141st - Deployment Resources (Ages 13-18) Deployment - Emotional Signs and Coping Strategies 0-3 3-5 5-8 8-12 13-18 Adults Children: Ages 13-18 Pre-Deployment Emotional Signs: More irritability or crabbiness Fear for their parent's safety Dread parent's departure - loss of companionship Suggestions for Coping: Praise children for their efforts to cope with the pending separation Listen to your children; ask for their opinions, preferences If possible, show children deployment location on globe or map While packing, suggest a "swap" of some token, something of the child's that can be packed in your duffle bag in return for something that belongs to the deploying parent Make a plan for keeping in touch During Deployment Emotional Signs: More irritability or crabbiness Fear for their parent's safety Feel disconnected from family life Resent parent's absence from school or sports events Increased aggressiveness or anger Suggestions for Coping: Encourage children to write letters to the deployed parent Keep the lines of communication open between you, your children, and the children's teacher. Understand that your children may feel more comfortable talking to their peers about their feelings. Other children of military members are particularly empathetic. Reunion / Homecoming Emotional Signs: Increased guilt they didn't do enough in the deployed parent's absence Decreased ability to concentrate on school work Fear the changes in routine and authority Unsure of what to expect after parent returns, will rules change? Suggestions for Coping: Respect your teen's privacy and friends Listen attentively and non-judgmentally to your teen's attempts to share their current interests/activities Encourage your teens to talk about their lives during the separation and share your deployment experiences with them