoo? What IS the best way to make sure they glaze through deployment, reintegration and moves without a scratch? How DO you teach that kind of flexibility? And why is it that, after all of this worry, military kids who have been doing this their whole lives seem to grow-up just fine? (I ask you to gaze in awe, if you ever have the chance, upon the offspring of our editor in chief Jacey. She will tell that, despite her best attempts at ruining them, they are marvelous adults. And I’ve met them. They really, really are.)
Other people’s military kids give me hope that perhaps mine – young saplings at the age of three of 1-years-old respectively – won’t turn out so bad in the end. And so far, so good. Despite four moves in his short three years, my oldest baby seems happy, healthy and perfectly fine.
But that doesn’t keep me from fretting now. And I know it doesn’t keep you from fretting, either.
That’s why at Military.com’s free upcoming Spouse Summit just outside Washington, D.C. April 11 and 12 we are pausing to take a good look at military kids and just what they need. But instead of doing it in military-as-crises mode, we are taking a step back to brain map in a working group just what makes successful military families, well, successful. We know military kids are overall pretty happy – so how did they get that way?
MilitaryOneSource and the myriad of hand outs, military sponsored workshops, books, lessons and helper people do a great job of giving basic steps to guiding military kids through the biggest challenges of this lifestyle. But we are going to laser focus it in using real examples, real experiences and YOU.
