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25 Free or Cheap Ideas for Fun This Summer

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  1. Check for Local Freebies: Some libraries offer summer programs with coupons for local museums or even free treat coupons if you read several books for a few minutes.  Going out for free frozen yogurt or even checking out a new-to-you museum is a fun and cool way to enjoy the warmer weather together. Some local museums offer free admission on holidays like Memorial Day or July 4th.
  2. Local parks: Check out local city or state parks for free fun. Check the local website for a list of hikes recommended for different age groups. There may even be a summer events calendar – free water play day, teen park meetup day, or even a free movie in the park. If you are new to the area, ask the local neighborhood group.
  3. Eat outside: Speaking of parks, why not have a change of scenery for lunch or dinner and have it outside? Pack up sandwiches or your favorite snacks, and go enjoy them on a blanket outside. Don’t forget the bug spray.
  4. Playgrounds: Don’t be afraid to take kids of any age to the park. Let’s face it, being an adult on the swings is an enjoyable experience. Take the time to check out your local park, or even pack everyone up to check out a new one.
  5. Fly a kite: If you don’t have one at home, consider making one Mary Poppins style. Maybe even sing Let’s Go Fly A Kite while doing it.
  6. Camp Out in the Backyard: Gather up sheets, pillows, and blankets and make it a night under the stars.
  7. Stargazing: Not wanting to camp out all night? Check out a stargazing book from the library and search the sky for constellations.
  8. Go for a Nature Walk: Download the free app Seek and for a walk. Learn about the local plants and insects that inhabit the area. It may even give ideas for your own garden and inspire.
  9. Art Day: After a nature walk, go home and draw some of what you saw. Or what you would like to plant if you had a garden space.
  10.  Geocache: This free activity provides a fun way to get everyone involved on a hike or walk nearby. Start by creating a free account here to find discoveries and start to come up with ideas on what to leave behind.
  11. Bubble Battle: You don’t have to buy a bubble solution; make it at home! Mix two cups of dish soap, two tablespoons of baking powder, two tablespoons of corn starch and four tablespoons of corn syrup with half a gallon of water. This will make the bubbles thicker. Bubbles are best if the solution sits overnight. Use rope, string, or old bubble wands to blow bubbles. See how far they can go or who can make the largest one. This will provide fun for those of all ages.
  12.  Backyard Play: Get everyone involved in developing a family play. Perhaps Shakespeare or a family-written play. Set up a stage with sheets. Make costumes with what you have at home. This could take all day or several days depending on the depth of the play. Learning, reading, writing, and enjoying time together is a fun way. Plus, it’s all free!
  13.  Scavenger Hunt: Make your own scavenger hunt in your home or backyard. You can expand it to include the neighbors or community if others are interested. Make up hints and hide items or make it about exploring the community.
  14. Birdwatching: Download the free app from the Audubon Society to learn about the local birds. Hang out in a park or watch from your backyard.
  15. Free Local Events: Check out your local city page for free outdoor movies, concerts or events. Sometimes local theaters offer free or cheaper performances during the day, specifically geared toward children who may not sit as well through a three-hour performance. Free outdoor movies are popular in local parks, and usually, the city website or library has this list of activities online available for review.
  16. Library Day: Make it a date at the library. Sit in the air conditioning and check out new books to read. Maybe get a travel book in your area to do some hometown exploration.
  17. Farmers Market: While not free, this is a cheaper outing and supports local farmers and artisans. There may even be free samples. Oftentimes, the markets are accompanied by live entertainment. If you are new to an area, this is a great way to really get out and learn about what an area offers.
  18. Walk It Out: Make it a goal as a family to hit a certain number of steps a day or maybe a certain distance. If it is hot and humid where you are, plan for an early morning or an evening walk together. This is totally free and provides a planned time to be together, all while getting some cardiovascular exercise!
  19. Family Cooking Challenge: While not free, use what you have at home to come up with meal plans for the week. Take turns who is cooking, ensuring the little ones have help, and make it a cooking challenge that can be the most creative or flavorful. Bonus that it takes the guesswork out of who is making dinner and what is for dinner each night.
  20. Family Movie Night: Pick a movie from the streaming services or a DVD you have, and make it a plan to have movie night one night. Plan out snacks, set up comfy chairs, and make it special. Have a projector? Take the movie night outside, weather permitting.
  21. Family Game Night: All those board games sitting in the closet? Pick a night a week or so to plan a game night. Don’t have access to your board games? Check to see if the local library has a section to borrow, or maybe a neighbor will loan you games!
  22.  Summer Reading Programs: While not for adults, kids can participate in the Barnes and Noble Summer Reading Program and the Pizza Hut Camp Book It! Program. These programs have age and grade limits, so make sure you know what they are. The Barnes and Noble program allows children to pick out a free book, and the Pizza Hut program gives coupons for personal pan pizzas – just like when we were kids!
  23. Sidewalk Chalk Adventures: Everyone in the family gets a piece of chalk or two to make masterpieces. Draw out hopscotch to play together. Draw out the scenery on the driveway. Bonus that the neighbors or passersby will also enjoy the drawings.
  24. Virtual Adventures: Look for online virtual adventures. The San Diego Zoo has live cameras on various animals in the zoo, where you can watch and enjoy. The Monterey Bay Aquarium has live cameras too, and some are set to music for pure visual and audio ambiance. Home Depot offers virtual field trips talking about plants, and various ideas, including Backyard Ideas for kids and how to build a birdhouse.
  25. Plan Ahead: Make a plan for the fall on things to do. Check out the library for books if you want to travel. If you need to budget for that travel, get the family involved – maybe it is time to sell some outgrown kids’ clothes, and that money can be given to the kids for spending money. Or maybe you want to declutter for the fall and winter, and it’s time to make some larger donations of goods to a local charity. Summer is all about time off, relaxation, and breaks, but it is also a good time to plan ahead for the fall and winter seasons. Don’t forget to look out for tax-free school supply days, state-dependent, when you can purchase school supplies, kids’ clothes, and even electronics without tax to save money for the upcoming season.

