Honoring Veterans at Home

Parents are faced with all kinds of complex tasks that go above and beyond providing for the material needs of their family. Giving children an appreciation of values like duty and service can be challenging for even the best-intentioned mother or father. Honoring veterans and active service members can also be a difficult undertaking, especially if the child does not have any immediate family members that they can look to as examples. Parents therefore have to come up with ways of honoring veterans in a manner that children can relate to.

Values for Every Generation

Every generation should have a healthy respect for the decision to serve our country. Understanding the sacrifice that every service member gives is an important part of recognizing the value of the things that these people worked hard to protect. Academic subjects such as history and civics become more immediately relevant to students who have been exposed to these topics through an appreciation of military service. Further, acknowledging the sacrifices made by veterans inspires people to advocate for veterans’ benefits and other support services that aid service members and their families. Parents will play a significant role in the cultivation of the values that inspire all this and much more.

Together as a Family

Attending parades and civic celebrations of patriotic holidays are one way to introduce children to the value of military service and the importance of the choice to serve. Any of these observances are likely to be family-friendly and will certainly offer the opportunity for discussion:

Independence Day parades and firework displays
Family Memorial Day cookouts
Community Memorial Day observances and ceremonies
Veterans Day parades and pageants
Patriot Day civic celebrations and memorials

Though many of these observances are festive in character, emphasizing their serious history can help children empathize with the sacrifice that other people have made. Talking about the ways that entire families contributed to past and current war efforts may allow children to grasp the importance of community sacrifice, too.

If you have family members who are currently serving or served in various military conflicts of the past, make sure that their pictures are displayed in the home. If a picture is not available, creating a special collage or display of images related to the conflict they served in can still provide a helpful reminder of these important moments in history. Connecting with these distant events in a very personal way can help bring home the relevance and significance of military service.

Working Together to Help Others

Hearing stories of ancestors and seeing displays honoring bravery do not always strongly personalize the value of service and sacrifice. Many children respond positively to a hands-on approach to learning these important lessons. Look into volunteer opportunities during the holidays that can be done as a family. Put your effort behind a clothing drive for a local homeless shelter or prepare care packages to send to soldiers on active duty. Visit elderly relatives as a group or participate in service projects organized by your faith community.

There are lots of ways to bring home the values exemplified by veterans and active service members. Teaching your child to recognize and respect these values can bring you together as a family.

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Elegant And Engaging Military Memorials

There are hundreds of historical markers and memorials located all across the United States. Some commemorate points of historical interest, important battles, or significant cultural achievements. Many of these monuments help document the history of different regions of the country and celebrate the achievements of the people who lived there. Of all the monuments that you could choose to visit in this country, some of the most interesting and significant ones are war memorials.

Respect Comes in Many Forms

When we talk about supporting our troops, what does that really mean? To some people, support is shown in the form of a sticker with a yellow ribbon or a banner expressing this sentiment. To others, support is talking about the value of military service and the importance of caring for veterans and their families

Remembering First Responders Throughout the Year

Veterans are some of the most important people in our country. Their service and sacrifice has made possible many of the advantages that everyone enjoys each day. There are many people who are called by a spirit of service and choose to take up this path of sacrifice. First responders, including fire fighters and police officers, are also distinguished by their proud history of personal sacrifice in the service of others. In fact, there is one day when a special effort is made to remember the brave actions of these and other first responders. Being mindful of the effort these people put in on a daily basis is one way of being supportive of their very important work.

How You Can Help a Service Member From Home

The idea of military service can seem very distant and alien to many people. The call to serve one’s country is not something that everyone responds to or chooses to express through military service in particular. Nonetheless, everyone has the ability to reach out and offer support, kindness, and fellowship to service members who are far from home. Being deployed comes with a lot of stress and uncertainty even in times of peace; being far away from familiar faces is difficult for any length of time and some service members will go for several years with just a few short periods of contact with family members. There are several ways that your family, community service group, church congregation, scout troop, or just your circle of friends can show your support and gratitude for the women and men whose sacrifices make our country strong.