The separation of deployment is hard on everyone. Thankfully there are many resources available to ease the pain a little.

“Flat Daddy” can be fun for everyone. Try taking pictures of Flat Daddy (or Flat Mommy) at the park, zoo, holiday celebrations…anywhere your deployed loved one can’t be.  The life-sized (from the waist up) cardboard figures can be ordered from flatdaddies.com.  You can also make one yourself if you have a copy store that can make poster-size prints.  Just have them print out your high-resolution file and then attach it to foam core board and cut with a craft knife.  The company also makes “Fabric Families” that can be folded flat and fit into a pocket or purse.

Daddy Dolls are especially helpful for young children.  Daddy Dolls, Inc. creates person-shaped, huggable dolls out of your full-body picture.  They can even include a voice recorder so that your loved one can record a message for kids to hear.  If your child has a hard time sleeping at night, sleeping with a Daddy Doll can comfort them.  The company also makes pillow cases, bears, blankets and dogtags.

United Through Reading often has programs on deployment sites.  They make videos of your deployed loved one reading books to your child.  You can also do this yourself at home if you have a video camera.  Try making videos of your loved one reading books, singing
songs, praying, or taking part in a bedtime ritual.

It can be harder to find a product to comfort an adult, but at sites like Cafe Press you can create or find shirts and other products that show your military pride, feature your loved one, or just plain make you laugh.

And we all know that laughter is the best medicine.

Christy is a Navy wife and homeschooling mom of three, and is currently surviving her husband’s third deployment in four years.  She blogs regularly at After a cup of coffee…or two.