Military families are called upon to make sacrifices that ordinary families never have to deal with.
One of the biggest challenges faced by military families is the constant possibility of deployment overseas, to be stationed somewhere that is too dangerous or inconvenient for your other family members.
This can be traumatic to military children if they are not educated and prepared for such an eventuality.
Don’t paint a picture of deployment as a difficult and tragic time for your family. Instead, encourage your children to be proud that they have a parent who is trusted enough by Uncle Sam to go overseas to help others in distress and protect our country’s safety.
Make sure your children know that you will not disappear completely from their lives once you are deployed. You’ll be able to write to them, email them, and probably even Skype to them as circumstances permit. Depending on the type and length of your deployment, you may even be granted family leave from time to time to come home and be with them. Assure them that the time will go by faster if they remain as positive about deployment as you are.
