Sharing Memorial Day with Your Children

This is Memorial Day weekend here in the United States. All around us are signs that summer is approaching - the weather is getting warmer, barbecues are out, farmers markets are open, and the Cleveland Indians are in first place. In recent years it seems as if Memorial Day has more and more just come to signal "the unofficial start of summer" (as one newscaster stated recently) and an opportunity to snag some great deals at your favorite stores.


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 But Memorial Day is about so much more than that. Perhaps I feel it more keenly because I grew up on military installations around the world. I am the daughter, granddaughter, niece, and cousin of career Air Force veterans and an active duty Army soldier. It was easy to understand the meaning of Memorial Day when you were surrounded by the day-to-day activities of protecting and defending our country.

Now that I'm a full-fledged "civvie" (aka civilian), I ask myself each year how I can properly teach Little Girl about the importance of Memorial Day. I want her to understand the role our military personnel have played over the years in helping to ensure the freedoms she enjoys as an American citizen are always hers to enjoy.

The concepts of Memorial Day are often challenging for young children to understand. "Freedom" and the benefits that go with it are very abstract ideas and the concept of death can be very scary to some kids. If you have a young child like me, perhaps these tips and ideas will help you introduce Memoral Day and its significance to your little American:

• Ask your child. Start by asking what she thinks Memorial Day is. Some schools teach about the day, so asking what your child already knows will help you decide where to take the conversation.
• Have a short vocabulary lesson. Talk about what it means to remember something or someone. Explain that when we remember someone in a specific way, like with a picture or a story or a gravestone, we are memorializing them and that's where the term Memorial Day comes from.
• Put out the flag. Let your child help you put your flag out on Memorial Day. Talk with him about the meanings of our flag and the things that it symbolizes.
• Read a book. There have been lots of books written about Memorial Day and about soldiers and other military members. Head to your local library and find one or two age-appropriate ones that can help tell the story of our country and our military to your wee one. Sit together to read and discuss the story.
• Cemetery walk. If you think it's appropriate for your child's age and personality, take a family trip to a nearby cemetery. If possible, make it a military cemetery. The visual of the flags, flowers, and other decorations will help make the abstract idea of Memorial Day more concrete in your little one's mind.
• Hit the parade. If there's a parade in your neighborhood and your child handles crowds well, grab the folding chairs and snag your spot on the parade route. The activity will be exciting for your child and you'll have the opportunity to talk to them about all the various symbols of our country that will show up as the parade passes.

There are also lots of resources on the internet to help you explain Memorial Day to your children, including coloring pages, puzzles, crafts and activities, poems, and more. (These links all came from the same website, but a search for "teaching kids Memorial Day" yields a lengthy list of other resources as well.)

What will you be doing to teach your child the importance of Memorial Day?