These are twenty-five free or cheap things to do this summer. Which ones will you do?

DOD Needs to Re-vamp Military Housing Inspections

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Military Housing. When you read those words – what comes to mind?

Clean? Free? Mold? Long wait?

It depends on your perspective. If you are a military family familiar with military housing organizations included Liberty Military Housing, formerly Lincoln Military Housing, or Hunt Military Community, you may just feel frustrated – there is a long wait for a smaller house that has mold or no air conditioning. If you are a civilian without a military connection, perhaps the word that comes to mind is free housing – so you don’t understand why there are occasional articles in your news feed.

For military family members, housing is a big factor to figure out with each move. Military members are given a Basic Allowance for Housing, BAH, which is part of their compensation which is supposed to cover 95% of housing costs at each duty station. This means that military members are required to pay for at least some out-of-pocket expenses, For most areas though, military members are paying hundreds out of pocket for rent – plus the expenses of gas, electric, trash, water and internet/television, so that can run out to $1,000 over the BAH. These expenses can be too much for a military family to spend. Military housing is an option where the company takes all of the military members BAH for the home and then just charges for electrical or gas depending on the base in addition to internet or television. Military housing can be more affordable. Affordable housing does not always mean safest or best.

Military housing used to be handled by the military branch at the base. For example, a Navy base had housing managed by the Navy and the same for Army base, etc. As of now, 99% of military housing is owned and operated by private sector companies. When the private sectors took over, electrical costs for example were then put to the tenant of the home. However, the bases were not initially built with this in mind. So streetlights are now linked to military homes and those families are paying for it and not the military base.

Further, military housing has issues with mold, water leakage, and lack of timely responses to these issues. The US Government Accountability Office, GAO, has reviewed the laws put into place in 2019 to increase the Department of Defenses oversight on the private companies, with specific recommendations for the DOD.

A More Streamlined Dispute Resolution Process

One common concern for military families utilizing military housing is the lack of a clear chain of command on how and who to bring disputes to. A chain of command is a well-known structure to active duty members. The 2020 NDAA required the DOD to provide residents a specific formal dispute resolution process to assist with issues with private housing companies. While guidance was recommended by the Secretary of Defense, it was not clear and concise. The GAO recommends actual detailed information on how to file a formal dispute.

Better Oversight

The 2020 NDAA also required that the DOD do inspections on privatized homes prior to resident occupancy. While inspections were formed, the GAO did not develop consistent inspection standards for each military department and recommends that these are developed.

