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Submissions for Month of the Military Child by Ms. Black’s 5th graders.
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My Life as a Child Who Has Experienced Change
By: Anay P.
This story is about my life and me experiencing a big change. I ’m Anay Patel and I will tell you my experience of moving to Japan. One important experience in my life was moving to Japan and adapting to rules.
At the start of my 5th grade school year in Texas my mom and dad told me that we were moving to Japan at the end of the first semester of school. My 2 brothers, Shay and Kannan, were both excited of the move, but I was more sad than excited because this is first time I moved and I was close with my friends at school. As time went on, I got more excited to move with my brothers.
One challenge I faced was telling my friends why and how I was moving, but when I told them they did not believe me. I felt sad because I might never see them again.
This experience has taught me how to make new friends and be more flexible. Also, I learned that moving has its pros like more opportunities for life. I learned how to go with the flow as in being calmer and having more exposure to change.
In conclusion, this experience has affected me in a lot of positive ways like more opportunities to make new friends and see more of the world. The impact of moving has and always will change my life forever.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Aniyah M.
Hi, my name is Aniyah, and I am a military child. Being a military child means a lot of things to me; my dad works as an IT and getting that privilege is amazing to me. I love being a military child, and I wouldn’t want to change anything about it. As a military child I want to be able to help myself and others, and that is why I try my hardest in most of the things I do.
I was born in San Diego, California and lived there for about 2 years, then moved to Hawaii for 3 years, after that I moved to Sicily Italy lived there for 3 years, and now I am in Japan, I only have a couple of weeks left in Japan then I’m going to move to Cuba and stay there for 2 and a half years. Moving from place to place makes me nervous but once it is over, I feel great again.
Some challenges I have faced are leaving Friends. It makes me very emotional because over time I have built very strong connections with them and I don’t want to lose that friendship. I handle these challenges by trying to keep in touch with my close friends and check up on them. Another hard challenge I have faced with moving are overlays because you are in a crowded airport and it’s nosey but it’s not that bad.
Being a military child has taught me that everything doesn’t last. It also taught me independence, responsibility and not to hold on tight to everything.
I am proud of the growth I have had during those times, and I would like to learn more things to help me be a better individual. Although I can get sad from the loss I had, I try not to think about it and forget.
I will forever be grateful for my Family, Teachers, friends, and other people who have taught me and helped me. Without their help I would not have been the person I am now so thank you to everyone who has provided me with help.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Annabella D.
My name is Annabella, and I am a military child. Being a military child means that I must adapt to different things and places. My dad is connected to the military and is on ship most of the time. My life as a military child is unique because I get to experience new things like meeting new people and going to different places. I get to travel to many places but also must leave the people I already know. Even though I must leave people I already know, I get to meet new friends and people.
I lived in many places like San Diego, Japan, and Virginia. Moving places is interesting and scary at the same time. I get to experience many changes like making new friends and adjusting to new homes. Even though I have only been to three places I had to move a lot. I was born in Japan and lived in San Diego for two years and moved back to Japan and lived there for four years. Then I lived in Virginia for three years and came back to Japan where I live today.
One challenge I had to face is when my dad goes on deployment. When he goes on deployment, I usually can’t see him for a while. Also, when he deploys, I can only face him until he comes back. When my dad is away, it is sad because he sometimes can’t even be here on my birthday, or any other holiday. I can handle these challenges because I think about the positive things like when he comes back with souvenirs of the different places he’s been to.
Being a military child helped me to become brave. I get to experience challenges like making new friends and adjusting to new places. I am proud of my family because they help me become stronger and better everyday. Being a military child can be challenging but is also a good thing. I love traveling and being a military child lets me travel to different places.
My life as a military child has taught me things like being strong and brave. I am proud to be a military child because I can make new friends, travel to places, and go to school on base. Going to school on base is nice because I get to meet people that are also military kids too. These are all the reasons I like being a military child.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Ben L.
This story is about the time I had to be brave because I got lost in another country.
