The Month of the Military Child was first established in the United States in 1986 and has since been adopted here in Canada. During the month of April, the Teal Up campaign featured at many MFRCs recognizes the strength and resilience of military children. According to demographic research, there are over 57 000 Canadian children with at least one parent who is an active CAF member (Manser, 2019). Military children often have a unique childhood experience compared to children with civilian parents; however, this does not mean it is always easy and carefree. To be a military child can mean having to move often, miss a parent, or sometimes both, for a long period of time. It can also include a new house with unfamiliar sounds, a new school full of strangers, a new community. For some children, it means exploring a new country, language, and culture. Being a military child means building resilience in new, and sometimes challenging circumstances. It means developing patience for meeting new friends and being accepted into new extracurricular activities. It means becoming adaptable to sharing a bedroom or learning about a new culture, it means sacrificing time with a parent when they deploy.
The sacrifices of military children are broad and involve many other things as well that are important to a child which often must be rebuilt including missing a community that was meaningful and fun and leaving friends and creating new friendships during a relocation. Being a military child can be challenging, yet there is often no prouder child than the child of a military member.
April is the Month of the Military Child, and we invite military children and their families to join us in the gymnasium at the KMFRC on Saturday, April 29th from 1000h to 1400h for a fun painting activity and goodies, to recognize the strength and resilience of our military children. To register for this event please email kmfrc@kmfrc.com or call 613-541-5010 ext. 5195.