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Journal Article With current U.S. combat opertions in Afghanistan and Iraq, military families are facing an unprecedented level of stress because of repeated and lengthy separations. The impact on children of these separations from one or both parents depends to a large extent on the remaining caregiver's ability to respond to the needs of the children. By providing supportive programs sensitive to the unique needs of military families with infant and toddlers, community initiatives such as Operation Parenting Edge (OPE) are able to maximize coping skills and promote resiliency in these families. (Author…
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Journal Article For some military families, the birth of a child can occur while the father is away in a dangerous place, and the joy of parenthood can become entangled in feelings of depression, disconnection, and hopelessness. Upon reunification, the new family system may cause confusion and discomfort as the reunited are learning for the first time how to be together as a family. The authors discuss the impact of these multiple stressors and the need for extended support systems, sensitive intervention, and opportunities to build on family strengths. (Author abstracts)
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Journal Article This article examines the interdependent nature of infants and their parents who are experiencing wartime deployment and reunion. Research supports the contention that the cumulative effects of stress place families at risk; the experience of ambiguous loss changes as family roles change throughout the cycle of deployment; and parental absence has a detrimental impact on infant attachment relationships. The article also discusses how parents, professionals, and communities can work together to ensure the youngest family members are afforded optimal development within the context of their…
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Journal Article For thousands of years military children have been faced with many challenges that result from the combat deployment of their parents. These challenges are likely to be particularly burdensome to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers because of their emotional and cognitive immaturity, their reliance on magical thinking, and their dependence upon their parents for healthy development. This article outlines the challenges that modern young military children face, focusing on parental combat deployment, parental combat injury, parental postcombat health consequences, and parental death. Readers…
This book shares the stories of military families who have reunited after a deployment. Service members, spouses, parents, fiancées, and children tell of the joy and anxiety of homecoming, the adjustments of living together again, and how they coped with anger, depression, posttraumatic stress disorder, injuries, grief, and other challenges. Following an introduction that summarizes the top advice from the families interviewed, the book is organized into the following sections: planning the rendezvous, including getting ready for the big day and what to expect in the first days; leaning to…
