A Parent's Guide on How to Help Children Cope with Military Moves

Moving house is a stressful situation at the best of times, but try making ten moves or more over the scan of a career, mix in two children, three cats and another continent and there you will have a recipe for even more stress! Part of the military lifestyle involves frequent moves. It is not a static way of life. Very few service members stay in one location for any great length of time. Children can find moving very stressful, particularly once they have settled into a new school, community and made a new circle of friends. Parents can do much to help lessen the stress of another move.

A parent's guide on how to help children cope with military moves#1 Preparation

Children like certainty and feel more comfortable with familiar surroundings. This is unsettled when they learn that they shall be moving once again. Parents need to be pro-active and include them at this crucial time. Some parents inform their children's school in advance of the impending move, which will give teachers an opportunity to get their report card written in time and their transepts to be transferred to the new school. The earlier this is done the better.

A parent's guide on how to help children cope with military moves #2 Research the new school

Parents will need to know more than what their job in their new squadron or battalion will be. They also need to look into nearby schools for their children and facilities that are child friendly such as parks and so forth. As soon as parents have located a school, they will need to contact the school and find out what they need to do to enrol their child. Will they be starting halfway through the year? Or will they be able to fit in with the new school year in the autumn? Depending on when they will be joining the school, they may need to catch up with work they have missed. Parents also need to know if the new school has any other particular requirements.

A parent's guide on how to help children cope with military moves #3 Look into the local area