It all began when we went to Thailand for winter break 2 years ago. We were in Bangkok, and there was a shrine we had to go to. The shrine was big and there were so many people. It was a super-hot day even though it was mid-winter! While we were walking, I found a room with an AC. I thought I was ahead of everyone, so I went in and decided to wait for everyone. 10 minutes later (in French accent) I was starting to get worried because no one was coming so then I thought they must have been ahead of me this whole time! So, I wandered around hoping I would run into my family. But then I had an idea, I could just call them with my watch but noooooooooooooooooo it decided to die on me. So I started to panic, I ran around the place looking for someone that worked there to take me to the lost children’s centre. When I got to the center my dad just happened to pass me.
I felt scared because well, I was lost in a WHOLE ANOTHER COUNTRY!!! like, do you think my family would randomly spawn in front of me? NO! I was also a tiny bit confident in finding my family, because I’m the kind of person to get in a really bad situation but get saved at the last second.
That experience taught me to never ever go anywhere without permission. Like the next time I want to go somewhere new I will ask my parents.
This experience was important to me because it taught me to never ever go anywhere without permission. If this never happened to me, I would never have learned to never ever go anywhere without permission.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Charlene S
My name is Charlene, and I am a military child. Being a military child means my life is always changing because of my parent’s job. My family is connected to the military because my dad serves, and that affects where we live and how we live. What makes my life unique is that I get to experience different places in Japan and meet new people, even though it can sometimes be difficult.
I have lived in places like Hawaii, Okinawa, and here in Yokosuka! Moving from place to place makes me feel excited but also nervous. It’s hard to leave friends behind, but I also get to start fresh and meet new people and I’m moving to Texas soon after the school year ends.
One challenge I faced is making new friends every time I move. It can be hard to start over and talk to new people, especially when I miss my old friends. When my parent is away, I feel sad and sometimes worried, but I try to stay strong. I keeping in touch with friends, and reminding myself that things will get better
Being a military child helped me become stronger, helpful, and more independent. I’ve learned how to adapt to new places and situations more easily. It also taught me responsibility and bravery, especially during difficult times. I am proud of my family because they serve and work hard, and that makes me feel proud to be part of the military.
In conclusion, being a military child is not always easy, but it has made me who I am today and this semester. I have faced many challenges, but I have also gained important strengths. I will continue to grow and learn from my experiences. Being a military child is a big part of my life, and I am proud of it.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Clement W.
Hello, my name is Clement. I am a military child. The reason I am a military child is because my dad is a chief on a ship called The Dewey. The reason it is unique is because sometimes we have to move because of my dad’s work. Being a military child doesn’t mean you’re connected to the military, it means you’re a part of the military.
The first thing about being a military child is you must move a lot. Like I used to live in Ikego, 30 mins away} but now I live in Yokosuka. Moving is fun and sad at the same time. The reason it’s fun is because you get to have new experiences and meet new friends but have to leave your old friends. I have also lived in Wisconsin, Kenosha before moving to Ikego. While some people don’t like moving, I like it.
The second thing about being a military child is it’s sometimes hard to fit in new places. Like if you had a favorite teacher when you move you won’t be able to see them again. Also, if your mom or dad is in the military they will be gone for a long time. One time my dad was gone for six months because of his work. And a challenge I face is trying to make new friends when I move.
Lastly, when you’re a military child you learn some strengths. Some strengths I’m talking about is independence because when you see your dad going to work by himself it inspires you to be able to do the same thing. I am also proud of my family because they have persevered through many challenges. Being a military child has taught me perseverance, independence and bravery. And when my parents come back from work it feels good because they are back.
In conclusion, being a military child might be sad sometimes but to me it’s fun. Because you learn perseverance, independence and bravery. So I’m happy because a lot of kids don’t learn that. Ok that sums everything up about being a military child, hope to see you again bye.
Finally, this has helped me in many ways. I had a great experience before as a military child. And I have learned many things. I can’t wait to learn more things in the future. That is my life as a military child.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Luca
Hello, my name is Luca and I am a military child. Being a military child means moving and seeing your dad or mom go to deployment. Also, it means moving to different places and its sad when your friends have to stay behind without me while I must move somewhere else and not see them forever. But it’s also fun because you can travel to different places and try new foods and meet new friends and people.
