Young Reporters Ask All the Right Questions About Helping Military Families

First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden are interviewed by young reporters during a kids magazine roundtable in the First Lady’s Office in the East Wing of the White House, Jan. 18, 2013. (Official White House Photo by Sonya Hebert)

Yesterday, the First Lady and Dr. Biden sat down with four exceptional young reporters from kids’ magazines to talk about their initiative to support military families, Joining Forces. The reporters – from Highlights, National Geographic Kids, Scholastic and TIME for Kids – asked some great questions about the initiative and how kids can help!

Some of the takeaways?

• Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden talked about how they encourage all Americans to look for ways to honor and support military families, and Dr. Biden said when her son Beau was deployed their church put his name in the bulletin to pray for him, people brought meals over, and someone shoveled her daughter-in-law’s driveway during a snowstorm. 
• Asked about advice for a military child who moves a lot, Dr. Biden encouraged them to get involved in sports teams and school activities. And as a teacher herself, she talked about how teachers can get involved to reach out to military kids. For example, Dr. Biden’s granddaughters’ teacher put a picture of her dad’s unit outside of her classroom so the entire class would know Beau was deployed. 
• Mrs. Obama encouraged all the kids’ magazines’ readers to think “what can I do?” for a new kid in school – especially a new military kid. 

And tonight, Mrs. Obama and Dr. Biden are going to team up again to support military families – this time at the “Kids’ Inaugural: Our Children. Our Future” concert. Invited guests at the concert include families of active duty, reserve and retired service members – and with great performers from Katy Perry to Usher to members of the Glee! Cast, the concert will be a great way to thank military kids, who serve right alongside their parents.

The concert starts at 6 pm ET and you can tune in at www.2013pic.org/live. We hope you enjoy the concert and use it as an opportunity to think about what act of kindness you can do for a military family!