My husband is leaving on his second tour of duty in Iraq.. The first time he went I was pregnant with our son and he was just an infant and then my husband returned right after his first birthday but this time my son is 3 and very much a daddys boy any ideas how i can help him cope with his daddy being gone for a year?
2007-10-18 18:26:47 · 7 answers · asked by Heather B 3 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Toddler & Preschooler
Put pictures in your son's room. Keep telling him that daddy is a hero and helping people in need. Will your hubby have access to internet while deployed? If so how about getting a webcam so they can send videos back and forth. Also, can your hubby take a regular video camera with him. How about him sending tapes to your son to watch?
2007-10-18 18:32:08 · answer #1 · answered by Ryan's mom 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Maybe you could find a 'special' book to read to your child before your husband leaves and then continue it while he's gone. I'm not sure if they make these kind of books, but they are a great idea if they do. A book that explains why daddy is gone and what daddy is doing...but in toddler language. They have books for everything else, I can't imagine there wouldn't be this type of book out there.
2007-10-19 02:00:17 · answer #2 · answered by Nikki in PA 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Have dad leave him a tshirt of his for your son to sleep in every night, and maybe even a special book that they pick out together before he leaves and you read to him whenever he starts to miss his dad. I'd also put together a "daddy and me" photo album that's small enough for your son to handle without your help, and let him look at it whenever and as often as he likes. Get him and dad each a small matching flashlight, find a point on the sky, and tell him that he and daddy will both point their lights at the same spot every night at the same time to say "goodnight" to each other (I realize it won't be night for your husband, but you get the idea).
Hope these help!
2007-10-19 02:10:39 · answer #3 · answered by Magaroni 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When my son was 3 and my dh was gone for 10 months I mae a huge paper chain - one link for every day. I hooked it all up to the walls of his room, it was huge!! In the middle of the chain I had a picture of his dad. Then every night before bed my son would take one link off the chain.
When dh was held up an extra 2 weeks I just snuck into the room and added an extra 14 links on, he didn't even notice.
I found that it was tough to try to explain to a young child what was going on, they just had to experience it unfortunately.
2007-10-19 02:13:57 · answer #4 · answered by pinkpiglet126 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I know how hard it is going through a deployment as a wife but to have children on top of it, I couldn't imagine. My heart goes out to you and your family. We will be praying for you. I actually read the Chicken Soup for the Military Wives Soul and there were some cute ideas to help kids get through the deployment times. It's a really good book and I recommend it to all Military families.
2007-10-19 02:28:40 · answer #5 · answered by b1alto 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
make sure that you have a picture or two of your husband where your little boy can see them. one in his room, one on the refrigerator. have your husband give him a big hug and let him know that he loves him. and you can make sure that you let him know that daddy loves him very much and thinks about him every day. good luck
2007-10-19 01:50:06 · answer #6 · answered by markieshoney 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i dont know what to do about your son, but i wish the best of luck to your husband because hes definitely going to need it in iraq and with president bush
2007-10-19 01:38:30 · answer #7 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