I have lived in many places and moving from place to place makes me sad because if you have good friends there and you must move then that’s sad. Also, when you are in school you must move to another school and that makes me mad because I wanted to stay in that school but I must make new friends in another school and stay there for a long time until you move back to base. Another reason is you must act good with 2 brothers when your dad is gone and that’s hard because my 2 brothers are annoying.
One challenge I faced was seeing my dad going to deployment when my parents are away. I feel sad because it feels lonely without your parents and sad. Also when your parents are here you feel safer and happier because your parents are around and you have someone to play with all the time. That’s why I feel sad when my parents must go on deployment. Another thing is when you get hurt you have someone to help you and to be there for you always.
Being a military child has helped me become more respectful and to be thankful when your dad or mom does something nice to you and it taught me to be more respectful to the flag and to other military people. I am proud of my family because my dad served 17 years of the navy and I am just proud of him. He went on deployment for very long years and that’s really hard for someone to do that. Also, he must feed 4 people at our house and buy nice things for us and I thank him a lot.
I am proud to be a military child because I can travel to new places and have fun. Also, my life as a military child taught me respectfulness, sadness and thankfulness. In this moment it helped me grow by making new friends quicker and being braver. It was really hard for me but since I am a military child I can push through all of it. That’s the end of my story. Thanks for reading my story.
energy. I’m also proud of my family because they are also very hard workers and are loving and I’m proud of my heritage.
In conclusion, being a military child is fun. And even though some families lose a parent in the line of action it’s ok because it gets better. And meeting new people may be frightening but it’s ok because I got used to meeting new people. My life as a military child has taught me how to be brave when times are low. And to always expect something might go wrong and not the way we might want. And I learned that other kids have been through the things I have been through and I have friends that can relate. And things will always get better and it can be ok to be scared.
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A Time I Had to Be Brave
By: Hana Jade B.
My name is Hana and I am ten years old. I am in fifth grade, and a student at Yokosuka Middle School in Japan. My topic that I am going to talk about is “A Time I Had to Be Brave”. This story is about the time me and my older sister got lost taking the bus. It will also talk about how I felt during the experience, how I learned from it, and why it’s so important. So, get ready to dive into what my experience of getting lost taking the bus was like.
It all started when we were on the train to Shioiri Station to take the bus home when my older sister proposed that we take the bus directly after we got off the train. Now the only problem was that “directly” meant one minute to get on the bus. When we got off the train, we rushed to our bus stop, a bus was still there, so we expected it to be our bus and got on. During the ride we were thrilled that we had caught the bus and started sorting out our money to pay for the ride. That was when something went wrong. The bus took a turn instead of going straight which meant we were on the wrong bus. We started panicking, my sister asked the woman next to us if this bus was going to our neighborhood. She responded with the name of a place that sounded nowhere near our address. My stomach fell; I was so scared. We got off at the next stop, unsure what to do. My sister’s phone was about to run out of battery, so she tried to use her portable charger, but it was dead. So, she had to use my phone to call our parents. I tried to calm myself down thinking that we could just walk back to the station. There was a park behind the bus stop, it had lots of spider webs since it was the middle of summer. I tried my best to avoid the spider webs while I played at the park to calm myself down. It was frightening, and something I have never experienced before. Some thirty minutes later our dad picked us up.
The challenge I faced encouraged me to be braver. In this experience I felt a certain feeling, a feeling I’ve felt before, Fear. I felt that we were lost forever, even though that wasn’t the case. I felt that no one was going to find us. I was so worried I couldn’t think straight or concentrate. I didn’t know facing a new place that you’re not familiar with could be so scary. All your thoughts just flood in at once leaving no room for you to think. Although I also know that fear can keep you from seeing anything positive.
This experience has taught me how to be positive in situations like this. It has also taught me why you should check, double check, and triple check what you are doing. Through this experience I learned what to do if you get lost, which is to always stay where you are. Try not to panic because it will make things worse. Complaining gets you nowhere, but action does. This experience has changed me because it has made me braver. Even though I was really scared I didn’t give into my emotions. Instead, I tried to stand strong, ready to face whatever came my way. This experience also did not prevent me from riding the bus again, it just made me more careful. That is what I think Brave means.
