Having your spouse, parent, or child go into the military is hard enough, let alone starting off in a new place. Children have to go to different schools and meet new friends while the adults in the family are in unfamiliar territories, starting new jobs and meeting new people surrounding the adults. Below are a few tips for military families starting in new locations in and outside the United States.
Tips for CONUS(Continental United States) PCS(Permanent Change Of Station) Moves
- Incorporate the children in the move, allowing them to have a voice to express their thoughts.
- As soon as possible let them know where the next duty station is.
- As adults, we like to research and learn about the new city and state we will be moving to, allowing the children to research as well.
- Turn as many things as you can into a family activity so that they understand that their opinion matters and they are not being disregarded.
- Prioritize finding out details about their favorite extracurricular activity and how they can get involved.
- If possible, arrive at the new duty station as early as possible, so the search for your new home can begin; this search is another opportunity to include your children as much as possible.
- As parents, we are concerned about school rankings, etc. Keep in mind that our children are concerned more about making new friends, how close their new home will be to their favorite activities and if the new neighborhood will have children their age or youth center access.
- One thing that I found helpful was taking the time to get to know each of my children’s teachers, my goal is to find out if the teachers have any classroom needs, etc that I can assist with. Building a good relationship with my children’s teachers often times benefited my children in numerous ways as well as letting the teachers know that my husband and I are involved parents and willing to partner with the teachers to ensure our children ‘s success.
These tips also apply if you are moving out of the country or continent. The only difference is with the OCONUS PCS move, I encourage families to explore their “host nation”. Discover your new city, learn the language, and encourage the children to participate in local youth activities on the economy as well as those on the installation. Building relationships with your neighbors, etc. Enjoy traveling while living abroad.
Don’t be afraid of change. Change can be a blessing in disguise. Parents, embrace this new chapter with your children. Teach them that moving doesn’t mean something terrible. Go out and start new memories together in your new city and home.
Submitted By: LaQuita Monley | @laquita_monley
Dr. La’Quita Monley is the CEO and master personal development coach of LaQuita Monley’s Solutions, where she teaches her clients how to pursue their purpose with a passion for reaching new heights in life and business.
Since 2010, La’Quita and her husband Ben have dedicated themselves to evangelism and discipleship. Ben’s military career moved the family from Texas to England, and this transition opened the door for them to begin their ministry on an international level. During their seven years living in Europe, the Lord opened doors for La’Quita to preach and teach in England, Germany, and Africa. Living and working outside of the United States enabled the military wife to gain valuable experiences while working with diverse cultures, ideas, and people
From her work in ministry, La’Quita noticed how people’s mindsets could often limit their success in both personal and professional settings. This inspired her to receive training and certification as a John C. Maxwell speaker, trainer, and coach. The personal development coach would then go on to produce her podcast, La’Quita’s Toolbox, which provided implementable life “tools” that lead to lasting success in life and business.
In 2022, La’Quita rebranded LaQuita’s Toolbox and changed the name to La’Quita Monley’s Solutions while still offering the same speaking and coaching services and continuing La’Quita’s Toolbox Podcast. She also published her first book, Redefining Success: 8 Tools I Used to Develop a Growth Mindset. Redefining Success helps you to determine who or what has defined success for you and how to take control and define success for yourself. It equips you with practical, implementable tools to help you on life’s journey.
La’Quita’s undeniable zeal for life change is just as personal as it is purposeful. Her deeply-rooted faith and disciplined thought patterns helped her persevere through the hardships of teen pregnancy and postpartum depression, navigate life as a military wife, overcome the unique challenges of living abroad, and rise as a multi-faceted woman of influence. Time and time again, the McComb, MS native has pressed forward, pulling on her inner strength, wisdom, and boldness needed to continue putting one foot in front of the other when naysayers let their doubts be known. Because she overcame, this woman of faith and purpose has no reservations about others’ ability to do the same.
LaQuita’s life’s mission is to guide, motivate, and equip individuals, small businesses, and corporations to soar to greater heights.
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