Every Month is Month of the Military Child, If You Ask Me

All of us here at Army Wife Network know that April is Month of the Military Child. Interestingly, it is also Sports Eye Safety Month, National Fresh Celery Month, and International Guitar Month, but I think I’ll let someone else write about those topics.

I’m here to write about what I know and love: Military children.

I like to think I’m somewhat of a subject matter expert on these particular little members of society. I’ve spent countless hours volunteering in their schools. I’ve babysat numbers of them on a regular basis. I’ve cared for them during the happiest of moments and have held their hands during the darkest times of their lives.

Heck, I’ve even gone back to school to hopefully one day teach them on a daily basis. Oh, and I just so happened to give birth to two of the cutest military kids you’ll ever meet (but I’m sure I’m biased).

The best way to exemplify how special these kids are is to give you a recent list of statements and questions overheard at our house in the last few months:

  • “Are we moving next summer too?”
  • “Is Dad coming home tonight?”
  • “Dad, which was worse: Iraq or Afghanistan?”
  • “When we move, will our new house be one-story or two?”
  • “Do you think I’ll graduate from high school here or somewhere else?”
  • “How come Kyle’s dad wasn’t at the spring concert?”
  • “Why do you drink so much coffee every morning?”

Okay, that last one isn’t specific to military children, but you get the idea.

I field a lot of questions from my kids on a daily basis. A lot.

As a substitute teacher on a military installation, I get even more face-time and subsequently more questions from military kids. Lately, I’ve had to pause before answering some of them. The absurdity of the questions coming out of their tiny mouths overtakes my emotions.

It is simply not normal for a 10-year-old boy to wonder if his dad will be home every night. How sad is it that my 14-year-old daughter must accept the fact that she will attend two if not three or even four high schools? Or that her uncle is gone for a year? Or that countries named Iraq and Afghanistan have been a frequent part of her vocabulary since she was born?

But I can’t let myself go there. The kids don’t go there, so why should I?

The kids don’t know any different. They’ve grown up knowing their dad will be home sometimes and sometimes he won’t. They know their friends will move just like they will move. And they know there will be new friends awaiting them at their new school and in their new neighborhood.

Military kids on their way across the country…move number 7 and 4 respectively

The kids also know that their dad, uncle, cousins, and neighbors will have to leave. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Thankfully, because of who they are, they also know that nothing is permanent and it will be OK.

Military children are lots of things. They are resilient. They are flexible. They make friends easily. They’re responsible. They recognize the importance of selfless service. They have what it takes to succeed in any situation.

In short, they are my heroes.

It would be unfair to make every month the Month of the Military Child, but it sure would be nice. They deserve it.

Instead, I think this month I’ll make a point to ask them some questions. It looks like they just might have all the answers.

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Retired Blogger

Retired Blogger

Army Wife Network is blessed with many military spouses who share their journey through writing in our Experience blog category. As we PCS in our military journey, bloggers too sometimes move on. Their content and contributions are still valued and resourceful. Those posts are reassigned under "Retired Bloggers" in order to allow them to remain available as content for our AWN fans.

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