Overall, I think this experience has positively impacted me because it taught me many things. Although I did think this experience was terrifying, it made me more cautious, more aware, and taught me to plan things ahead of time. Some things are going to come to you in life that you are not prepared for. That’s why you should always learn from your mistakes. This experience is important to me because it helped me develop skills like being braver and will help prepare me for further scenarios or challenges like this. Remember, don’t let your emotions overwhelm you, stand strong and don’t give in to them as best as you can.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Sophia C.
Hello, my name is Sophia Crowell, and I am a military child. In this essay I will talk about how being a military child is bittersweet. Being a military child in the present makes me feel protected, special, and comfortable.
Unlike other military children, I haven’t moved to many places in my life. I was born in Sasebo Japan, moved to Hawaii, then moved to Yokosuka Japan, where I’ve lived for 5 years. When I was young, I didn’t really care about moving to new places, I didn’t care if I was leaving my home behind. But that was all in the past. I didn’t care because I didn’t understand. Now if I leave my home, and move somewhere completely different, I’ll feel sad and nervous. I wouldn’t want to leave my friends behind; I wouldn’t want to leave my home. If I left my home, I wouldn’t feel comfortable in my new home for a while.
Parent deployment is something most military children despise, including me. Parent deployment is when a military child’s parent or guardian goes away on their assigned ship somewhere. A deployment can take anywhere from a few days to almost a year. A deployment can be challenging to deal with for the child. When my dad goes on deployment, I feel sad at first, but then I start to accept it. Some challenges I face when my dad goes on deployments are most of the time he isn’t here for my birthday, so to overcome that challenge, we celebrate my birthday a month or a few weeks before so that my dad can celebrate it with us. When it’s my actual birthday my mom, my sister, and my grandparents all celebrate with cake, nothing too big, the big stuff is done with my dad before he goes on deployment.
Let’s be honest, being a military child is hard. People say that “moving to new places is fun and you can meet new friends!” but really that’s not true. When you move to somewhere new you have little to no friends at first. It’s going to be awkward trying to make new friends. And don’t even get me started with moving. Moving to new places is hard. Especially if you’ve lived in your home for years. You have a whole new place to get used to.
Being a military child helps me become stronger and more responsible. It helps me become stronger because my dad isn’t always here. It helps me become more responsible because my dad isn’t here and my mom has a lot to do so I help her do stuff like take care of my younger sister.
Being a military child has taught me that life isn’t always going to be sunshine and rainbows. It helps me become stronger, while feeling safe. It helps me become more responsible, while feeling comfortable. I am proud to be a military child because it shows that I am strong and resilient. This is the end of my essay. Thank you for reading.
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My Family Story
By: JJ
Hi! My name is JJ. Thank you for reading this! This story is about my family. It’s about the good stuff, the bad stuff, and the in-between stuff. So, let’s start!
Before my family moved to Japan, I lived on Guam. Before we moved here, my parents both worked at hospitals. My dad worked in I.T. at U.S. Naval Hospital Guam, and my mom worked as admin staff at the Guam Regional Medical City’s Cancer Center. I went to school at iLearn Academy Charter School, where I participated in the art and robotics clubs. I also placed second in the school-wide spelling bee. For a little while, I used to be in a volleyball team which one of the robotics teachers ran on the weekends.
I did other things outside of school on weekends. On Saturdays, I did ballet, jazz, and hip-hop dance classes at SKIP Entertainment Guam (SKIP is recognized around the world, winning awards in lots of different countries!). I also ran several races each year, placing in the top twenty-five percent. I even did an entrepreneur workshop where we designed shirts, and I made about one hundred fifty dollars selling them! I think that the activities I did on Guam were really cool. Not every kid gets to do stuff like that, so I think I’m really fortunate.
Even though I felt that life on Guam was great, my parents wanted me to have a better life. They had been discussing “The Move” for a while. I struggled with the idea of moving. I didn’t want to leave all my friends behind on this tiny island. I was definitely going to miss the beaches. Guam was beautiful, and I really didn’t want to leave.
However, it isn’t all bad here. I did make friends here, and I’ve done some really cool stuff, too. I’ve been to Universal Studios Japan and Osaka Castle! I’ve been to Comic Con. I high-fived the members of a famous Japanese rock band, and I’ve even been to a K-Pop concert! It’s pretty different from Guam (there are SEASONS where I am now!), but I’ve really enjoyed the things my family and I have been doing.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
Thomas H.
