Parenting Tip of the Week - Returning Home from a Deployment for Single Parents
Source: Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Weekly eNewsletter
Approximately 5 percent, or over 75,000, of active duty members are single parents. If you're one of the 5 percent, you know that in addition to the joy and stress that you feel when returning home after a deployment, you may feel particularly anxious about the bond formed by your child and the temporary caregiver. Here are some tips for transitioning back home:
- Communicate openly and frequently with both the caregiver and the child.
- Involve the caregiver in the transition. Forcing your child to suddenly separate can be just as traumatic as when you left.
- Ask how things were done while you were gone. It will help you plan how to ease your child back into your rules and schedules.
- Ask your child about his or her feelings regarding your "new" relationship and how life at home should be. The changes in caregivers and living arrangements may make children feel as though they have no control over their lives. Assure them that you will be a family again.
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