I am thrilled to welcome guest blogger, Miranda from the Etsy shop, Love From Home Care Packages. She’s offering her insight as a military wife and mom on how to get your kids (even your young ones!) interested and involved with making care packages. Make sure you read to the bottom– Miranda has a wonderful, exclusive giveaway just for Jo, My Gosh! readers.
Get artsy!
My daughter has been finger-painting since she was 6 months old. She loves it, and with so many baby safe non-toxic options nowadays that you can buy or make yourself, it’s easy for our little ones to get creative. This is a great option for the younger kiddos. It might be messy, but it is a lot of fun for them to do and fun for your service member to receive. A care package with painted flaps from your very own mini Picasso is guaranteed to brighten your service member’s day! Of course, it doesn’t have to be paint. For older children using anything to create art works great: colored pencils, crayons, markers, stickers, etc. (Looking for easy craft ideas for kids and care packages? Here are 16 ideas to get you started.)
Go shopping.
A lot goes into making a care package extra special for your service member, and the decorations aren’t the only important part. What you fill the box with is just as important! Favorite snacks, reading material, clothing, etc. are what make the package come together. This is a great opportunity to involve your little one. Allow them to go shopping with you and have them pick out one or two things they would like to send their parent. It can be something they know their parent loves or something they enjoy themselves that they would like to share with their parent. Something as simple as a package of cookies or a stuffed bear will add that excitement of them being involved.
Organize a mini photo shoot.
Visual images of the little ones growing are so important for deployed servicemen and women. They are already missing out on so much and pictures can really help them feel more connected to your children growing up. Having a simple photo shoot of your little one holding a sign saying “I miss you mom/dad!” or taking many photos with wooden letters that spell out “dad/mom” and making a collage is great too! It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. A quick snap from your cellphone camera will work just fine! You can have the images printed out and sent in the box. That way they can take them and hang them on their wall, or keep them in their pack as a reminder of the love they have waiting at home.
Write a note.
If your child is old enough, a personal note is a great way to get involved with putting together a care package. It allows your little one to get their feelings out and it will be very special for your service member to read. Even something as simple as your little one explaining how their day was, or writing about something fun they did. It will help your service member feel more connected to life at home. If they can’t write on their own, ask them what they would like to tell their parent about and do the writing for them.
Make a voice recording.
A popular thing to do in a military family is to have the deployed service member leave a voice recording for a child to hear while away. It’s just as good of an idea to have a voice recording of the child to send to a deployed parent! There are many ways this can be done. It can be programmed into a card, a stuffed animal, and even a book! Even if your little one isn’t saying full words just the simply cooing or laughing of small baby is meaningful.
Miranda is a self-described small time blogger who enjoys spending time with her daughter, military husband, and fur babies. She is currently a stay at home mom studying to be a Veterinary Technician while running an Etsy shop selling care package designs. Her hobbies include crafting, volunteering at the local animal shelter, and cross stitching.
