Supporting Service Members is a Family Affair

When an individual makes the decision to participate in military service, the entire family has to rally to support them. Each member of the family has to summon their own spirit of patriotism in order to make the sacrifice necessary to support this important choice. While it is relatively easy for adults to understand a person’s choice to join the service, young children sometimes struggle with the reality of having a close family member leave for a long period of time. It is important for the whole family to support the service of these brave women and men. Parents and older siblings should take the time to explain the value of military service and the significance of this decision to younger members of the family.

Keeping the Memory Alive

Very young children may not have concrete memories of the family member who has left for service. During the time the relative is away, other family members should make a point of talking about this person to the young child. As much as is practical or possible, tell the child what the family member is doing while away from home. Talk about the importance of bravery, heroism, sacrifice, and service. All this effort keeps the memory of that family member alive for the young child. This effort will stick with the child for a lifetime and will help instill in them a deep appreciation for all veterans and the service these people have provided.

Prioritize Participation in Memorial Holidays

Another good way to encourage the support of young children for their veteran family members and current service personnel is to prioritize family participation in the various patriotic and memorial holidays throughout the year. These include:

• Memorial Day
• Veterans Day
• Independence Day
• Flag Day
• Patriot Day
• State and local holidays celebrating important historic events

Many Boy Scout troops offer a flag display service to community members where a flag will be displayed on appropriate days and then taken down after the holiday has passed. This is a very convenient service that helps promote the patriotic spirit of the entire community. This service is competitively priced and lets people directly support organizations that support our troops. You can also enroll friends and neighbors in this service. You can spread patriotism in the name of a current service member or veteran you know and love.

Making Patriotism Into a Positive Subject

When close family members are away from home, it can be hard to remember that a family’s collective sacrifice is a positive thing. Remaining in good spirits is especially difficult for young children who do not have the scope of experience to draw on for comfort. Being deprived of the company of a loved one is difficult for the youngest Americans to cope with and it is up to other family members to continue in the efforts to make patriotism a positive and praiseworthy subject. However, this period of time can be a valuable source of strength throughout a child’s life.

Learning to value the service and sacrifice of veterans and their family members is an important part of being a patriotic American. Even the youngest family members can be taught to appropriately enjoy the holidays and other special times set aside for the remembrance of our collective military history.

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