Many schools are off today to honor Veteran’s Day. If your kids are home like mine, you may be faced with a disconnect between the purpose of the holiday and the amount of time your kids want to play video games. Going into this weekend, my son thought Monday was just a day off from school.
With friends and family who have served or are still serving in our military, I just wasn’t okay with my son thinking he got an extra day to ride his bike, play video games, and hang with friends. While those are perfectly okay to roll into the day off, I wanted him to also understand that the day is for honoring those who serve in our military. That without those people who chose to serve our country, his day off from school to galavant around the neighborhood wouldn’t be possible.
Here’s a two easy things you can do with your kids to make Veteran’s Day about the veterans.
Write a letter to a service man or woman
We bought a couple of cards at the dollar store. My son is tasked with thanking them for their service, asking 3 questions about life in the military, and writing 3 sentences about what its like to be a third grader in the Bay Area. We’re also sending some blank paper and a self-addressed envelopes so that our American Heroes can write back without having to spend his/her own money on supplies. If you want to write a letter but don’t know where to start or who to send it, then check out Operation Any Soldier.
Make a trip to a Vet Center
Make a short trip to the Vet Center in San Jose to thank a veteran in person. Drop off some cookies and shake a hand with a real hero. It’s an easy way to make someone’s day… and to give your kid an opportunity to begin to support our troops.
It still leaves plenty of time to celebrate our freedom with a day off from school. But it also gives some time to respect and honor those who serve and sacrifice.