Hi,my name is Thomas and I live in Yokosuka naval base. I am a military child. As a military kid I can’t just make friends and keep them for life. My dad is in the military and it has been hard because my dad is gone for months at a time. Being a military child means that my dad is gone for long times and for short times. It means that I have a nice house and get to live in Japan.It means I travel mostly every 3 years so I can’t really make friends. Being a military child is hard but is fun because I get to go too fun places
I have moved to different places, like Japan. I have also gone to Tennasse which was fun living there but the next place is even better. Virginia is my favorite place ever because the people are nice. The neighborhood is nice, everything is nice. Here, or Japan when I first came here I thought everything was cool then I got to know everything. I was less excited but things were still pretty cool. But there are some challenges that I will talk about next.
These are the challenges, It can’t all be good. One of the challenges is the fact that I move every 3 years so I can’t really make friends. When I make friends it hurts when I leave.I also don’t see my dad for most of my life. When my dad leaves I am sad but I know he will be back after 1 day or 3 months. Being a military child taught me things
Some things being a military child has taught me is that ships are very cool. The reasons I find them cool are because they look cool. Being a military child has taught me all the cool things my dad does, he works on many different ships. I also learned about the navel base tunnels and how they connect. Being a military child taught me about all the different ships on base and how they work. Next up is the conclusion, a revue of everything.
This is the conclusion of my essay; it is a revue. In Paragraph 2 I talked about the different places I have been to like,Tennasse, Virginia, and Japan. Then I talked about challenges like my dad being gone for 3 months at a time. Then I talked about all the things it has taught me like all the different ships. That is my conclusion so bye that is all I hope you enjoyed
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
Declan R.
Hi, I’m Declan and the reason I am a military child is because my dad is in the military. I am a unique military child because my dad and I accidentally went to China and had a lot of adventures like going to the Komodo islands and went to a snow festival.
I have moved to many different places every 3 years including Virginia, California and many other places and it was really fun. Plus, sometimes I get to go somewhere else, play on my tablet and make new friends.
On the other hand, moving away from my friends was hard because I had very good friends in many places and always had to move away and my dad must leave for deployment for 2-5 months around the same time each year. I sometimes handle it by having fun because it lets time fly by faster (sorry dad).
Being a military child has taught me to never expect something good but never expect something bad and never be best friends with someone because I know that I will move. I demonstrate bravery because when I have to move I know we will come back on a trip.
My life as a military child has taught me to learn from my mistakes, keep going, and try even harder to get what I want. I am happy that I am a military child because these reasons and statements show what I can do, and you get to go to the military bases if you are military.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Santiago Y.
My name is Santiago Ycaza and I’m a military child. Being a military child means I get to travel to new places. We are connected to the military because my dad is in the military. I like it a lot because I can live on base and it is better in my opinion.
I like to move to different places because I get to meet new people and friends. I also want to explore more areas in the world. So, before I came to Japan I was in Virginia. It was really cool there too and before that, I lived in Texas. That is also the place I was born in. I’ve also lived in Las Vegas because that is where my younger sister was born. Something good about being a military child is some stuff my parents don’t have to pay the bills. And that is good because we save more money.
Some challenges that I had to face were my dad going on deployment. When that happens, I get sad because I haven’t seen him after 6 or 7 months. Another challenge I faced was saying goodbye to my friends. I have a lot of friends, and I never see them again, it really makes me sad. Another thing I had to face was packing up, it is annoying because you have got to pack up SO much stuff. And when you get to your new house you must fix your room and make it perfect all over again.
Being a military child taught me how to be more like my dad because he is in the military. And it also has helped me to become brave because I had to say goodbye to my friends and go to new places and meet new people and that is sometimes hard to do. I’m proud of my family for being so kind and helpful to me and for working in the military.
Finally, this has helped me in many ways. I had a great experience before as a military child. And I have learned many things. I can’t wait to learn more things in the future. That is my life as a military child.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Kaileena S.
