August 2016

School is starting up all across the country, and for many military kids that means being the new kid . . . again. Here are the top three ways we have found to make the transition easier and a couple of wonderful (and free!) resources to help kids thrive in their new school.

1. Patience: Spread it on a little thicker during these transition times. As a parent, and an adult, it’s easy to minimize how kids feel or to send the message that what they’re going through doesn’t matter as much as the serious “adulting” you have to do on a daily basis. So make sure to build a reserve of patience and hear your kids out, be a little more kind, and offer a little more compassion about the way they feel. 

2. Perspective: You’ve lived longer than your young

PCSmoves was formed to help our service members meet the challenges of relocation. Our goal was to provide a sense of community to those who serve, but we wanted to take a moment to draw attention to the community in Southern Louisiana that needs help in meeting the challenges that Mother Nature has thrown their way. 

Louisiana, known for great food and good times, has seen its share of natural disasters. We’ve also seen that it takes more than a village to assist people after a significant natural disaster, it takes the help of people from all over our country. 

Flooding has hit Southern Louisiana again, and we wanted to share some ways you can help. With an estimated 60,000 homes affected by flooding that occurred from intense rains over the

The community available online to military spouses is amazing. The amount of information, the personal stories, the great advice all serve as a reminder that no matter how big the military is or how far away you live, the military is a family that can lean on each other at all times. Check out our roundup this week of four of the best articles we found for MilSpouses. Feel free to explore the pages of these blogs for more tips, advice, and stories and if you are a dedicated reader of a great MilSpouse blog, please leave their info in the comments.

1. Military Spouses and Driver’s Licenses 

Kate Horrell, The Military Finance Coach, has rounded up a state-by-state guide to the age-old military question of changing your driver’s license when you PCS.

Shari Duval volunteered for years with veteran charities around Jacksonville, Florida. When her son returned home from two tours as a bomb dog handler with the Department of the Army, he was suffering from PTSD, “an invisible disorder” that turns the lives of those who serve upside down.

While searching for ways to help her son on the road to recovery, she found information on the profound healing many warriors experienced using service animals. In 2011, after a lot of research, Shari founded K9s For Warriors. Her organization provides service K9s to both active duty and veteran warriors suffering from PTSD, TBI, and other trauma as a result of military service post 9/11.

Shari and her team of professionals have created a place where warriors can