Improved Tenant Advocate

The 2020 NDAA also required that residents have access to a tenant advocate. Each military department does have a person assigned for this, but the GAO found that there was not a clearly defined role nor was there communication to the residents on how to use the tenant advocate. The GAO recommends that these guidelines are clear with clear communication.

Nineteen Recommendations for Executive Action

The GAO has outlined nineteen recommendations for executive action, which can be read here. Each of these guidelines are for specific departments – Army, Air Force, Navy and the Department of Defense are listed specifically. Recommendation 10 for example states that the Secretary of Defense ensures that the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Housing develop a mechanism to collect and incorporate resident feedback on the formal dispute resolution.

A timeline for these changes are not listed on the GAO website, but the recommendations will remain open until they are addressed.

Get Out to Explore Your New Home this Fourth of July

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PCS season means that about one-third of military service members and their families will crisscross the nation and travel around the world to their new duty stations this year. Most of these moves happen in the summer, and if you are moving in May or June this year, then you will be spending July 4th in a new town and city. Take this opportunity to get out and embrace your new home on July 4th.

Jump In!

Once arriving at your new duty station, ask around for what there is to do on July 4th.  Ask the hotel manager if you are staying a hotel while waiting for housing or ask your new neighbor if you were lucky enough to do a door to door. Check out local neighborhood social media pages or check a neighborhood community board. Find out about local happenings for the month of July – there might even be a neighborhood potluck. While you may not have all your household goods to fully participate in the potluck, consider grabbing some precut fruit or veggies to bring so you can meet the neighbors. Chances are those neighbors can give you the inside scoop on the house you just moved into, and into the area. This is your chance to learn from people who may have been residents for years – who are the best dentists, medical providers, daycares, and babysitters are.

Get Local

Beyond your neighborhood, check to see if there are local happenings at your local library. Perhaps there is a kid’s craft event, or a special book sale for the 4th of July. Maybe there is a big end of the summer reading program kickoff coming up, and you will want to check it out to familiarize yourself and your family with what library programming is offered.

Local museums sometimes due special admission tickets for the July 4th weekend – check them out as a way to learn what is offered in your area to make the best “duty station bucket list” possible.

Parade!

If your new town is having a parade, make it a priority to go. The parade typically showcases local businesses who actively support the area and is a great example of the community spirit. There may be a boy scout troop walking, so you note that in your phone for later.  There may be amazing bands showcased that you want to check out later, or maybe even a float with a symphony that you didn’t know was around town – but now you do so you can add it to your bucket list! The parade itself is a great way to take a break from unpacking and organizing, spend time together, and learn a little about the area.

Fireworks!

As long as no one has issues with loud sounds, this is a great way to get free entertainment for the family and get out of the chaos that is moving. If you have a family member who does not enjoy the loud sounds, make sure to know when and where it is so you can avoid any of these noises. The last thing anyone in a stressed out, PCS family needs is another reason to be stressed out.

Grow Roots

If you jump into the festivities once arriving, this helps your family plug in and put down roots early. The military can move military service members at any time, and while the family can opt to stay put, if you move as a family unit each time it is important to plug in as soon as possible. The July 4th holiday is a great time to jump in as there are typically many different types or events to choose from, and you can take your pick at what suits you and your family’s needs.

If you are moving this summer, or perhaps it is your first summer at your new duty station, it is time to jump in and find those fun July 4th events! Building connections with your community is a great way to get plugged in, and quickly.

Air Force Retention Changes

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Considering changes in retention in the military services, the Air Force is ready to address this. As of June 1, first-term Airmen can retrain into any Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) they qualify for that is under 90% manned prior to separation, even if the AFSC they are currently in is below the 90% manning mark. The Retaining Selection Board is no longer required during the retraining application process.  

Per the press release, Chief Master Sgt. Of the Air Force, JoAnne S. Bass stated, “providing these opportunities for our Airmen helps us keep talent on the bench. While this particular change impacts First Term Airmen, expect to see more initiatives like this as we evolve our policies and talent management to focus on the fore of the future and building the Air Force our nation needs.”  This will remain in place until June 1, 2024, but could be rescinded earlier.  