My name is Kaileena Sebastian, and I am a military child. My family is connected to the military because my father is a chief and serves in the military. Being a military child means being unique because I know that my father is a hero to everyone and that he works hard just for everyone, helping everyone in the country.
I have lived in San Diego, California, but I soon moved to Yokosuka, Japan because someone needed my father to work here. Moving from place to place feels bittersweet for me because it’s pretty exciting that I can see new things when we move to different places, yet so bitter because I’ll truly miss the friends I made throughout the way before we move on to different places. It may seem sad, but I still had to let go of the past and to move on to my new journey, enjoying what’s happening now.
One challenge I face is trying to make new friends. I see it as a hard thing to overcome, but in the end, I face this challenge with determination and make new friends who match my vibe and see me as a real person. Another challenge I face is when my father is away for a pretty long while. I was only young when this happened to me, so I felt horribly confused and didn’t know what to do without another parent to help me. The way I overcame this was by relying on my mother and soon getting used to having her as my only parent when my father is away.
Being a military child has helped me overcome my challenges, such as finding friends in new places, and for me to get used to events that occur sometimes, like when my father brings me to his workplace to do something for the military. I am proud of my family because they have taught me to be strong and brave throughout my life, and to never give up on the path to living. They have taught me to show bravery, independence, and justice as well. It gives me confidence and high hopes for the future.
My life as a military child taught me to use the best of my ability to show my bravery, and to overcome things that I find challenging. Although there can be some moments where being a military child is sad, I am still proud of being one because of how it taught me to be confident and brave in situations, even when times are tough.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Sophia D.
Hi, my name is Sophia DeLeo and today I will be telling you about the life of a military child. My family is related to the military because my dad works on a military ship. Being a military child means there are times in your life when your parents are out at sea. Some of those times are sometimes even years! But we push through and perceive. Us military kids learn to adapt very quickly to the environments we must move to. Sometimes it really is not easy, but we always keep going.
There are many places I have lived as a military child. Some of these places were Nebraska, Florida, South Carolina, Virgina, and now I live in Japan. That is 5 places in just 11 years. If you think that is a lot then just imagine, there are so many kids that move almost every year! That is very difficult, especially if you are having to make new friends every single time you move. When I move around it is sometimes hard to make new friends, especially if they are military as well. That could potentially mean they could move at any time.
One challenge I face is when my dad must leave for long periods of time. It can be very hard not to have one of your parents for long periods of time. That is probably one of the biggest challenges military kids have. So, we very much try to enjoy the time we have with our parents. There was a time in my life where my dad was gone for almost a whole year! There were also years when he had to miss me and my sister’s birthdays. Those are just some of the sacrifices military kids make.
There are definitely some things I have learned being a military kid. One was being independent. There were times and still times today when my dad and mom both had something they had to do so I had to take care of myself. I also had to be able to take care of others as well. Another thing I learned was to adapt quickly. This meant I needed to know how to make friends fast wherever we moved.
To finish today’s essay, I want to say I am so proud of all the military kids. I want them all to know how brave and amazing they are, always having to adapt to new environments. It really is not easy. I will always be a proud military child!
(Illustration courtesy of Sophia D.)
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Christian B.
My name is Christian, and I am a military child. Life as a military child is hard because we are moving a lot like we are soon. Being a military child is hard because I need to go to many places because I don’t want to hear cars and truck horns blaring outside every 2 milliseconds! I also don’t want to leave Japan because it is peaceful here, and I’d honestly want to go to the Philippines more than the U.S. because I don’t want to be a part of the Iran conflicts.
We used to live in Nebraska but then we moved to Washington where we loved it because I hung out with my best friend in Washington: Lowell. In Washington I lived near “Port Orchard” (I don’t know if that’s what it’s called, my dad just calls it that) and I would drive about an hour to go see my grandparents and they would always be so glad to see us because I would always help them with projects at their home so they would finish faster.
My parents haven’t been deployed but my dad works in the shipyard, and my mom is a nurse. My dad stays at his computer most of the time and is always making jokes. My mom is a nurse who is very dedicated to her job. My mom works with many of her friends and my dad makes friends very fast, in fact he made a new friend in a 15 second elevator ride!
