Parenting Through Deployment

For MilParents, deployment preparation has an extra, important step — preparing your children for each phase of the deployment cycle (before, during and after deployment). There may not be one right way to prepare children for a deployment, but you can use these tools, resources and methods to create a customized plan to support your family.

Put your textbooks away. There is no by-the-book way to prepare your child for the separation that comes with deployment. Formulating a family-specific plan for your military deployment will take parental instinct, communication and planning. Use these resources, tools and tips to help you stay connected during deployment:

• Deployment Resources for Families
• Plan My Deployment: A Must-Have Tool for Deploying and Coming Home
• Preparing as a Family
• Staying Connected With Your Child’s Teachers During a Deployment

Birth doesn’t wait for deployment to end. Whether you are the spouse of a deployed service member who has just given birth or a service member away from the magical moment, you can still be connected to each other and experience the delivery. Military OneSource provides strategies to stay connected to your growing family.

A deployment can bring out strong emotions in family members and cause stress and anxiety, especially in children. By understanding how preschool and school-age children react during deployments and preparing ahead of time for this big change, you can make sure each phase of the deployment is successful. Use these tips and resources to help create your own plan for supporting your children through each phase of the deployment cycle.

• 15 Tips for Helping Your Teenager Deal With Deployment
• Supporting Children and Youth During Deployment

Sesame Street for Military Families has programs and videos for children whose parents are deploying.

• Sesame Street for Military Families

ZERO TO THREE offers Military Family Project resources to help parents communicate the challenges of military life with their young children ages 0-3, including preparing for deployment, handling separation and reintegrating after deployment.

• Military family resources from ZERO TO THREE

Share these books and videos with young children to help them understand the stages and emotions associated with deployment:

Reunion after deployment can cause mixed emotions. While it is often an exciting time, some stress also is normal. Whether this is your family’s first or fifth reunion, each one is different and the change can be challenging. Be patient with yourself, your spouse and your children, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.