My husband is currently deployed and is getting closer to being home. My 3 year old has been having a rough couple days. I went to put him to bed tonight and he started crying when I asked him what was wrong he told me "daddy needs to come home, I miss daddy" and I laid there with him comforting telling him all the things they will be doing when my husband got home and he went to sleep. He has been asking about his daddy everyday and asking he when he is going to be home, if daddy is mad at him. I tell him everyday that my husband will be home, show him picks and let him know that he loves and misses him. I also have a 10 month old so I do the same for both of them. Any other tips that I can do to get them though the last few weeks. This is my first deployment so its all new to me. Thank you for reading this.

I wish I had advice for you or some other tips. Just keep doing the same thing you've been doing and hopefully the next few weeks will fly by.

I'm going through the same thing with my daughter too, and it sucks. I hate seeing her happy one minute and sad the next, crying for her daddy.

Put a calendar in sight and mark it for the day he comes home (or a few days later just in case...kids don't understand delays). Then let him mark off each day as it passes so he can see that it's getting closer to daddy being home.

Or you could put some hershey's kisses in a jar, and let your son know that when they are all gone, daddy will be home. You need one kiss for each day, and maybe a couple more just in case of delays.

Any kind of countdown your son can see will help him with this. He needs something more visual since he doesn't really have a concept of time.

I need to go get some hersery kisses or m&m's . Thank you

Put a calendar in sight and mark it for the day he comes home (or a few days later just in case...kids don't understand delays). Then let him mark off each day as it passes so he can see that it's getting closer to daddy being home.

Or you could put some hershey's kisses in a jar, and let your son know that when they are all gone, daddy will be home. You need one kiss for each day, and maybe a couple more just in case of delays.

Any kind of countdown your son can see will help him with this. He needs something more visual since he doesn't really have a concept of time.

:goodidea:agree

Keep the kids busy and their mind off of it as much as possible....even switch up bedtime routines until he gets home so that theyre focused on something else at bedtime
deployments are rough...your doing everything just right....keep reassuring them that their dad loves them and that he will be home soon....ull see that as soon as your DH gets home your kids will forget about what they said while he was gone and be happy to see their dad...its just temporary so reassurance is the key..n remind of some of the things their dad did with them when he was home and how theyll do them all again when he gets home....for young minds....deployment is unfathomable

Make a paper chain and let him take off a link every day.. DD loved doing that.. she also loved coloring pictures for daddy.. I also told her about all the important things daddy was doing.. she loved hearing about all of that.

Did you ever get a copy of the Talk, Listen, Connect DVD from onesource?

Make a paper chain and let him take off a link every day.. DD loved doing that.. she also loved coloring pictures for daddy.. I also told her about all the important things daddy was doing.. she loved hearing about all of that.

Did you ever get a copy of the Talk, Listen, Connect DVD from onesource?

Yeah I do have that video but it doesnt do anything for him.

Yeah I do have that video but it doesnt do anything for him.

hmm.. Cam loved it.. she loved watching Elmo's daddy. The next time he goes on deployment we're gonna have a world map so that she can mark where daddy is. She'll be 6 or 7 when that happens..

We usually make a huge paper chain and hang it around a room that we'll be in a whole bunch...like the dining room or living room. The kids and I make it together for the last 2 months of the deployment and then every night we take one link off. Children...especially when young, dont get the concept of time but they definately...almost instinctively know when something gets smaller!! At the end of the chain we hang a huge homemade sign that says Daddycomes home today!! It usually helps with the spirit. Another thing that may help next deployment is to video record your hubby reading and singing and talking and interacting with the children so they have a way to feel close to him while he is gone! I know that prob doesn't help now, but maybe next time!! Keep up with what you are doing your already doing a great job with them!

All I can say is: :bigsadhug:bigsadhug:bigsadhug



And, your children are adorable!!!

All I can say is: :bigsadhug:bigsadhug:bigsadhug



And, your children are adorable!!!

THank you.

I haven't been in your shoes yet, but my time is coming. I think everything you're doing is wonderful, and just being patient and letting your babies know daddy will be home, he's just at work for a long time. :hugs

thank you for all the advice ladies. Cody has gotten better and now understands that daddy will be home. I am still going to try the jar of candy, it will help and he will feel as if its a treat for being good for waiting.

Put a calendar in sight and mark it for the day he comes home (or a few days later just in case...kids don't understand delays). Then let him mark off each day as it passes so he can see that it's getting closer to daddy being home.

Or you could put some hershey's kisses in a jar, and let your son know that when they are all gone, daddy will be home. You need one kiss for each day, and maybe a couple more just in case of delays.

Any kind of countdown your son can see will help him with this. He needs something more visual since he doesn't really have a concept of time.

Great ideas! Visuals work well!
Can you start making posters and signs? That way he can be creative and getting ready.

i would suggest that you get him a shirt with your DH cologne on it and let him sleep with it. i would put a picture on his wall or near his bed and let him kiss his daddy to bed. my kids are in a deployment group at school and they made feeling wheels, so they could tell us how they were feeling, great for my 5 year old. also they made a star and we keep it in their room and daddy has one just like it so they can look at it and know that daddy has one too. we have lots of pictures, and we also made a movie of daddy before he left and they can watch it whenever they want. i tend to shy away from the paper chains because if the homecoming date changes it makes it really hard to explain that to them. i will do a paper chain from the 2 week mark. but not any earlier that is just me. i hope he starts to feel better. i also do special treat days every now and then little surprised to look forward to at the end of the week, a trip to mcdonalds playland or chuckee cheese something like that. so they have those small milestones to count down to. good luck

Put a calendar in sight and mark it for the day he comes home (or a few days later just in case...kids don't understand delays). Then let him mark off each day as it passes so he can see that it's getting closer to daddy being home.

Or you could put some hershey's kisses in a jar, and let your son know that when they are all gone, daddy will be home. You need one kiss for each day, and maybe a couple more just in case of delays.

Any kind of countdown your son can see will help him with this. He needs something more visual since he doesn't really have a concept of time.
or jelly beans. what I would do is fill a jar with jelly beans the number of days he's gone. let's say 50 for example purposes. than everyday let him eat one. they will go down and as they dwindle down you shake it. look look it's getting empty. i'm sure the last 2 weeks will be wild. 14 left! 13 left! than 5! than 4!. etc.