KATHIE'S FRESH DEPLOYMENT SURVIVAL GUIDE

RULES TO LIVE BY

INVOLVEMENT. Show interest in one another's lives. If one or both parents must be away from home for periods of time, stay in touch by letter, phone, or tape.
RESPECT. Accept differences of opinion without being judgemental or highly critical.
ENCOURAGEMENT. Support each other and be good listeners to promote understanding and self-worth.
SERVICES. Make use of your installation's Familiy Service Center for support and information on military family life. Take advantage of special programs and activities the military provides.
TIME. Share meals, do household chores together, and enjoy recreational activities as a family.
SHARE. Involve all family members in responsibilities and decisions about issues effecting family life.
READINESS. Devise a family plan in order to be prepared for deployments and other changes common to military life.
PRIDE. Celebrate one another's successes. Encourage family members to be their best.

Hug and kiss your child every day. When away on assignment, express your love through daily letters, calls, or other communication.
Praise your child. Acknowledge accomplishments big and small.
Help your child feel special. Emphasize the privilege, responsibility, duty and pride that go along with being a military child.
Concentrate on the positive. Remember, children's self-confidence needs an extra boost when they fall at a task.
Treat your child as a unique, valued and respected individual, not just an extension of you.
Take time to hear your child's feelings and concerns, especially those that concern your military lifestyle.
Be a good listener. Children feel good about themselves when they know others value what they have to say.
Show respect for your child's interests and ideas, even when they differ from your own.
Encourage your child to do his/her best. Show your appreciation and pride in those efforts.
Love your child unconditionally. Express your love frequently.

I will be a good role model for my child, setting an example of appropriate behavior.
I will help my child feel loved and valued through what I say and do.
I will show my child the same respect tht I expect to be shown by them.
I will praise my child for his/her successes and efforts toward success.
I will create opportunities for my child to feel successful and help my child to meet new challenges confidently.
I will recongnize that each child is unique, developing at his/her own pace. I will make sure my expectations are appropriate to my child's age and stage of development.
I will establish effective comunication with my child. During periods of separation I will stay in touch through letters, calls, cassettes or video messages.
I will spend time with my child in activities we both enjoy. Even though my military job may sometimes require me to be away from home, I will be sure to make time for my child when I am home.
I will correct my child in positive ways, focusing on the misbehavior, not my child's self-worth.
I will love my child unconditionally. Through words and gestures, I will let my child know he/she is a lovable, capable and worthwhile human being.

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