“Preparing for deployment is an overwhelming time for anyone. Throw kids into the mix, and it is downright daunting. Children can sense energy and anticipation, so it’s crucial to help them feel secure in the weeks and days leading up to the deployment.” – Snippet from 5 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Deployment
Below you will find resources and encouragement for the children of the service member.
From over a decade in the military, our family still doesn’t have it all figured out. There is no solid plan or guideline to deployment and the time before it. But you can always count on some tear-stained goodbyes, Murphy’s Law moments, and challenging times. For now, our kids will hug their Daddy Dolls and remember the fun we had over the summer and during our last few weeks before deployment. And hopefully, our deployment time will also pass before we know it. – Snippet from There is Never Enough Time Before a Deployment
The Military Mom Collective is here to help encourage and support you before, during, and after deployment.
Military Kids Connect is an online community for military children ages 6-17, and provides access to age-appropriate resources to support children dealing with the unique psychological challenges of military life. MKC offers informative activities, helpful videos, and an online community that can build and reinforce understanding, resilience, and coping skills in military children and their peers.
As parents, we want to be good role models for our children. When word of a deployment comes, you’ll get a chance to show your kids what it takes to be a good guardian of your family.
Your children will be looking at your lead and leaning on your strength. At any point of the deployment cycle, you can turn to Military OneSource for help.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Child for Deployment
“Preparing for deployment is an overwhelming time for anyone. Throw kids into the mix, and it is downright daunting. Children can sense energy and anticipation, so it’s crucial to help them feel secure in the weeks and days leading up to the deployment.” – Christine Leverette
Deployment: A Child’s Perspective
“Understanding how a deployment is affecting young children such as infants and toddlers is tough because they cannot fully communicate their feelings. And let’s be honest, toddlers are complex little beings with different emotions every minute of the day.” – Aishah Eljirby
Bruises Fade: Advice to My Teenage Military Child
“No matter how much you decorate another move with excitement and bows, sometimes a new home and school does not feel like a gift, but a punch to the gut. Another deployment can shatter a tiny heart that’s just been pieced back together from the previous deployment.” – Janna Hudson