This retention change comes after the announcement that the Air Force faces a 10% recruiting shortfall. With a low unemployment rate and a lack of interest and eligibility to join the service, all military service branches are facing low recruitment. This announcement hopes to retain current Airmen, thus lessening the number of recruits needed overall. According to Major General Ed Thomas, the commander of the Air Force Recruiting Service, only 23% of Americans are eligible to serve, and 9% are interested in serving. Additionally, he said that 50% of American youth could not name all of the military services, and 65% of young Americans would not join for fear of death or injury, demonstrating their lack of familiarity and understanding of the military services and the jobs that are entailed.

As of this writing, the Space Force is on track to meeting its goals for recruitment, and the Air Force does have strong retention in comparison to other military service branches.

If this will change, the number of Airmen remaining is yet to be seen. Many challenges will face the Air Force in the coming years, so other programs should roll out in order to continue to bring in new talent and keep the talent within the Air Force.

Renaming of Bases Has Begun

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In 2021, a bipartisan agreement listed the plan to rename bases across the country with links to Confederate Generals, and the renaming has begun.

Fort Cavazos

Fort Hood was renamed Fort Cavazos on May 9, 2023. The name was chosen to honor General Richard Edward Cavazos, a hero from his time in service during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Per the Army publication, Lt. General Sean Bernabe, III stated, “We are proud to be renaming Fort Hood as Fort Cavazos in recognition of an outstanding American hero, a veteran of the Korea and Vietnam wars and the first Hispanic to reach the rank of four-star general in our Army. General Cavazos’ combat-proven leadership, his moral character, and his loyalty to his Soldiers and their families made him the fearless yet respected and influential leader that he was during the time he served and beyond. We are ready and excited to be part of such a momentous part of history while we honor a leader who we all admire.”

General Cavazos is Texas-born, so it makes sense that a Texas native’s name will now grace the Texas base. When Cavazos was but a First Lieutenant and serving in Korea, he earned the Distinguished Service Cross. He served in the Army in many different positions in the 1950s and 1960s, including as a professor of Military Science at Texas Tech.  He commanded the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment in Vietnam as a Lieutenant Colonel and earned the  Distinguished Service Cross again. He became the first Hispanic-American to be promoted to brigadier general in 1973, and in 1982, he became the first Hispanic-American to pin on four stars. He served in the Army for 33 years, retiring in 1984.

Fort Moore

Fort Benning was renamed to Fort Moore on May 11th.  Harold Gregory Moore is a United States Army Lieutenant General. He fought in the Korean War and Vietnam War and was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism at the Battle of la Drang. After the Vietnam War, he worked in the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense and went on to earn his Master’s in International Relations. He is known for being the first of his West Point Class to be promoted to Brigadier General, Major General, and Lieutenant General. 

Per FortMoore.com, the base is also named to honor General Moore’s wife, Julie, who was a lifelong volunteer in service to other Army wives. It is noted that she found out that families were learning of casualty notifications through taxi drivers delivering the telegrams, and she began to follow the cars to provide comfort and information to the families. It is noted that her efforts were part of what spurred the Army to change its policy on casualty notifications. Per the Defense Visual Information Distribution Service, “Mrs. Moore’s actions to change Pentagon death notification policy in the aftermath of the historic battle of the Ia Drang Valley represents a significant contribution to our nation.  It serves today as a shining example of one of Mrs. Moore’s many contributions to the morale and welfare of the Army family.”

Fort Liberty

Fort Bragg, home to the Airborne and Special Operations Forces, in North Carolina, was renamed to Fort Liberty on June 2, 2023.

Per the Army’s announcement, the name of Liberty was chosen to “the heroism, sacrifices, and values of the Soldiers, Service Members, Civilians, and Families who live and serve with this installation.” The goal behind the renaming to Fort Liberty is to unite the entire military community in the light of pursuing the liberty that America pursues and protects.

With more base names changing, the light will be shown on influential people in the history of military service and our country.

