"...excellent resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers to help young children feel a part of the deployment process and prepare them for what's coming next." --Operation We Are Here The activities in this fun 112-page activity book reinforce concepts young children are already learning and give them a safe way to ask questions, talk about their feelings, and feel connected to a deployed parent. Four sections (Getting Ready for Deployment, Deployment, Getting Ready for Reunion, and Reunion) provide appropriate activities for each stage of deployment, from packing and saying goodbye to welcoming Dad home. Includes mazes, dot-to-dots, counting, matching, coloring, crafts, telling time and other activities familiar to preschool and elementary children. A fun book for children and an excellent resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers to help young children feel a part of the deployment process and prepare them for what's coming next. This book is specific to a dad deploying. A version for deployed moms is also available.

In I'll Lend You My Daddy, young boys and girls find ways to manage their feelings about deployment (from goodbyes, to the first night, to missed birthdays) as they eagerly await their fathers' return. Through the support of family and friends, care packages, and calls, these children grow strong with the knowledge of what it means to serve, generating pride from within, that makes glorious reunions all the more sweet by book's end.*Makes a wonderful book for discussion with military children who have difficulties sorting through their emotions such as sadness, fear, or separation anxiety *Provides a source of connection for military children with deployed family members to the greater universe of families who go through a similar experience*Reflects children from diverse families with touching illustrations from the talented Valerie Valdivia in a 32-page full-color picture book format*An ideal gift for families with young children, preparing for deployment for the first time and during deployment*A valuable tool for teachers and educators who encourage an appreciation for our nation's armed forces and also for the children of those families who make sacrifices every day of the year, including birthdays, Independence Day, Veteran's Day, and Memorial Day, and other holidays of remembrance and appreciationWritten by Becky King, mother to a 7-year-old son named Benson when her husband was first deployed to Afghanistan. King hopes that the book gives voice to the many children who experience what Benson experienced in a way that will resonate and help transform feelings of separation and sadness into feelings of love, courage, resilience, and pride.

"...an excellent resource for families of deployed mothers with young children." -- Midwest Book Review The activities in this fun 112-page activity book reinforce concepts young children are already learning and give them a safe way to ask questions, talk about their feelings, and feel connected to a deployed parent. Four sections (Getting Ready for Deployment, Deployment, Getting Ready for Reunion, and Reunion) provide appropriate activities for each stage of deployment, from packing and saying goodbye to welcoming Mom home. Includes mazes, dot-to-dots, counting, matching, coloring, crafts, telling time, and other activities familiar to preschool and elementary children. A fun book for children and an excellent resource for parents, teachers, counselors, and other caregivers to help young children feel a part of the deployment process and prepare them for what's coming next. This book is specific to a mom deploying. A version for deployed dads is also available.

Military families face stressful times that are unique to the military lifestyle. One of the most challenging situations, both for children and parents, is when a father, mother, or sibling is deployed for military service and must be away from the home. Children often experience sadness, anger, fear, anxiety, and loneliness, and they do not understand their own feelings or know how to express them. This book is designed to help children especially, but also their parents, during such difficult times. Based on many years of experience as a social worker, who has assisted military families experiencing stress, author Beth Andrews has created an excellent tool for allowing children and their loved ones to deal with the many emotions caused by deployment. The text and illustrations encourage children to discuss their feelings and to draw their own pictures to express themselves. The accompanying parents'' guide is designed to validate parents'' feelings and give them ways to help their children cope. Guided by this approach, a parent or caregiver can help their children understand why one of their parents or a sibling had to leave home, identify their reactions, cope with their feelings in a positive way, be assured that they are not alone, and try new activities to help themselves adjust. At a time when military families are asked to make many sacrifices in the service of their country, this reassuring book will be a welcome resource.

Personal stories, practical ideas, and checklists help readers know what to expect, how to prepare, and how to personally grow as individuals and families. Updated second edition includes new information about longer repeat and multiple deployments, self-care and wellness, and stories and examples from recent conflicts.

In this lighthearted children's book, a little girl named Anna talks to her mom about her daddy being deployed. Deployment is a new experience for this little girl, as it is with many more children every year, and she doesn't like it very much at all. Anna and her mom explore her feelings about deployment and all of the ways that the little girl can think of to get her daddy home...fast. Anna's mom encourages her creativity through make-believe and imaginative play. In the end, Anna's mom tells her that they need to be strong and daddy will be home before she knows it. Anna dreams about the day her daddy comes home and how perfect it will be!Like other board books intended for children ages 0 - 3 this book is illustrated with large colorful pictures depicting Anna's ideas, while short sentences tell about the picture for developing young readers. The story is 190 words in length for developing attention spans. The artwork is intended to be another part of the learning experience for young readers, teaching children the names of different types of different objects, colors and places in the world around them. The “feeling" words in this book are intended to help young children learn more about some of the feelings they may experience when a parent is deployed, or on a trip away from home.