September 23, 2020
How to Help Your Children During Your Spouse’s Deployment
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A unique weight of challenges that are often unacknowledged by most of us is constantly being faced by military-connected children. In fact, since military kids tend to worry about what will happen to them, the effects of deployment are not that different from those of divorce.
The latest reported figure shows that there are over two million schoolchildren in America whose parents are active-duty military service members, reservists, and veterans. At some point, many of these kids worry that their non-deployed parents might leave them as well.
When your spouse has to leave for deployment or training, it’s extremely important to help your child cope with the separation from their parent.
Tips on How to Help Your Children During Your Spouse’s Deployment
Since every child is different, no two kids will have exactly the same reaction to a parent’s deployment. While some children are naturally resilient or have no trouble voicing out their opinions, others are more sensitive or are more likely to worry in silence. To help you get your child emotionally prepared for what’s to come, Veteran Car Donations shares a few tips on how to help your children during your spouse’s deployment.
- Talk to your child often about the deployment.
Don’t even think for a second that your child won’t be able to catch on that something’s up when you and your spouse start to plan and prepare for deployment. Since children are keenly perceptive, it would be pointless to try to shield them from the truth. Instead of giving them a reason to assume that something worse is happening, it would make a big difference if you talk to them openly about the deployment.
Your kids will be able to cope better with the separation if you can spend some time together so they’ll learn where their mom or dad is going and what needs to be done in that place. For example, if the deployed parent is going to another country, you can learn something about that country’s language or customs. If their parent’s job will be aboard an aircraft carrier, grab a book about aircraft carriers and read it together.
If you can manage to take your kids to your workspace so that they’ll be able to see where you’ll be sleeping, eating, and working—do that.
- Be honest with how you feel.
If you talk to your kids about your own feelings concerning your spouse’s deployment, you’d help them process and communicate their thoughts and feelings as well even if these could be negative at times. Your child would probably have many questions about the military, why their parent has to leave or whether their parent would be safe. Just remember to be honest while giving them as much information as possible in words that they understand.
Since some kids may feel responsible for the impending departure of their parents, be sure to help them understand that it’s not their fault. Tell them that it’s alright to be sad or upset. At the same time, explain to them the importance of their parent’s job, why it has to be done, and how much they are loved.
- Talk to your kids’ teachers about the situation.
Inform your children’s teachers about your spouse’s upcoming deployment. This would help the teachers understand and cope with your kids’ potential reactions to what will happen, which may significantly affect their classroom behavior and learning. Aside from this, keep the teachers informed about what’s going on at home. This way, they’ll be able to provide effective support to your children, which may prove critical.
You Can Get Through the Ordeal
It doesn’t matter if you’re the parent who’s being called to duty or the one who’s staying at home. You’ll need to provide your kids with the assurance that they are deeply loved no matter what happens. Although some days will be harder than others, have faith that your family can get through this tough ordeal.
Donate a Vehicle to Turn Around the Lives of Our Needy Vets
That rusty old car that’s been stuck in your garage for the past few months definitely needs to go before moss grows on it. However, instead of reselling it or driving it to the nearest car graveyard, why don’t you just simply donate it to Veteran Car Donations? This way, you’ll be able to help needy veterans and their families get a fresh start in life.
We’ll auction off your donated vehicle so we can raise funds for the programs and services that our IRS-certified 501(c)3 charity partners provide to their veteran beneficiaries. The services include free mental health care, grief counseling, general transitioning assistance, orientation programs about veteran benefits that are readily available to them, job training and placement, tutoring support, mentoring, educational scholarships, employment services, mortgage-free housing benefits, and so much more.
In return for your charitable contribution, you will get a set of rewards, including the privilege to receive a top tax deduction in the next tax season. Moreover, you’ll also get to enjoy our free pickup and towing services and our quick, convenient, and no-paperwork donation process.
For more information about how everything works, check out our FAQs page. If you have questions, you can call us at 877-594-5822 or send us a message online.
You can make your donation now by filling out our online donation form or calling us at our toll-free hotline. We accept donations of nearly all types of vehicles regardless of age, mileage, and condition, which means you can hand over even vehicles that are no longer in good shape. If you have more than one vehicle to donate, it would be our pleasure to receive them all.
You can make your donation wherever you are in the United States since we have vehicle donation programs in all 50 states.
Donate a Car and See the Wonders of It All!
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You can turn around the lives of the struggling veterans in your community with just a single car donation. Call us at 877-594-5822 and see the wonders of it all with your car donation!
Last Updated: August 24th, 2023