Armed Services Recruitment at All-Time Low

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At one point in our history, almost every male over 18 had served in the military for at least a few years. The draft was utilized for the Civil War, under President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 for World War I, and again for World War II. In a survey of 18-year-olds shared in LIFE magazine in 1942, 90% of the 10,000,000 US high school students surveyed felt America should keep fighting, and 68.9% felt that military training should be compulsory after the war. Today’s world is a massive shift from the 1940s. In 2021, total military personnel, including active duty, retired reserve, and ready reserve, are 2,586,825 people per Military One Source. In 2021, there were 331.9 million people in America. This means that 0.01% of the American population serve in the military, worlds away from the 68.9% of high schoolers in 1942 who felt that mandatory military training was necessary. Is it any wonder that recruitment is at an all-time low?

The military is now an all-volunteer force. This means that the numbers in each military branch depend heavily on the recruitment to each branch.  

One reason recruitment is low is the lower number of Americans who are eligible to be recruited. Weight and behavioral health conditions are automatic removals from eligibility, depending on the military service branch. The Army is working to address this with a pilot program called the Future Soldier Preparatory Course at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. This program began in August 2022 to address academic and physical fitness barriers for those individuals to enter military service. At the end of 2022, over 3,000 students attended the program, graduated, and moved to basic combat training. During the course, the recruits have up to 90 days to meet the Army’s standards.

Another barrier to recruitment is that single parents must give up guardianship of their children for initial enlistment. With 11 million single-parent households who may not have anyone to provide guardianship for their children, this is a massive barrier to entering military service. Who would be an appropriate caretaker for your children during the initial enlistment? However, there is a large number of single parents serving in the U.S. military –119,186 of them, according to Military One Source. The recommendation to address the barrier for other single parents to join the military, there is a suggestion to allow recruits to regain custody of their children at 12-18 months of active duty. The reality of this happening is yet to be seen. Childcare centers are often full with very long wait lists. While active duty do get priority, this may mean that other families would not receive childcare to make room for the single-parent active duty member. If this program is enacted, more childcare centers and after-school programs should be made to provide affordable care for all.

Per a Newsweek article, Dr. Beth Asch, a senior economist at RAND who studied military recruitment, stated, “..when the civilian economy is strong, military recruiting becomes a lot more difficult to enlist the type of people the military prefers. It’s not just that the unemployment rate is very low. It’s that we know that fewer younger men are participating in the labor force. They’re not working, and they’re not even looking for work. They’ve left the labor force.”

Marijuana is still federally illegal, while there are several states where its use is legal. While a part of the federal government, marijuana is still illegal in the military. Given its sizeable legal area, many would-be recruits had used marijuana and tested positive on initial testing, meaning they cannot continue in the recruitment process. The Army now allows recruits to retest even after a positive test during the first assessment.

There are several barriers to recruitment for the military service. The lack of desire and ability to serve due to weight, health, or academic concerns. And simply due to being a single parent not wanting to give up their guardianship. While some of these barriers are being addressed with specific programs and potentially changing guardianship rules, the reality is that the federal government needs to move quickly. These changes will be discussed, evaluated, and enacted, so it could take several years unless something changes. Will there be a change quick enough to address the lack of recruitment? Time will tell.

Do You Qualify for Basic Needs Allowance?

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Did you get a pay change in January of 2023? Then you may have qualified for the basic needs allowance (BNA). January 2023 is when the basic needs allowance was implemented for service members with dependents who completed initial training and whose gross household income falls below 130% of federal poverty guidelines.

It is no shock that with rising inflation and rising home and rental prices across the nation, it is not surprising that the military is looking for ways to provide basics to their service members. Many of these families are military service members.  The Basic Needs Allowance is a supplemental monthly payment for service members with at least one dependent who is registered in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System, or DEERS. In order to qualify, the service members’ gross household income in the previous year and the current year’s annualized gross income falls below 130% of federal poverty guidelines. The poverty level is not one specific number but is calculated by the number of people in the family. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, 130 percent of the poverty line for a family of three is $2495 a month, or about $29,940 a year. More people in the family means that the annual income could be higher overall, but they still meet the poverty level guideline.

Each military service branch reviews each service member to determine if there is eligibility. Each service branch also has applications for Basic Needs Allowance. If you or someone you know is looking to apply for Basic Needs Allowance, ask your administrative shop or unit leaders for the application process.

The amount of allowance is to cover the difference between wages to the poverty guideline. For example, if a service member’s income is $300 below 130% of the federal poverty guideline, they would receive $300. This income is considered taxable. Because it is taxable income, it may affect eligibility for other programs like Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Before applying for BNA, service members are encouraged to talk to base groups like New Parent Support, who may be able to help determine its effects.

