Observations show that, at the beginning of their existence, neutron stars are accelerated briskly to velocities of up to 1000 km/s. After a review of the observations, simulations, and some previous theoretical models, we will introduce a rather simple theoretical explanation capable of accounting for these kicks in a systematic effective-field-theory framework. Anomalies of the Standard Model of particle physics result in chiral transport terms in this effective (hydrodynamic) description. We will identify this chiral transport as an explanation for the drastic acceleration of neutron stars during the first few seconds of their existence.