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The Month of the Military Child: A Personal Story

You’re probably familiar with the holidays we celebrate each year in honor of the brave men and women who serve in the military. But did you know that the Department of Defense has a month dedicated to the appreciation of the military child? April is the month of the military child – a time to celebrate the children of service members for their countless sacrifices, courage and resilience. These children face many challenges in addition to the average challenges of childhood. Military children can expect to move every 2-3 years, spend countless days separated from their service member parent and change schools upwards of 8 times until they graduate.

During the month of April, military children are encouraged to “Purple Up” and are celebrated at military instillations worldwide in different events. Purple is the color chosen for military children representation because it is also the recognized color of the collective military branches. The dandelion is the official flower of the military child, because dandelions can take root and flourish anywhere the wind blows them – much like these children. This year’s theme is “Taking Care of Our Military Children” with a heavy focus on resources available to support families. Taking care of our military children means paying close attention to details, behaviors and emotions of these children so that you know what resources to use and when. Creating a supportive environment is of the utmost importance for these children to be able to express their feelings in healthy ways and get the help they need during difficult times – which can be more often in a military setting.

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To put this into an easier perspective, I’d like to tell you what my children (almost 3 and 9 months) have already experienced in their short lives. 4 weeks after our daughter was born my husband was sent on a 6-week training mission to Australia. When he returned, we had about 9 solid months of no travel – even though a lot of days he was gone before she woke up and home after she went to sleep. Since then, he has traveled anywhere from 2 days to 4 weeks per month. When our son was 7 weeks old, he left for schooling that took 8 months, and returned this month. The 3 of us are so thankful to have him home – but we are just now able to learn to navigate life as a family of 4 – less than 3 months before my son’s first birthday. In 2023, he was gone almost 6 months total – and it wasn’t even a deployment. The kids impress me endlessly with their adaptability to the changes we are constantly experiencing. They often handle it better than I do – but I know they are still young and still have a lot of changes yet to come. Children of service members may be used to the absences, the moves, and all the changes that are constantly happening – but that doesn’t make them any easier. And that was just our story – everyone’s military experience is unique to them, just as every child’s personality is different.

As a mom, I know the importance of celebrating our children – no matter how big or small the accomplishment. But as a military spouse, I am so thankful there is an entire month dedicated to celebrating mine and countless other children for their many sacrifices. So, every April, don’t forget to “Purple Up” and say a special thanks to the Military Children – they earned it.

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To follow more of Lauren and her family, you can find her on her rapidly growing instagram account - @thesemplehomestead