Aside from the long stretches of absences during deployment, the military can impact families in other ways, one of which is relocation.
Sometimes, people with careers in the military must move to work at different military bases, and they will be forced to uproot their families to move to another part of the country or even another part of the world. Typically referred to by the military as PCS or Permanent Change of Station, this move can really have a big impact on the family, especially younger children.
While there is often nothing that can be done to prevent this relocation, there are many ways in which a family can cope with the move and learn to adjust and adapt to their new life in a new location.
Here are some tips for families to make the military move a bit less stressful and overwhelming for everyone involved.
Talking to Your Kids
Of all the people that a military relocation affects, it often has the biggest impact on kids. Young children can become overwhelmed even by a sudden change to their routines, and moving somewhere unfamiliar can cause them to withdraw socially and emotionally.
Leaving behind friends and having to start over in a strange town can be scary for young kids, so it's important to sit them down before the move and discuss everything with them. It's important to address their feelings about the move and reassure them that everything is going to be alright.
It always helps to let your children know that the move is simply a part of life. Giving them positive reassurance about the situation will help ease their minds and you can work with them to help them adapt to life in your new location. It's best to remain positive during the move to provide emotional stability for your children, no matter how stressed you may be yourself.
The best thing to do in a situation such as military relocation is to try and maintain your routine as much as possible. Also, traditions play a major part in a child's life, so it's important to continue with them as well. Keeping familiar and comforting things in your children's lives will have a positive impact on them and it will go a long way in helping them adjust to their new lives after moving.
Finally, include your children in the move as much as possible. A feeling of inclusion will prevent your children from feeling left out and isolated during this difficult time and it will also help to get their minds off of the worst parts of the move so they can focus on other, more positive things. For more help on how to help your children through this difficult transition period, visit Military.com for information on military moving.
Staying in Touch
Staying in touch with close friends and family members is a big part of helping you and your family to adjust to a military move. Thankfully, today's technology makes it pretty easy to keep in contact with your friends and family from back home.
However, despite technology to stay in touch, you still need to make the effort on your part to stay in contact with people.
Keeping up with your close friends and family members on a regular basis will also help you to adjust and ease into life in your new home and reduce your moving-related stress. .
Finding Support
Going through with a military relocation can be a difficult transition for a family to make, and it can be even harder if your significant other has been deployed overseas, however it's not something that you have to tackle all by yourself.
There are a lot of support groups that are available either through the military or through other organizations. These organizations help to provide some stability and support for military families who are in the process of moving.
Attending one of these support groups, or participating in an online forum where you can interact with other people who have gone through a similar transition, can help you in adjusting to your new life after moving. Don't be afraid to reach out to other people who can help you through this difficult time and who have experience coping with a situation much like yours.
There are also several websites with incredibly helpful information about military relocation, providing you with everything you need to know about a military move.
Making New Friends
One of the best ways to cope with your military relocation is by making new friends. It can be hard to connect with new people after your move, especially if you're still in the process of trying to adjust to your new town. However, there is a good chance that within your new town you'll find other military families who have also uprooted and moved there because of a significant other in the military, so connecting with people who share similar stories and interests and can sympathize with you is a big plus.
There are even websites you can use, like Operation We Are Here, that will help you meet new people in your area who are also from military families and will help you to make connections that can go a long way in enabling you to become a part of your new community and forge lasting relationships for years to come.