This allowance will be approved annually, so to continue to receive it year after year, service members must reapply. If the family size changes, a PCS occurs, or a raise occurs, the eligibility will be re-evaluated.

It is noted on the DFAS page that BNA is optional. Service members can not apply or also decline the allowance.

Specific service contact information:

DOD Investing in Technology to Predict Illness in Service Members

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Are we living in a science fiction novel? It looks like those Star Wars-like medical care where a robot repairs and replacing a hand may not be far off as the Department of Defense works on technology that may help determine if service members will get sick.

The Defense Innovation Unit, or DIU, partnered with the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) to create a wearable device that was successful in identifying hospital-acquired COVID-19 infections. The project is called the Rapid Assessment of Threat Exposure, or RATE, program. The device utilized an artificial intelligence algorithm trained in data from hospitals in regard to the COVID-19 illness. Per the Scientific Report published in Nature, the device was first utilized among active duty military members in June of 2020, and the protocols were reviewed by the Clinical Investigation Department Naval Medical Center San Diego, Air Force Research Laboratory Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Ohio, and Stanford University Investigational Review Board.

The RATE research utilized a Garmin watch, Oura Ring and Empatica E4 wristband to monitor the subject’s heart rate, inter-beat interval, respiration rate, pulse oximetry, skin temperature, and accelerometer date. The Oura rings were fitted based on the subject’s preference. The devices were worn every day, and no tracking information was transmitted per the DOD’s guidelines.

In addition to wearing the device, study subjects submitted a daily survey and COVID-19 testing through rapid testing at military and civilian facilities. This data was utilized to determine if the device could predict infection before it occurred. The predictive model was utilized with Python code over the 10-month study period.

As of April 2021, a total of 9, 381 people had enrolled. Of these, 7,458 were male, 1,922 were female, and one was unknown. Of the subjects, 491 reported a positive COVID-19 illness during the 10-month period. The programming had a 60% sensitivity of predicting the illness, further stating the RATE score utilized to determine illness increased (demonstrating possible illness) as early as 6 days prior to the COVID testing.

Could this be the future of healthcare in the military? The key focus of military service is workforce readiness. Every year, military members have physical and combat fitness testing in addition to pistol qualifications. This readiness ability could be affected by potential illness, especially with illnesses like COVID-19 that had mandates to stay home for up to 14 days during part of the pandemic.

The RATE device did prove to be useful in predicting COVID-19 illness. The translatability to other illnesses is yet to be determined. Additional funding has been allotted for further studies of wearable technology to predict not only COVID-19 but also other infections. The Food and Drug Administration has determined that this device is a general wellness device. We shall see what further studies show with this new technology. Will this be the Minority Report for illness? Time will tell.

Nine Ways to Celebrate this Memorial Day

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Show Appreciation

There are many ways to show appreciation for those who lost their lives in military service on Memorial Day. Check-in with Veterans of Foreign Wars and local cemeteries to see if there are local cemeteries in your area that could use help with wreath and flag laying. Arlington National Cemetery is home to the Tomb of the Unknown, which is guarded every day with a wreath laid in front of it.

Donate to Memorial Day Flowers, supporting flowers being laid on Memorial Day.

The Veteran Affairs Organization National Cemetery Administration typically hosts public Memorial Day ceremonies in national cemeteries on Memorial Day. Volunteers can place flags in front of Veteran headstones in the days prior to Memorial Day. There are more than 120 national cemeteries across the nation. Check for events near you here.

Plan ahead and support Wreaths Across America. Wreaths are laid every December through this organization. You can donate year-round with funds and offer to volunteer to lay wreaths at the cemeteries across the country in the month of December as part of National Wreaths Across America Day.

Learn

Plan a trip to a local history museum to learn about the history of your area and America. Learning about what has happened and what lead to those activities shapes understanding.

Check out a National Park near you to learn and experience the history of the park.

Wear a Poppy

The red poppy came to symbolize the blood shed during wartime battle described in the poem In Flanders Fields by LT Colonel John McCrae. Wearing the poppy is a symbol of remembering those who lost their lives in military service. If you don’t have a poppy to wear, fashion one out of paper to wear in honor.

