So you have orders. Your military-family is once again PCSing. The children have been told and there is excitement, worry, dare I even say some anger? A mixed ball of emotion from your grade-school children. Emotions they can't quite vocalize. Feelings that are all jumbled up inside. Tension that you can see in their eyes, their shoulders, down to their toes. I know. I have been that child.
I recently reached out to Lori Woodring, Ph.D., when I read she put together a workbook for children ages five to eleven titled, "
My Very Exciting, Sorta Scary, Big Move". (Pretty darn perfect title if I do say so myself.) Wow, there are thousands of military-children experiencing a PCS ("moving" in civilian-speak) every year. Thousands of children ages 5 to 11 that could benefit from a book like this!
The book starts with a note to the parents from the author, "Moving is among life's biggest stressors." As military-spouses we know this statement is true, for us
and for our children. Not only the stress of the unknown, but the stress of saying good-bye, the stress of saying hello for the first time and the the stress within the family associated with getting all the pieces of the puzzle put together.