My husband is in the Navy and will be leaving for some time. He is going to be gone for about 4 months, and our son will be around 7-8 months old when he gets back. I am worried our son won't know who he is when he gets back, and my husband will be upset when he tries to spend time with him and he cries. Any advice?
2007-02-05 06:07:31 · 14 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
Oh...I'm so sorry. My close friend just went through this. Her words are, "It was harder on me than the baby." Just try to talk to the baby about daddy as much as possible and vice versa. You can get little baby-safe photo books that they can hold, slobber on, etc. Show him that book like you would any other picture book. Try to sound excited and say "Yea...there's daddy! Daddy loves you sooo much." when you show him the pictures. If there's an item of your husband's that the baby could safely keep -- like a couple of his t-shirts to snuggle with, then your husband could wear them when he returns to make him seem more "comfortable" to your son. There will probably be a little "readjustment" period after you husband returns, but it won't take long. Hang in there - good luck.
2007-02-05 06:16:19 · answer #1 · answered by java girl 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Your baby can still be familiar with his daddy! A few suggestions are to:
1. Record Daddy's voice singing a lullabye. Babies don't care if you have a good singing voice or not, and play the recording at night before every bedtime.
2. Make a soft book (you can buy them too) that has openings for photographs. Put Daddy's photo in the book and read the story to your baby- he will start to recognize the photo and the story of his Daddy. You can tell the story about how much Daddy misses Baby.
3. When you talk to your DH on the phone, put it on speaker phone. Even if the conversation is jsut between you and DH, the baby will start to recognize your two voices in conversation together.
4. Keep some of Daddy's cologne on a special baby blanket- not much, but just a little so Daddy's smell is familiar when he gets back.
Hope some of these help. Also, remind Daddy that all babies take time to get reaquainted with someone who has been gone, even if that person was only gone for a week. If you allow Baby to have some one on one time with Daddy, he may be upset for a while but soon will get used to be cared for by Daddy again. Just don't "come to the rescue" every time Baby cries at first with Daddy.
Best wishes for you and your family!!
2007-02-05 06:19:00 · answer #2 · answered by quirky 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My husband was a truck driver and we had the same fears, but my son just adores my husband. My husband was gone for about 1 or 2 months at a time. My son did cry at first when my husband picked him up, but then was happy to see him. Wish you and yours all the best.
My sister in law told me that when her husband went to Iraq they put together a photo album of her family, so that her son would know who he was when he came back.
2007-02-05 06:44:23 · answer #3 · answered by Rosey55 D 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry. Your son will remember his father. Just keep pictures and show them to your son. My husband is in the army and he was gone for 13 months.
2007-02-05 06:17:15 · answer #4 · answered by sherrynall 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Make a Daddy Loves You Book full of pictures of your son with his dad, you and dad, etc. Look at it with him often. The video is a great idea too.
Get a webcam and voice chat so you and your son can interact with dad via the Internet.
Talk about dad everyday.
2007-02-05 06:21:07 · answer #5 · answered by murkglider 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A video tape and a tape of his voice might help some but in general baby is going to forget but babies react very well to someone who loves them and will catch back up with Dad really quick but you might warn your husband ahead of time that it will take the baby a while to adjust back to him being home.
2007-02-05 06:49:26 · answer #6 · answered by elaeblue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take lots of videos and pictures of them together
or get a tape recorder and record your husband saying somthing to the baby,and then play it everyday while he's away and then the baby will know his daddy's voice when your husband returns.
2007-02-05 06:14:27 · answer #7 · answered by lilangel_04_02 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
what about a webcam that your hubby could talk to your son on? Or video tape? Include him in your everyday conversations, and when you talk to him let him talk too. When he comes back, dont push one on one time with daddy and son right away, even though he will know who he is it will take adjusting, on both sides. Good luck!
2007-02-05 06:18:03 · answer #8 · answered by Bunker J 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I don't have advice but my brother left over seas when his daughter was three months old and returned when she was 11 months and it took her one day and she just knew. Then he left two weeks later for about 7 months and when he came back again she just knew and was daddies little girl.
Oh yeah make sure you show your baby its daddy's picture everyday and tell them who it is evintually they will say daddy everytime they pass it.
Good luck and God Bless! Tell your husband thankyou!!!!
2007-02-05 06:16:24 · answer #9 · answered by neicee 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All three of our kids have been without their dad during his deployments. They always remembered him when he came back. Keep pictures around and when he calls let him talk to the baby. Don't worry and best of luck with this deployment.
2007-02-05 06:25:14 · answer #10 · answered by crystalpink22 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