Celebrate Together

When military service members serve overseas, they are doing it for their family and their country. They want to protect their family members from harm.  Like Steve Rogers said in Captain America when Dr. Erskine asked him why he continued to try to serve despite being told no many, many times. “I don’t like bullies. I don’t care where they’re from.” Service is not for themselves. When a military member passes, they don’t want their loved ones to stop celebrating. Memorial Day is a day to reflect on the losses of America, but it is also a time to celebrate what we do have. Get together for a meal with your friends. Plan an elaborate barbeque if you want to. Don’t avoid it, do it in the service of remembering them and celebrating their life.

Watch the National Memorial Day Concert on PBS. The 90-minute concert is a combination of tributes and performances. Avid military supporter Gary Sinise will perform along with the US Navy Band Sea Chanters, The US Air Force Singing Sergeants, the US Army Chorus, and the US Army Herald Trumpets.

Nine tips to help your kids prepare for a PCS

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Spring will quickly turn to summer, which means the height of PCS season will soon arrive. Each year, more than 400,000 service members and their families move from one duty station to the next.  There about 1.2 million military children, and while they are not all moving each year, about one-third of them move in a typical year. If your military family is facing a move with kids, help your children prepare for the military move with these tips.

Tell them early.

This one is key. Telling the children allows for processing in their own time. Just as adults need time to process this news, children do. It helps them decide how to share this information. Some children choose not to share this with their friends to avoid being shunned way before the move, as has happened to them. Some children decide to share the news to plan to stay connected with their friends.

Younger children, those under 5, probably do not know what to do with this information or will do or say anything different. This tip is most important for school-age children.

Give them Ownership

Military children move from their schools and homes at the whim of the military. The frequent moves and changes that are not something they oversee can lead to feelings of frustration and defeat. Help them by giving them something to remain in charge of – packing their suitcase and backpack. Give them something that will be their own that they can oversee. This is age dependent. If your six-year-old only packs underwear, you may want to help guide them, but this will give them power over some of the change.

Involve Them

Another age-dependent activity, but involve them as you can. If your teen can help pack up books, or your middle schooler can sort through clothes with their siblings to determine what can be donated, give them that task. This enables you to remove a task from your to-do list, which will, in turn, give you more downtime together as a family. It also gives them a job as part of the move.

Ask Them

Ask them about their feelings and opinions. Check-in days and weeks after the move to discuss their feelings and concerns. Value their time and their feelings. According the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, moving frequently impacts children’s psychological well-being and social relationships. By talking about these feelings, validating their concerns, the stress of the move can lessen. While nothing can make the stress of moving completely disappear, being open as a family about the feelings and concerns is key to maintaining a solid family relationship.

Create a PCS Binder

This one is a favorite of ours. After talking to the kids about the move, we create a binder together. Plans for the new home, house hunting must-haves, the new school info (if you know it), travel plans. Everyone is involved in what goes in the binder. Check out the tourism website for the new location, as there are sometimes sections of the website specifically for children with coloring sheets or ideas on what to explore when you arrive. This creates excitement about the move, in addition to the sadness and trepidation they may feel.

Plan Ahead

Find similar activities that your kids enjoy at the new location. Find a new studio with similar training or activities if your child does ballet. Find the new soccer or baseball league. Reach out to the organization to check on when their schedules come out for the next year when tryouts or auditions occur. Let your kids know what you found. It provides another thing to look forward to with familiarity with what they have enjoyed in their home.

Plan for Fun

Find something fun you want to do as a family once you arrive. While breaking away from the boxes is difficult, time together exploring a new area is valuable. Find a museum, park, or restaurant to check out a day or two after arrival. Checking the new location will build interest and connection in the new home. 

Create a PCS Bin

Pull out several special books or toys for each child and put them in a bin that will be packed at the last minute. If you are moving across the country or OCONUS, save an item or two to move along with them. If you are moving door to door, have the larger items packed last or stay in the car for the drive. The constancy of their favorite things will be a comfort. 

Keep Routines

Whatever routines you can keep, do. Keep naptime the same for younger children. Keep the bedtime routine as similar as possible for children and adults. While the location may change, the consistency of the same routine will help with the adjustment for the packing, moving, and new home.