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April is Month of the Military Child: an entire month dedicated to celebrate and acknowledge the resiliency children of military service members. These children face unique challenges that their civilian friends do not face. There are currently over 1.7 million children who have at least one parent who is in the military. That is an AMAZING number of children.
Some of the challenges that these children face include deployments and homecomings, moving across the country or world, changing schools and living far away from their extended family. The Military Child Education Coalition estimates that military children move 6-9 times during their K-12 education, facing multiple deployments during that time. These children rely on any support provided both by the military community as well as the family they have at home or the educational system they attend.
How This Life Can Affect Them.
Similar to the deployment lifecycle that military spouses go through, military children can experience several different emotions. Not only do they deal with the difficulty with separation, which includes sadness, anxiety and frustration, but also the excitement, worry and anxiety that comes with homecoming. Additionally, since military families move every 2-4 years on average, these amazing kids also deal with challenges of adapting to new environments, making new friends and typical moving stress.
There are SO many benefits to reading with/to your kids. So making good book choices that not only highlight those benefits, but are tailored to those unique situations that military children face can have an even bigger impact. I have gathered a dozen books specifically for military children focusing on their amazing lives and challenges from moving to deployments.
Deployment: One Of Our Pieces Is Missing
Life is full of unique opportunities and challenges for military families. They live in different places, shop on military bases, and have to navigate changes in how they operate as a family when a parent is deployed. In Deployment: One of Our Pieces is Missing, our family must learn to stretch and adapt as they find their new normal while Dad is gone. And once home again, they work through a mix of emotions as he settles back into the family frame. READ MORE…
My Military Mom
My Military Mom is the story of a normal day in Connor’s life. When classmate Lenny visits his home, he discovers Connor’s mom is deployed in the US military. Who helps with his homework? Dad! Who taught him to play basketball? Mom! Who does his laundry? Dad! Lenny realizes love makes a family. READ MORE…
My Daddy/Mommy is a Hero
Military daddies and mommies do all kinds of jobs in all kinds of places, but there’s one thing every military child knows for sure – “My Daddy is a Hero!” Find HERE… And find “My Mommy is a Hero” HERE!
Don’t Forget, God Bless Our Troops
A BEAUTIFUL BOOK! When her father leaves for a year of being at war, Natalie knows that she will miss him. Natalie is proud of her father, but there is nothing to stop her from wishing he was home. Some things do help her feel better. Natalie works with her Nana to send her dad and the other service men and women cookies and treats they have made. Natalie, her mom, and her brother can see and talk to Dad over the computer, and the kindness of friends at school and at church help her feel supported and loved. But there is nothing like the day when her Dad comes home at last. READ MORE…
My Daddy is a Sailor
Daddy is a sailor in the United States Navy. Learn the words Daddy knows about his ship and his mates. Join Ollie the Octopus and travel with Daddy as he sails on every sea in a great, big ship, watch what he does on board, and see the sights he sees. READ MORE…
H Is for Honor : A Millitary Family Alphabet
Written by the son of a career officer, this book explores the branches of the Armed Services and speaks from the heart about the honor, privileges and sacrifices of military families everywhere. Children will discover why drill sergeants have to be so tough, what it means to be patriotic, and why we need Special Forces such as the Navy SEALS, the Green Berets and the Army Rangers. H Is for Honor also explains why the annual Army/Navy football game is more than just a game, how much letters from home mean to soldiers, how often military families have to move and what life on base is like. With an underlying message of courage and commitment that every child can relate to, the book will be especially meaningful to those whose parents, siblings or other relatives serve in the Armed Forces. READ MORE…
My Daddy Sleeps Everywhere
As military families tuck in for the night, their thoughts often turn to daddies who can’t always be home. This children’s military deployment book shows some of the many places daddy sleeps while he is away. In this wonderful story, daddy travels to every clime and place including the mountains, the prairie, the jungle, and everywhere in between. Though daddy’s particular location and sleeping arrangements are constantly changing, one thing never does. No matter how far daddy is from home, home is never far from his mind. READ MORE…
I Like Where I Am
This boy has trouble. The movers are here and they’re loading the truck without a care for his feelings.’Cause I like my room and I like my school, And we live real close to a swimming pool, And my best friend lives around the block. Why move…? Military children deal with relocating on the regular and the emotions are still there no matter what. READ MORE…
Countdown ’til Daddy Comes Home
Countdown ’til Daddy Comes Home is the story of a young boy waiting for his daddy to come home from a trip. To make their separation easier, his family creates rituals to stay connected and make the countdown fly by. A perfect book for military kids who have a parent deployed or kids who have a parent that is a frequent business traveler. After reading this warmly illustrated story you will find ideas on various ways to countdown ’til your daddy comes home and discussion questions to set expectations and alleviate any fears your child may have because of their parent’s deployment or trip. READ MORE….
Big Ernie’s New Home
Affirms the normal sadness, anger, and anxiety that young children feel after a move. This work discusses the feelings that young children face when moving and offers suggestions for smoothing their adjustment. READ MORE…
My Dad’s Deployment: A Deployment and Reunion Activity book for Young Children
This 112-page activity book features mazes, dot-to-dot, counting, matching, coloring, crafts, telling time, and other activities familiar to preschool and early elementary children. Shown within the context of common deployment and reunion topics, the activities reinforce concepts young children are already learning and offer children the opportunity to ask questions, talk about their feelings, and feel connected to their deployed parent. This version is specific to a dad’s deployment, but they do have one for moms as well. READ MORE…
Lilly Hates Goodbyes
With simple language and vivid illustrations, Lily Hates Goodbyes helps kids cope with a parent’s lengthy absence. Along with Lily they learn healthy ways to deal with their emotions, stay connected across the miles, and be happy anyway. Readers rejoice as Lily leaps into her daddy’s arms when he returns; it sweetens their own sense of anticipation. Lily helps kids make it through the pain to their own joyful hello. [She] and her ever-present bunny Quincy are reassuring, comforting, and inspiring companions. Lily is one of thousands of military children who pay a very high price for the honorable service of their parents. Sometimes they feel very alone. I hope Lily can be a friend to your military child. FIND HERE…
Daddy left with Mr. Army
Living as a military child can often be challenging. Have you wondered what a military deployment is like from the eyes of these children? Have you thought about what they might be feeling, and do you question how to help them get through it? In Daddy Left with Mr. Army, author Chandelle Walker offers insight from a child’s perspective to help you understand the emotions your child may be feeling as a separation occurs. Through rhyme and illustrations, this picture book shares the challenges of deployment but also the joys of serving the United States in the military. READ MORE…
Final Thoughts and Tips
- Reading with/to your child every day gives them consistent comfort and also can assist with pre-literacy skills and comprehension
- Ask questions about the story. What do you think will happen next? What is this (point to object)?
- Let your child ask questions about the story – let them process the information and emotions and see how it relates to their lives.
I hope that you find these books to be as beneficial as I have found they are for my children. No matter where you are in this journey and how old your child is, finding books that brings their lives to life can really make a difference.
