When A Parent Is Deployed

When a parent is deployed with the military it can be very traumatic for the children left behind. Having things for them to do, that makes them feel a part of the family and helping the parent who is gone, is really important.

Here is a list of things you can plan that should help ease the pain of having mom or dad gone.

We all have happy and sad feelings about our parent leaving. It is important that we talk about them with our families. Have the child (children) make two lists. One with YOUR HAPPY FEELINGS and one with YOUR SAD FEELINGS. Sit down and discuss these lists and explain the feelings that they don't understand or answer questions.

Get a map and place it on the wall and show the kids where mom or dad has gone. They can stick a pin in it or place a small flag on the map. They might get a sheet of stickers and put them where the parent is, where they are, where the grandparents are, etc.

Get the kids a tablet with lined paper and show them how to write letters to the parent. Here they can also use stickers and draw pictures.

Make a list of things that kids can do to cheer the family up like: do some chores, write letters, sing a song they wrote, tell their best joke and add your ideas to the list.

You might want to take a calendar and mark special days and holidays that will be happening while the parent is gone.

If the child (children) are old enough to write, suggest they keep a journal (buy them a book to write in). Then when the parent comes home they can share the journal with the parent. That gets the parent caught up on events and thoughts the kids had while they were gone. Another thing you could do is tear out the page and send it to the parent each week.

You might have a cookout and invite other friends whose mom or dad is also deployed. You could also invite a new family that just moved into the neighborhood.

If you have a major holiday, i.e., Thanksgiving, while the parent is gone, turn on the tape recorder during the dinner so mom or dad can hear the conversations. Have the kids make a list of all the food that you had to eat. Take lots of pictures to send. Have everyone say a special message to the parent.

Have the kids write a poem and send it. Have the kids make a secret code, write a message in the code and send both to the parent. Another neat letter to send would be made of words cut from the newspaper or magazines.

Take pictures of important events: new haircuts, birthdays, parties, etc. Let the kids take pictures. Have them take pictures of the family pets and tell a story to go along with the pictures.

Always remind the child that whether it is mom or dad that is at home or away....they are always a family.

About the Author:

Elizabeth Ann Scaling Tucker is a retired grandmother of 5. She retired after 35 1/2 years with the Department of Defense. In her retirement years, she is a grandchild sitter and an assistant webmaster for family websites. You can see one of the websites at http://www.theclassicbabystore.com

---

6 Signs You?re A High Maintenance Parent

The children of Baby Boomers, the Echo Generation, are entering college in increasing numbers. Getting into the best schools is increasingly competitive. Having good grades, a great... Read More

Theres Never a Bad Time To Start Helping To Spread The Word of God

Q. What's the right age to start giving a Bible quiz to my child?A. The moment that she is able to recognize pictures or symbols. It's never... Read More

Send the Kids Outside!

Think back to your own childhood. Chances are, some of your fondest memories are of outdoor activities and places. Perhaps you had a favorite climbing tree or... Read More

Should The Dad-To-Be Attend The Birth?

Not so long ago a dad-to-be would pace up and down outside the labor room and would be admitted only after the birth. Modern practice is to... Read More

Registering a Birth in Scotland

Who Can Register A Birth? The child's mother or father should register the birth within 21 days. However, a father who is not married to... Read More

Picky Eaters - Successful Strategies Part 1

What is in a name?The answer is everything!Jo J. of Victoria, Texas said that her son was a very picky eater between the ages of four and... Read More

Influencing Adolescents - Guided Democracy

You need to smart to be able influence adolescents. You need to be able to stand back a little, hold your tongue and wait your turn to... Read More

Illegal and Legal Drug Usage in the United States

How bad is the illegal drug problem here in the US? Very bad and it alters the brain's thought process and causes a problem with human interaction... Read More

Parenting Your Teenager: 6 Tips for Effective Discipline and Consequences

A parent writes in, ``We are having a hard time in our family deciding on appropriate punishments when our teen-ager breaks family rules. We can't tell if... Read More

Tips for Single Parents

Prioritize. Learn to say No. Steal some time for yourself.Don't be too proud to ask for help.Don't be too proud to accept help.Listen to those people around... Read More

Some Thoughts on Counseling Goals for ADHD

What should the goals for counseling be when the patient has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder? Every therapist will have their own opinions, but I'll give you... Read More

Two Means Trouble

You have two kids who are 14 months apart. How cute, they look alot alike...are they twins? One is taller and more mature than the other, so... Read More

Diapers: Do You Choose Disposable Or Reusable?

Diapers..Changing a dirty diaper is not the best part of having a baby, but there's no escaping it. And you'd better get used to it - you'll... Read More

How to Make a Time Capsule

Looking for an unusual and memorable gift? Why not preserve a slice of history by creating a time capsule for your loved one?A personalized time capsule can... Read More

Misplaced Passion

"Before every action, ask yourself: Will this bring more monkeys on my back? Will the result of my action be a blessing or a heavy burden?" --Alfred... Read More

A Child Can Make a Difference

Sometimes dreams really can come true! May 8th - 11th, 2000, my daughter and I traveled to Disney World in Orlando, Florida, because of a dream my... Read More

Thriving As A Family When You Live In The Fast lane

It is extraordinary times that we find ourselves in. Change is now an entrenched way of life. Most of us don't blink when new piece of technology... Read More

Toxic Chemicals, Are Your Children Being Exposed?

You do what you can to keep your little ones safe and healthy in this world we live in. You put your household cleaners out of reach... Read More

Anti Scooter Media Frenzy

An estimated five million scooters will be sold this year and according to the U.S. Product Safety Commission 26,000 scooter-related injuries were reported before the end of... Read More

Advising Teens? Getting Your Point Across

Giving advice to a teenager is very easy; getting a teenager to take that advice is another matter altogether. It's not only a case of the advice... Read More

No, No, No -- What Else is a Parent to Say?

The word no is probably the most overused word in the English language. I speak from experience since I myself use it frequently.I might begin a normal... Read More

Andy Griffith Show Family Lessons

Although it might seem pretty corny to a lot of folks today, the old Andy Griffith Show really did have a lot of common sense family values... Read More

Childhood Obesity & Parents Healthy Food Confusion

Many parents struggle to know which foods are healthy for their children. When they are able to opt for healthy choices, about two-thirds struggle to get their... Read More

Let?s Google and Yahoo Our Kids? Education

I love Google and Yahoo. With Google and Yahoo I can search the Internet on any subject that interests me, at any time day or night, in... Read More

Learning my Childs Way

Home schooling. What is it? What does it mean to you? How do you home school? These were just some of the questions I had when we... Read More

Some Tips for Healthy Parenting

Looking back through my files I've come across several great tips for Parents. Here are just a few that I hope will be helpful to you as... Read More