Preparing Your Child for Your Upcoming PCS

PCSing is a common thing in the military, but that doesn’t mean it’s not difficult for those involved. Children often have a particularly hard time with PCSing, especially as they start to mature and deal with the other struggles of growing up and finding out who they are. If you can prepare your child for your next PCS, it can help alleviate some of the stress associated with the move and starting over somewhere else. Continue reading to learn some of our best tips for helping your children handle your next PCS. 

Why Do Children Have Difficulty With PCSing?

When children are involved in a permanent change of station, it can cause a significant disruption in their lives, especially when these moves occur frequently. Your child may experience emotional distress and have trouble adjusting to their new environment. These challenges can result in behavioral changes, and some children may even act out as a result. Anger, distance, and increased sensitivity are common things your children may experience as they deal with the move.

8 Tips for Helping Your Child Adjust to Your Upcoming PCS

It’s important to do what you can to help your child deal with your upcoming PCS, so it’s easier for them to get through the challenges they’ll experience. Below are some tips for helping your children so they can mentally adjust to life in a new city and installation.

1. Keep Your Child Informed

You don’t want to keep your children in the dark as it can create more stress during your move and leave your children feeling angry or resentful as they experience changes they don’t fully understand. 

As soon as you find out about your next PCS, let your children know what’s happening so they have the time to adjust to the idea and can say their goodbyes. While you may have a lot of time to prepare when you get your orders, you may only have a couple of weeks before you need to report to your new duty station. The sooner you can let your children know what’s going on, the easier it will be to ease their transition. 

2. Take Time to Listen to Your Children

During your PCS, your children will likely experience a wide range of emotions, ranging from anxiety and fear to excitement and curiosity. Your children may have a lot of questions, but they may also want space to deal with and process the news. 

Try to answer any questions they have with as much honesty and detail as you can, and remember to be patient with them. Make sure they have a safe space to express their feelings, even their negative emotions they may be experiencing after they hear about the news of the move. If your child needs space or time to adjust to the news of the move and the whole process, give them the opportunity to do so.

3. Prepare for the Move and Anticipate What Your Child Needs

Making an effort to plan for your move can help reduce some of the stress your children may feel. Moving is already stressful enough, but having to adjust to a new school and find new friends can be even more stressful for children of any age. Taking care of the moving process and showing your child you have it handled can take some of the stress off their shoulders.

You should also try to anticipate what your child may need during this time, whether it’s reassurance, help processing their emotions, or finding ways for them to connect to their new community. Anticipating what your child may need can help prevent some of the hardships your child could experience during the moving process.

4. Let Your Children Get Involved

Letting your child get involved with the moving process can make them feel like a part of the team. Help them with researching your new duty station and try to get them excited about their new school or extracurricular activities they can get involved in. This research can also help alleviate some of their anxieties since they’ll know more about the new place they’re going to be living. 

5. Give Your Children Reassurance

Moving comes with a lot of anxiety, especially for children. There’s a lot of uncertainty and new experiences your child will have to adjust to, and it’s likely that they’ll need the reassurance that everything will be okay. Give them a sort of roadmap for how you and your family will adjust to the new home, and try to stay positive during the whole process. Emphasize the exciting parts of change, and remember that our children mimic us. The more positive you are about the move, the more positive your child will be.

6. Give Your Children Time to Celebrate Their Favorites

When you move, you leave things behind, like friends, favorite restaurants, special places, and more. It may be hard for your child to detach from these things, which can make it harder for them to find closure in one place and be ready for their move. 

Find time during the chaos of your move to let your children celebrate their favorites. Take them to their favorite places and give them the chance to spend time with their friends. Once you get to your new destination, encourage your children to find new things they enjoy so they can start making memories and building a life at your new duty station.

7. Find Support For Your Child

Sometimes, PCSing can be hard enough on a child that they may need professional help or support. At your new destination, there are military youth centers that have plenty of resources you and your children can use to ease into the adjustment period. There’s even a youth sponsorship program that pairs your child with another military child who can answer questions and help them feel more confident during their transition.

If your child needs more professional help to deal with their mental health, you can also get them into counseling. There are counselors who specialize in military families and can assist with the transition and give your child the tools and perspective they need to adjust to the change. 

8. Help Your Child Get Involved in Your New Community

Helping your child establish a new life at your new home is important for their mental well-being. Once you get to your new duty station, make an effort to help your child get involved in the community. Sign them up for extracurricular activities they enjoy so they have something to do outside of school and people to connect with who enjoy the same things they do. Show them fun places to go, such as a local ice cream shop, movie theater, or arcade. Make your child feel like a part of the community so they can rebuild their life in your new home. 

Find the Bags You Need for Your Move and Your Career at MLC

If you’re about to PCS to a new duty station, you need luggage to help you carry what you need. Military Luggage Company has plenty of options to assist you with your move, whether it’s duffle bags to transport your gear or backpacks so you can pack a first-night bag. We’ll also have you covered for whatever you need for your career, from assault packs to wheeled loadout bags. Check out our impressive selection here to get started, or contact us if you have any questions.