Home Base Mental Health: Month of The Military Child
Month of The Military Child
April is the month in which we observe Passover, Easter, and Opening Day of Major League Baseball. April is also the Month of the Military Child. This month, we pay tribute to our children and celebrate their resilience. This recognition happens in our families, of course, but can also happen in your children’s classrooms where the pause to thank them is not just about them. Research shows when the schools military-connected children attend take time to learn about and honor their service, the benefits extend beyond the individual child to their classmates, their teachers, and the wider school community. To this end, we prepared this Month of the Military Child letter and Purple Up Certificate for you (link below). We think it’s an easy way to encourage your children’s teachers and peers to join us as we express appreciation to our children for their loyal service to our Nation!
– Bonnie Ohye, Ph.D. and Betsy Hart
Dear [teacher’s name]
I am writing with President Biden’s March 31st Proclamation of the Month of the Military Child, April 2021 in mind. As the President noted, over 2 million active duty, National Guard, Reserve and children of veterans “did not make the choice to serve, but live each day supporting their brave parents.” April is the month during the year that children in military families are honored for their sacrifice and service along side their parents.
That service often goes unrecognized when a military-connected student attends school in a region of the country where fewer military families live. Frequent moves, family separation through deployment, and reintegration are challenges military children face that may not be as well known among your students and the school community.
In the spirit of this month, I would ask you to consider creating an opportunity for an acknowledgment of the military-connected students in your classroom and of the contributions they make in support of their parent(s) and the country.
It could be as simple as taking a few minutes to recognize the month as the Month of the Military Child and presenting a certificate to each child in your classroom. Service members are traditionally presented with certificates and medals for outstanding service. Although not all possible due to the pandemic, other ideas can be found here.
Please let me know if I can be of help.
Thank you for your dedication during this difficult year and for considering my request.
[Your Name]