Being a military child gives me many opportunities to do more things like slight prices down and things like skills to make friends faster. I am proud of my family because my dad was in the army for about 15~20 years! My mom is also a great nurse and even had her photo posted throughout the hospital here on base!
I am glad that I am a military child because you move around and make new friends and have more opportunities to make more friends in many different places! My parents have never deployed for all I know and so I am happy for this because I like staying with my parents as much as possible, so I am glad that my parents don’t deploy on ships. My life as a military child has helped me to make who I am today because it shaped my character and my life around me.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Jade K.
Hello, my name is Jade Kelly. My topic is about when I had to experience new things. This story is about how I experienced change, and hard things. And changes through my life were difficult, but it was going to be okay. And I knew that it was. Because my parents know what is best for my family.
At the time when I was in Washington, my family and I had to move to Japan. It was hard for an experience like no other. To leave friends, family and my home that I loved dearly. But it was going to be ok. And I was going to make new friends. And have a really good home. And I would be happy and have an amazing new school to go to.
One of my challenges I had was moving away from Washington. The reason why I was sad to move is because I was in Washington my whole life. And I had so many friends there. And I loved my school. And another challenge is when I was not in the states anymore. Because all my family members live in the states. And it was really hard because I cannot see them that much anymore. And my grandparents are getting older and it is harder to fly for a longer time than usual. And on the first day of school here in fourth grade, I was crying for such a new change. But then it was okay.
This experience has taught me that I can do harder things than I know and I am so much better than I was before and this is an amazing place to be. I love it here!
(Photo courtesy of Jade K.)
This is my dad. He is a lawyer for the military.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Jacob J.
My name is Jacob, I’m a military child. Being a military child is an exciting adventure moving from place to place seeing new things and is fun. But another thing about being a military child is moving, moving can be sad and hard. I will be talking about my life as a military child.
First, I have lived in San Diego but I first lived in Los Angeles before military life. Moving to San Diego was hard because all my family was in Los Angeles and I had to leave them and school including my best friends but now I moved to Japan with new friends. Moving from place to place makes me feel sad and nervous, but I’m also excited. I felt sad when I moved because I would miss my family and friends. Also the reason I feel nervous when moving is because I’m anxious of the people not knowing how they might be like, and how the place might look like and the environment around it and school. And I feel excited when moving because of seeing new things that can be cool.
Secondly, One challenge I face is moving school every 2-3 years. Meeting new people can sometimes be hard. And another thing that’s hard about moving schools is that it affects my learning because moving takes a while and stops school progress. When my dad is away I feel sad and miss him when out for deployment. And due to deployment my dad misses a lot of things that happen. But my mom was there for us and we had each other and other family members.
In addition, being a military child helped me by giving me adaptability to moving to new places and meeting people. And also when going to flights we get free checked bags and priority boarding. And being a military child helped me by being put in schools with other military kids and being able to relate with problems. I am proud of my dad because he is hard working and he does his best to provide for my family and get the things we want and brings good and funny energy. I’m also proud of my family because they are also very hard workers and are loving and I’m proud of my heritage.
In conclusion, being a military child is fun. And even though some families lose a parent in the line of action it’s ok because it gets better. And meeting new people may be frightening but it’s ok because I got used to meeting new people. My life as a military child has taught me how to be brave when times are low. And to always expect something might go wrong and not the way we might want. And I learned that other kids have been through the things I have been through and I have friends that can relate. And things will always get better and it can be ok to be scared.
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What is Being a Military Child Means to Me
By: Stella Elizondo
My name is Stella E,and I am a military child.
Being a military child means that I have to move every 2-3 years. Also my dad has to go on deployment almost every month.
I have lived in California,Colorado,Maryland, and now I live in Japan.Moving from place to place makes me feel sad because I have to say goodbye to my old friends. I also feel happy because I get to meet new people and explore.
One challenge I face is that I have to meet new people, a new class, and a new teacher. Another reason is finding a new house to live in or to stay in for a few weeks.
Being a military child helped me because I get to see new places and explore multiple places and be in a safe place to live. I am proud of my family because they work really hard for everything like money to buy food,clothing, and a place to live.
My life as a military child has taught me to be strong because I have to do a lot of moves and I have to meet new people to have friends.
