If you are a military family, you know the hardships that can come up when separated from your person for any length of time. From not knowing how to get ahold of your loved one to not knowing how to deal with things after your person is deployed, there are so many things thrown at you that need to be navigated. Thankfully, technology can be helpful in these kinds of situations.
There are so many apps specifically created to uplift military families and guide them through the unique circumstances they deal with on a daily basis. Whether you are on base with your loved one or at home while they are overseas, these military apps for families are there to help.
Kovii
- Free app
- Great for a video call or text chat
- Lets people know if you are available
- Lets people know what you feel like chatting about
It can be tough to find a regular time to talk when your loved one is in another time zone or another country. Kovii makes the times you do get to talk a little easier. You can let others know when you want to talk, and even what you feel like talking about. You can let only certain people see you are available if there’s only one person you were hoping to catch.
Hero Care
- Free app
- Available in English and Spanish
- For military members and their family members
Hero Care is an app by American Red Cross to help military families be able to deal with the less than fun things that come up when a loved one is away on duty. If there is an emergency at home this app can help get the word to them. It will alert the military person’s commander and request military leave. Though that has to be approved by the commander, at least you can submit a request 24 hours a day, any day of the year.
There are also resources for family members such as mental health help, help with dealing with deployment, and career help.
Sandboxx
- Free app (mail postage still applies)
- Created by veterans
- Easiest way to send letters
Sandboxx was originally for military service personnel to stay connected with each other. Providing that internal support is extremely important for the military lifestyle. But now you can also send mail to your loved ones cheaper than going to the post office. You can take pictures of your letters and pictures and the app will send a snail mail version for you. You can even use it to plan your next visit to the base.
United Through Reading
- Free app
- For active military and veterans
- Access to book library
Learning about the United Through Reading app made us tear up a bit. If you are or know someone who is away on duty and has kids, you have to have this app. When you can’t make it for storytime, you can still be there in spirit. This app allows you to pick a story and record yourself reading it. Then you send it through the app to that little one waiting to be tucked into bed. Never miss a goodnight storytime session again with this app.
Sesame Street for Military Families
- Free app
- Available in English and Spanish
- Great parental and child guide
Sesame Street for Military Families is there for your family the way the show has always been there for all of us. If you are a service family struggling with talking about grief, deployment, or an injury, this app can walk your family through those tough times. It uses storybooks, guides, and videos to explain the harder stuff that kids may struggle with. This is the perfect app to help children deal with their feelings about being away from a parent on duty.
Military Discounts
- Free app
- Find stores that offer military discounts
- Save your favorite stores
- Filter out by military requirements
We all love a discount or coupon. With money management more important than ever these days, Military Discounts will be a great asset to you. Whether you are current military or retired, you and your family can use the discounts. Restaurants, shops, services, and more are on this app. You can search by whatever category you want and save all of your favorites for a faster checkout. Seriously, we were surprised by the number of places that offer a military discount.
MyBaseGuide
- Free app
- Family sharing function up to six family members
- Acts as a guide, directory, map, and more
MyBaseGuide is an app with one of the most comprehensive coverages of base information. Whether your person is in the Marine Corps, Navy, Army, Coast Guard, or Air Force, this app has all of the valuable information synced up. Use this to find a local dentist, school, employment, and whatever events and news is happening right on base.
We hope that these apps will make military life just a bit easier. Having a family can be challenging. Having a family with kids while one partner is away for extended periods of time is a whole other animal. That’s why you should take advantage of all of the support you can get out there. Find the help you need for yourself and your family while serving your country with these military family-friendly apps.
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