Forefront Families

Adults are adults and children are children.  Sometimes we blur the boundaries and never more likely than when one spouse is absent for a period of time.  Often young children are asked to take over the role of an absent parent while that parent is away, mistakenly thinking that the child will feel important.  Children cannot cope with this kind of responsibility, especially with all the stressors of deployment on the whole family.

This topic looks at successfully closing the ranks on that parent’s departure, and effectively parting the waves for their return. It cautions parents about not making a child a confidant to replace the deployed parent. It warns of the effects of over-compensating in terms of discipline, and encourages parents to be consistent.