Compensation for this post was provided by Procter & Gamble via MSB New Media. All opinions expressed in this piece are my own.
Ways military kids are awesome are very abundant, I have 5 ways share! Having not been a military kid growing up I had no idea the impact it would have on my children, and I am so thankful for the way our military lifestyle has impacted them! P&G and the Commissary also think military kids are awesome as well! When you buy P&G select brands at the commissary between March 19-April 8, you can help your Commissary bring a Pro Camp to your base. A supports the Department of Defense’s Healthy Lifestyle Initiative, helping service members, their families and DoD civilians make healthier choices and live happier lives through nutrition and fitness. Which is an awesome perk for our military kids!
Military kids are awesome because they are a unique precent of the population. Did you know that the military makes up only approximately 1% of the United States population? For that reason military kids experience many things unlike the rest of the US kid population. They endure deployments and being separated from a parent for 6 months to a year or more. They move many times. They experience culture shock when moved to new countries. And because the military world is so small it’s not uncommon to show up at a new base and find out that in your class there will be a kid you went to 1st grade with in Iceland as well as a kid you went to 6th & 7th grade with from Misawa, Japan. Senior year my son had that very experience!
Military kids are awesome because they are resilient! They have to deal with being apart from a parent, saying good byes to many friends, leaving schools and homes they love, and yet they adapt and overcome. They make new friends, they reconnect when parents return, and they do it all in stride. Sure there are some times when it’s hard but in general I’ve found that military kids are great at adapting to their new situation and making the most of it.
Military kids are awesome because they are well traveled! Being in the military means you often move many times, and because of those moves it allows military kids to experience new places and see new things. By the time my youngest was 2 years old she had been to 4 countries, and while she doesn’t remember it her siblings do and we’re now going back to some of those locations. Even Stateside moves allow military kids to explore new State and customs. There are many differences on the East coast vs. the West coast and so forth. Our move from Idaho to Alabama involved a newfound love of chocolate covered pecans and picking up the term y’all 😉
Military kids are awesome because they are conscious about health and fitness. They are conscious about these because it’s a core part of the military lifestyle. They see their parents having to make time to stay fit, participation in squadron sports, and trying new fitness activities. Each base is also great about holding events to expose kids to new fitness events and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. ProCamps are a great way for your military child to meet a new friend, encourages a healthy, active lifestyle, and provides that once in a lifetime opportunity to play football with an NFL player. How neat that not only can the kids learn some new things but to do so with a pro football player?!
Military kids are awesome because they are adaptable and are often great role models for their parents. Military kids just seem to roll with things much easier than kids are who are not exposed to change often. They are used to long airport layovers, living out of suitcases, and not knowing exactly what the future holds. When we moved to Germany and have to live in a hotel for 3 months my husband and I were more than ready to find a house and get settled. While the kids were glad when eventually found a house we found that they didn’t stress about being displaced. They lived on less (what we had in our suitcases), adapted to the quick meals that could be fixed in the tiny kitchen, and helped with the chores of laundry in the basement and taking the dog out…down 3 flights of stairs in the cold winter months. Things that normally stress parents out, like house hunting, seem to just skim the surface with kids…so it was a great perspective keep in mind those long months.
A great way to support these awesome military kids is to help bring a ProCamp to your base! It’s as easy as shopping at the Commissary, something we all do, and if you live overseas it’s often daily 😉 When you buy P&G select brands at the commissary between March 19-April 8, you can help your bring a Pro Camp to your base. Help your base be considered eligible for ProCamps selection by purchasing select, marked items such as Tide, Bounty, Charmin, Pantene, Crest, and Gillette at your Commissary. Now let’s get out there and help support our awesome military kids!
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