Staying connected

We've discussed this before, but I saw this article and thought it was worth discussing again.   During our last deployment, I got our girls Daddy Dolls.  In the past, I've put pictures of my husband on the wall next to the kids' beds, cribs, and in their playroom at their eye level using clear contac paper, so they could touch him, kiss him, etc. while he was away.  

During our first deployment of the Long War, we sent cassette tapes back and forth.  He could hear random things our then 2 year old was doing and saying.  We got hear his voice either just talking or reading a story.  We had to do it old school then because we only had snail mail for communication.

I know there are a lot of creative folks out there.  So let's hear it.  How do you stay connected to your spouse while they are gone?  And how do you keep them connected with the kids?

Comments

[honorguardbugler]

Hi there! I just wanted to tell you how much your site is helping me. My Dad is a Sergeant in the National Guard and is deploying soon. I am totally blind, but if I could see, I would serve like him. I do what I can by serving in the Coast Guard as an Auxiliarist. I stay connected with Dad through facebook and he's going to get me on AKO before he leaves. Thanks so much for the great work on your site.

[Apryl]

Well we're moving into our 2nd and we have another little boy to add into the mix.

Since the elder was only 2 the first time it was mostly me making boxes for Daddy..well I'd gather up some of the art work that DS1 made and toss it in the box.

I made boxes for the holidays. Sent lots of photos and tried to stay connected via webcams.

This time around..more boxes and I'm hoping that DS1 can write a few words to DH (he's just started writing but not really letter perfect) and we can send those.

We're planning on using Skype to keep in touch. I've been looking into the quilt for comfort (or something like that) for the boys. We're also going to take a trip to the Teddy Bear Factory to make a stuffed animal that DH can record a saying into the bear or animal for the boys to love on.

[tankerswife]

Funny that I read this than see the following on my yahoo home page...

http://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local-beat/Wife-Finds-Stiff-Replacement-for-Hubby-in-Iraq-59260992.html?yhp=1

[Apryl]

aww jeez lol.

[Love My Soldier]

Hello Everyone!

I keep in touch with DF via Skype! It was awesome the first month or so he's been deployed, but now he's doing more and so I continue to hand-write him letters. I also send him big packages full of goodies each month. We don't have any children yet, but I'm sure that would be beautiful to have the children add a little something for their fathers :)

Be blessed!

[David M]

The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the blog post From the Front: 09/16/2009 News and Personal dispatches from the front and the home front.

http://www.thunderrun.us/2009/09/from-front-09162009.html

[Jamie P]

Hi Everyone!

I am gearing up for my 3rd deployment and have done things a little different each time. I always try to do Skype or some sort of webcam, of course slow mail and big care packages. My son was 3 mons when his daddy left the first time and we just did videos and pictures. The second time he was just under 2 and we did a Build-a-Bear stuffed animal which DH recorded a message for him He still plays it everyday and his daddy is home. : ) We also did United Through Reading videos, which were AMAZING! This deployment we are doing another stuffed animal and continuing with UTR. : )

http://www.unitedthroughreading.org/

[Melissa]

We just survived our 3rd deployment and stayed connected by sending short video clips 2 or 3 times a week. Each morning as we were readying for school I would turn the webcam on and record our boys in the midst of early morning banter. It is the mundane that my husband missed, so he enjoyed receiving our morning greetings.

[Calico]

Before my Hubby deployed, we would come up with a list of things to be done around here, like painting a room, putting in another patch of garden, getting work done on a vehicle - we'd prioritize it and decide on a budget for it. Then when I was doing each item on the list, I could hear his comments in my head and I would feel like we were working together towards a common goal. Helped me to feel closer to him while he was gone.

[Jamie K. Clark]

We are surviving our second deployment. First go around our girls were too young to understand just what on earth was going on. Our oldest understood a little more being five, but our baby being only five months, it was difficult for me to keep daddy fresh on her mind. I defiantly didn’t want the memory of daddy to fizzle out. I kept home movies going on the TV and pictures of daddy around the house. Our youngest knew the picture of daddy and would give daddy kisses and hugs that way, but when daddy was finally home after his 14 month deployment, when our youngest was asked to give daddy a kiss…she’d run for her picture of daddy. It took time for her to get to know this daddy in the flesh…”That man,” she’d call him. Oh’ it just broke our hearts that she’d run to give her picture of daddy a kiss and not daddy in the flesh. But, daddy being daddy, it didn’t take long before our girls knew daddy was home and he brought all of their pictures to life.
This go around, our girls being twelve and seven now… we are loving Skype! It’s so wonderful to be able to see daddy and to see his surroundings! We still write letters and make homemade cards and send emails from time to time, but there nothing like Skype! Love it…love it…love it! (We also have a Daddy doll; he sits in the den for all to see.)