Deployment brings many challenges to families. One of the biggest is helping children cope when Mom or Dad isn’t available. The information providedhere may help you make things easier during a deployment.
Impactof Separation
- Emotions and Behavior: Children will go through emotional and behavioral stages of separation such as denial, anger, bargaining, and depression. These stages may be difficult to accept and experience; however, successful adjustment and emotional and spiritual health demands that we deal with them.
- Reaction to Change: There will be unexpected information flow — both negative and positive — that will, in turn, cause family members/Guard members to react in various ways. Be ready to listen and answer all questions.
- Roles and Responsibilities: There will be changes in roles of individuals as well as their responsibilities. Family members will have to pick up the responsibility for the role that the Guard member filled. Don’t expect them to fill the role the same way! They aren’t the same people.
- Economics: There may be an economic change because one family member is now out of the home.
Click on a topic on the right for more detailed information. External links to other useful web sites are also provided.