Although babies and toddlers cannot tell us how they feel in words, they are deeply affected by their experiences, especially changes in relationships with those closest to them.
A military family deployment means that a very important person in your child’s life is gone, perhaps for a long time. Although children will respond in their own way, depending on age and temperament, they experience the loss and do mourn. Their feelings are expressed through their common behavior.
How Does Deployment Affect Young Kids?
Here are some behaviors you might see in your baby or toddler during pre-deployment and deployment:
- Increased clinginess, crying, whining
- Greater fear of separation from you
- Withdrawal and difficulty engaging in activities they usually find pleasurable
- Changes in sleeping and eating patterns
- More irritable and difficulty in being comforted
- A return to earlier behaviors, such as middle-of-the-night awakening
Download the handout below to learn more.
Video Chats: A Great Way to Continue to Build the Relationship With Young Kids While On Deployment
We’ve compiled a list of 5 tips on how to connect through video chat to help families stay connected and build relationships while deployed.
Watch this video – Staying Connected – an excerpt from the video “Young Children on the Homefront; Family Stories, Family Strengths” as part of the Coming Together Around Military Families initiative in partnership with the Department of Defense.
