11 Ways to Serve a Military Family

Veterans Day is coming up.  This is usually a time we say thank you to all of our veterans for their service protecting our freedom.  There are some amazing programs out there that will send cards to the men & women who are or have served for us like Operation Gratitude, A Million Thanks, Holiday Mail for Heroes & American Legion E-Cards. 

I highly recommend supporting & thanking our troops & vets, but more often than not, there is someone we forget to thank in addition to our veterans. 

The military families. 

Military families also risk a lot when they support a family member serving our country. 

I cannot imagine how hard it would be to say goodbye to my husband for 18+ months in those conditions.  I cannot imagine how hard it would be as a child to not understand why my mom or dad is gone for my birthday & Christmas.  I cannot imagine how hard it would be to send my son or daughter off into the unknown. 

And that's not all.  That's just the tip of the ice berg.

They go day in & day out without their spouse, parent, child, etc.  They support.  They love.  They give.  They go without. 

They don't have that person to fill the void, to help with the kids when they need a break, or to be that crying shoulder when they need it. 



So, today I wanted to share some ideas with you on how we can show our support for our troops by serving their families.  The military families who so bravely send off their loved ones to uphold our freedoms. 

• Pray for them.
• Make blank cards that will be sent to those who are deployed that will write in them & send them back home to their loved ones.
• Send your expired coupons to military families overseas... yes, I said expired!
• Send a thank you card to military parents, spouses & children. 
• Volunteer for the National Military Family Association.

Do you know a military family?  If so, there are limitless ways you can help them!  Here are a few ideas to get you started. 

• Babysit for a family who has one of their parents currently deployed. 
• Help with house cleaning.
• Don't ask the hard questions when visiting (like 'when is he coming home?').
• Make dinner for the family.
• If it's the husband who is serving, help with the manlier house chores (mowing the lawn, snow removal, changing light bulbs, etc.).
• Remember birthdays of the family members & do something nice or send a card.

This would be a great time to show a little gratitude towards our veterans, those currently deployed & their families for their commitment to bettering our country.  This would also be a great time for our children to learn about their freedoms & the lives of those who protect it.  These are many simple ways we can serve these people with our children. 

*Thank you to my cousin's wife, Bethany for giving me more insight with this post.  Her husband (my cousin) has been gone for training, deployment and will again be deployed this upcoming January, so she knows the trials of being a military wife with young kids at home. 

**I'm not trying to take away from our soldiers at all, I just want us to also keep their families in the back of our minds & our prayers.  Since they are the soldier's main support system, they matter, too.  The families are also serving our country, just in a different way.  

***If you're wanting ideas on how you can serve kids of military parents, check out this post.


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