Nothing is harder during PCS than getting your kids ready for the move and no matter how many times you PCS, it never seems to get any easier. In fact, I would say it actually gets harder the older you children get -- They have formed friendships, gotten accustomed to their school, found a team they love, plugged in to a youth group and more, but military life requires separation and separation can be (and usually is) painful. So how do you help kids understand change, cope with their feelings, and help ease the pain of lost relationships? One great way to help kids with a PCS is by reading.
No matter how old your children are books are an amazing tool for helping them to name emotions, sort feelings, and begin to deal with their feelings. Younger children who are too young to fully grasp what a move is and means will benefit most from books that introduce the concept of moving. Older children who are likely to feel a mix of anxiety, sadness, fear and excitement benefit from books that not only describe what moving is like, but show characters who are experiencing those feelings deal with them. Even tweens and teenagers, who are going to be the group most traumatized by a move, will gain something from reading about moving and/or characters who deal with new schools, new friends, and new places.
Do you have a favorite book you read with your child before a move? Here are a few of my favorites:
-Moving House (Usborne First Experiences)
-We're Moving (First-Time Stories)
-I'm Not Moving, Mama
-The Berenstain Bears' Moving Day
If you are looking for a great book for your kids I highly recommend The Moving Book: A Kids' Survival Guide. It is full of before the move, during the move, and after the move advice and activities. Older children can complete the activities alone while younger who do not read and/or write alone will need help
.You may also want to check out the website, Military Kids on the Move.
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