Inspirational Thought

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 7:13 NIV

Sunday, March 22, 2009

Sylvia Rimm's Parenting Advice: Military Deployments Difficult for Children

Sunday March 22, 2009

Military Deployments Difficult For Children
Sylvia Rimm

Q. I have been on your Web site and could not find anything on the topic of military deployments and children. I have been married to my husband for 18 years, and we have weathered three one-year long deployments successfully. We have a 3-year-old little boy and this will be our first deployment with a child. A year without a daddy is far from ideal and I am worried. When I think about it, my heart breaks for him. I had to build a callus over my heart to live in these cycles of deployments. Yes, I know that "people do it all the time," and that "children are resilient," and most "turn out fine." I am searching for advice on what to do before deployment, during deployment and after deployment that will maximize my son's mental health. I want this year to have the least damaging effect as possible. Do you have advice?

A. Thanks for bringing this omission to my attention. I will not only answer your question, and place it on my Web site, but I'll invite other military families to write in their questions on my Web site and prioritize answering their questions. It is a small way in which I can express my appreciation to our troops and to their families for the sacrifices they're making for our country.

You are correct that "children are resilient" and most "turn out fine," but nevertheless this will be a difficult time for you, your husband and your son. Your most important priority is to build a support system for yourself and your son. Finding close family members and friends with whom you can socialize and celebrate holidays and birthdays is crucial. If there are other military families with one parent away on deployment, that can help your little guy to not feel so alone without his daddy.

Before your husband leaves, help him put together a book of pictures and messages you'll be able to share with your son a page at a time while his dad isn't able to communicate with him. For example, there can be Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthday, first day of spring pages, so that in case there are long periods of time that you can't actually communicate there will be greetings and stories you can share with your son from his dad. While your husband is gone, cell phone calls, e-mails and pictures sent both ways can help your husband feel close to your son's growing up and can help your son understand what his daddy is doing and where he is. You can involve your little guy in sending care packages to his dad as well. Talk to your son about his daddy for a little while each day. While you can express how much you miss his daddy and how much daddy misses you both, be reasonably matter-of-fact about it, although occasional tears are also good emotions to express.

Finally, about a month before your husband comes home, it can be time to start counting days off on a calendar to get ready for the hugs and kisses that you and your son yearn for. Blending dad back into the family can be somewhat difficult, but if you don't make significant changes in routine for the year that dad is gone, then you won't have to make huge changes when he returns. Also, if you've managed to keep your husband updated on your son's development, it will be somewhat smoother for him to adjust to coming home.

For a free newsletter about "How To Parent So Children Will Learn," send a large self-addressed, stamped envelope to P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI, 53094, or go to www.sylviarimm.com for more parenting information.

Dr. Sylvia B. Rimm is the director of the Family Achievement Clinic in Cleveland, Ohio, a clinical professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and the author of many books on parenting. More information on raising kids is available at www.sylviarimm.com. Please send questions to: Sylvia B. Rimm on Raising Kids, P.O. Box 32, Watertown, WI 53094 or srimm@sylviarimm.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Our first deployment with children was when my oldest daughter was 3. During our upcoming third deployment with children she will be 9 and our youngest daughter 4. I find it is key for the children to maintain an emotional connection with the deployed parent. We have employed things like Daddy dolls, e-mail, pre-recorded bedtime songs, . . . . My daugher particularly enjoyed collecting school supplies for Iraqi children and mailing silly little toys to daddy. The one my 3 year-old enjoyed the most was a small art kit my mother mailed to my husband. He drew and mailed her little pictures, and comic book style illustrations. It's Easter, how about a picture of daddy and a cammel with bunny ears? Want to know what daddy is doing? How about a 3 panel commic strip of people with no TV, then soldiers fixing the communication equipment, then happy people with a working television. He also e-mail pictures of himslef with our daughter's favorite stuffed animal photoshopped in funny locations. I put her letters from daddy in page protectors in a 3-ring binder, and had her decorate the cover with stickers and such. 6 years later, she still enjoys looking at them.

DOakley said...

Some great ideas, Jennifer.