April is the month of the military child. Each year, it is set aside as a military child appreciation month, to recognize military kids for their sacrifice and bravery on the homefront.
The term “military brat” is a badge of pride worn by generations of kids who traveled the world with their parents, moving into adulthood with the knowledge that they have the strength to handle anything.
Military children deal with separations, deployments, frequent moves and even their parents’ injuries as part of the life they were born into or entered with their families.
Purple Up!
If you want to show appreciation for military children, you can Purple Up! in the month of April. Wearing purple is a visible way to show support and thank military youth for their strength and sacrifices.
Purple indicates that all branches of the military are supported. Air Force blue, Army green, Navy blue, Marine red, and Coast Guard blue all are thought to combine together as a single color, purple. Click here to learn more about the PurpleUp campaign!
Even if you are limited in your ability to get together with your local civilian and military communities, here are some suggestions to continue to spread the word and celebrate.
Ways to PurpleUp! in 2021
- You can work with your local church or other organization to throw a party for military children to show appreciation.
- Ask local, state, regional and federal officials to wear purple on Purple Up! day.
- Suggest local companies and businesses ask their employees to wear purple.
- For the month of April, let your child decide what you do on for “Family nights”. This will let them feel like they have a say in what family does, when they so often don’t.
- Wear purple during online classrooms via Zoom, Skype, Google Chat and Hangouts.
- Invite military parents to attend one of their children’s online classrooms.
- Have a special date night with your child.
- Tell your kid they’re awesome with this certificate from Blue Star Families.
- Teachers can honor or recognize military children during their online classrooms.
- Create a Bulletin Board “What does HONOR mean to you…” and share on social media.
- Make a Tik Tok video dedicated to Purple Up! day or honor military children.
- Encourage your social community to participate in Purple Up! Day using #purpleup
- Share your family’s activities and photos on social media #purpleup celebrating your child.
- Contact your local newsletter for a feature.
- Connect with other military families
- Schools can promote the Month of the Military Child with resource links in their newsletters
- Recognize the month with signs, decorations or military focused memorabilia in front of your home
We Love Our Military Kids
Military children do not want to be treated any differently than others, nor are they looking for special treatment. But, it is good for them to know that they are not alone, and that other are thinking of them and their parents.
