Military parents are under so much stress before and during deployment. Your willingness to join them in finding ways to help them all stay connected will mean so much to them!
The deployed parent will be hungry for any information about his or her child. Here are just a few suggestions for ways that you can be involved in helping the deployed parent stay in touch with the child’s everyday life:
- Children change so quickly, especially during infancy and toddlerhood. Photos and videos of “firsts” and other memorable moments can help keep a parent from feeling as if he/she has missed out on important events.
- Knowing what’s going on in everyday life is also important to parents. Share a “diary” of a child’s typical day, complete with photos, if possible. Send a monthly activity calendar so that the parent can ask the child about special events. Take photos or video of field trips, special events, or activities that are particular favorites for that child.
- Now and then, survey the child on his or her current “favorites”: favorite food, color, song, storybook, playmate, toy, or game, etc. Write down the responses and add pictures and/or make audio or video recordings to illustrate, if possible.
- If the deployed parent is able to get “care” packages, regularly collect things that the child has made. Being able to handle an actual picture the child drew or a real Lego structure the child built can be so meaningful to a parent who’s away from home.
These are just a few ideas. For more, check out How Child Care Providers Can Help Deployed Parents and Their Children Stay Connected.
Although there are many ways to support the parent-child relationship, what you choose will depend on the age of the child, the limitations that the military assignment will place on communication, and, most importantly, the wishes of the parents themselves. Whatever you choose to do, the most important thing is to be a sensitive partner with the parents before and during deployment.
